America’s attention is focused on Iraq these days, so the Bush Administration’s recent announcement that it plans to privatize 800,000 federal jobs, beginning with air traffic controllers, got very little attention.
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The Government We Deserve
There is an old saying to the effect that people get the government they deserve. I used to believe that–before the current administration took office. Now I’m not so sure.
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Religious War & Peace
Let’s stipulate, as we lawyer types like to say, that the General has the right to his opinions, to his religious beliefs, and for that matter, to his evident adolescence. But as a soldier, he has a duty to respect the military chain of command. I didn?t hear Congressman Pence or others protective of Boykin rising to defend the soldiers in Iraq who were chastised for complaining that the Pentagon had lied to them about the length of their tours of duty.
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Prognostications
Since Unigov was first created back in 1971, there has never been a transition of leadership in the City-County Council, which has remained reliably Republican for the entire thirty-two years. This November, for the first time, that changed. As we usher in a New Year, and new leadership, a reasonable question is: How will this change affect our city? What can citizens expect from a Democrat-led Council?
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A Really Bad Idea
As government teachers routinely remind students, the United States is a representative democracy. The Founders were worried about excessive ?majoritarianism??which they equated to government by mob rule. Representative government was their solution: we elect people to make decisions, because most of those decisions require deliberation, study and expertise. Citizens retain control by reserving the right to vote those same people out of office if we decide they aren?t making good decisions.
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