Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Democracy is in danger when we say it is

National Review: "AOC’s Grasp of American Governance Is a ‘Farce’."  It's a problem for the Democratic Party:
Whenever you point out that we’re not living in a democracy and that majoritarian rule is fundamentally un-American, illiberal, and authoritarian, you get lectures about how “democracy” doesn’t mean direct democracy. But what does it mean when historians, politicians, and left-wing leaders make statements such as, “Last time I checked, I didn’t vote for Joe Manchin for president”? Surely they understand that the president isn’t a legislator. Surely they comprehend that every senator is imbued with exactly the same amount of power. Or do they take the view of Bernie Sanders, who already speaks as if he’s living in a one-party state, that 51 senators are a minority if Democrats happen to make up the other 49? 
After all, when Democrats lose a presidential election, progressives demand that we eliminate the Electoral College. When Democrats don’t get their way in the Supreme Court, progressives demand that we pack the courts. When Democrats can’t get the votes to pass their legislation, progressives demand that we end the Senate. “What we really need to do is crack down on the Senate,” AOC said, “which acts like an old boys’ club.” (Isn’t a senator — supposedly acting alone against the wishes of his entire caucus — in a club of one?) Now, maybe progressives are just spinning their wheels in the short term, but they’re also normalizing a kind of radicalism within their ranks that threatens American governance.
I would have thought the Democrats would learn their lesson after exploding the "nuclear option" on judicial nominees, giving us Gorsuch, Barrett, and Kavanaugh.  But no.

Once again, the Babylon Bee is the most reliable news source out there: "In Stunning Blow To Democracy, Legislation Decided By Majority Of Elected Representatives." 

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