These Disunited States............

Our political scene is best characterized by 'same old, same old'. Whatever little interest Americans express in the Ukraine debacle is precipitated only be their utter boredom with the Washington debacle.

 

One characteristic of second term presidents is the tendency to 'cocoon' or keep within a highly guarded and confined personal space that permits entry only to those practiced in flattery and partisan spin. American presidents in this category become enamored with their own hyped-up accomplishments and status accorded them by fawning underlings. They are blind to political realities, powerless to administer change and victims of their own propaganda.

 

Subordinates are afraid of anything at all controversial or outside the party line. Hence, we get situations where bright and talented individuals like Susan Rice, former Ambassador to the UN, telling porkies to the American public about the origins of the recent attack on the US Consulate premises in Benghazi, Libya. The likes of Susan are crafted into 'yes-people' serving as staff, advisors and diplomats whose talents are relegated to mediocrity owning to their willingness to ride the presidential wave regardless of its content, direction, ethics and palatability to the public.

 

Some such people are easily persuaded if not voluntarily fighting mini-wars using their departmental mandates to undermine, discredit and even scandalize the political opposition. Witness Kathleen Sebelius' antics as Secretary of Health and Human Services divulging so many distortions about Obamacare that she loses all credibility. Or take Lois Lerner, IRS Director for Exempt Organizations targeting conservative non-profit organizations with federal tax audits way out of proportion to audits for similar, non-Republican, groups.

 

Such deception and harassment prevails throughout the Obama administration and makes one wonder the toll they take on the democratic process.

 

Obama himself appears to be totally aloof about his failures and has yet to take responsibility for any of them other than uttering some butchered phrases about potential regrets. He shows contempt for a contemptuous Congress with his nose thumbing antics implemented by Presidential Decrees, especially those with substantial policy and political content.

 

Traditionally, Presidential Decrees were issued to conclude minor administrative matters while substantive issues were decided together with Congress. Under the circumstances, union with Congress is a pipe dream and is by all accounts likely to remain so until after the next presidential elections.

 

Should the elected opposition under the next president choose to behave like those currently in office, the US will become even more moribund, emasculated and incapable of making major decisions. We should not expect any reform legislation until 2016 and possibly afterward in the areas of education, immigration, health care, debt levels, and fiscal and monetary policy in general.

 

Meanwhile, the US will muddle through until the legislative logjam is broken apart. This could well take a long time and could well be our undoing of the principles of governance that have served the US so well in the past.