adjective
1. of, like, or pertaining to an empire
2.of, like, or pertaining to an emperor or empress.
3.characterizing the rule or authority of a sovereign state over its dependencies.
4.of the nature or rank of an emperor or supreme ruler.
5.of a commanding quality, manner, aspect, etc. [1]
Introduction
Imperial rule has arrived to change the government of the United States. The nature, authority, power and rank of supreme rulers, even in a Democracy, can become so insular and so self generating that the government ceases to answer to the will of the people. Governments are quite capable of acting against the best interests of the people and with such arrogance and impunity that outrage is the only acceptable response.
On election day, America came too close to being led by an individual who refused to state a stable, clear position on any matter of importance. He made utterances and stated positions in private that he would never say in public. When caught on video, he failed to account for himself. In fact, he refused to account for the human face of self contradiction that he had become.
Fortunately, he did not become the leader of the most powerful democracy in the world. But do we even have a democracy any more? The great institutions have fallen far. The not-so-great institutions are hanging by a thread. The deplorable institutions are enjoying more popularity than ever.
The Media Contribution
We have a news media that no longer is the arbiter of facts that the people need to know. Our media is now the arbiter of instructions that the industry's corporate overlords wants broadcast to the people. Our journalists widen their eyes, nod their heads, ask leading and biased questions, withhold, lie outright or cannot see the truth that is in front of them.
There are lies of commission, lies of omission and lies of imposition. Lies of imposition occur when we believes the lies that we are told and then pass them on as the truth. We, the people, are guilty of all three at one time or another.
The Tea Party wing of the Republican party got so much free advertising... or call it active cheerleading from FOX News and CNN, that the extreme right was able to take over our House of Representatives. CNN uttered the words "Tea Party" tens of thousands of time. Now that the damage is done, CNN rarely utters those words while attempting to operate through the loaded question and the sly rejoinder. FOX News has seen its best days.
Because no one is keeping them honest, the internet is the Radio Free America of journalism. The web is where information, lies, truth and polemic flows freely, as it should. When in doubt, change the search terms. A multitude of perspectives will flow forth, without any sly and biased "moderators" who pose as journalists while they guide the discussion into the crapper.
Protesters at Occupy Sacramento, 2011
Photo by Xenonlit
Photo by Xenonlit
The Imperial House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is
the headwaters of our law, which flows downward to our level. The lawmaker's intent must be known. The law must be enforceable, executable and constitutional. Crafting the law is the sole reason for representatives of districts in the fifty states to get their pay and to enjoy their perks.
No real law has happened since the Tea Party planted itself in the middle of our nation's business.
Why are the Tea Party representatives not being charged with defrauding the taxpayers by doing nothing at their jobs? Because they, with the help of the media, the clown show of politics distracts and convinces an over empowered minority that our nation can run itself without government, taxes or law.*
How is that working for us now? We will find out when someone calculates and exposes the fraud, waste and abuse of federal funds and public trust that came from the Tea Party's style of imperial rule.
The majority Republican House of Representatives came to Washington with imperial rule as the only way of doing business. They sneer at the polls. Their racist, sexist, ignorant and extremist agendas are not acceptable to the people. They do not care. They became so drunk on their ill gotten power that they forgot about the cliff's edge of politics. The Tea Party is now so panicked and uncontrollable that many will run themselves over the edge without thinking.
We will not follow them. We will be glad to see the end of imperial rule by blowhards and idiots who never had the qualifications or intent to govern a nation. Instead, they intended to rule from the weakest position a ruler can be in: as an extremist minority that must lie, cheat and steal to stay in power.
Such power is always temporary because, while such worthless fakers may feel imperial for a while, they will inevitably be forced to kill and eat their own.
The Imperial Senate
This entity does not exist at this time. It is a majority Democratic party Senate. Democratic Party senators are far more likely to think in terms of a nation that is neither red nor blue, but a million shades of red, purple, violet, lavender and white.
Yes, white. Here, the color white represents the vast number of Americans who cannot, will not and do not want to answer polls, sign petitions, speak up or vote. White is the absence of color.
White is, in this sense, the absence of any presence in politics. "Politically White" Americans still contribute. They still have demands, needs, desires and opinions. Democratic representatives and Senators are far more responsive and intelligent in determining what those are.
White is, in this sense, the absence of any presence in politics. "Politically White" Americans still contribute. They still have demands, needs, desires and opinions. Democratic representatives and Senators are far more responsive and intelligent in determining what those are.
The will of the people lives through our elected representatives. If our representatives have the mindset that they are imperial rulers, then the will of the people is nonexistent.
In comparison, Imperial Republican senators live on three thin, flat, brittle planes of political existence: their personal benefit, their paymasters, and forcing or fooling the people into living with their decisions.
They do not care about the will of the people. If the issue comes up, they will lie or ramble on about "silent majorities", founding fathers and "patriots". There is no silent majority any more, not with the internet. There are no patriots among the extremists and charismatic creeps who will violate every law, commit any treasonous act and toss out any constitutional principle in order to get what they can for themselves.
Occupy Sacramento protesters, 2011 by Xenonlit
The Imperial People
There is no political entity that can be called "the imperial people". The majority of eligible voters may elect representatives to rule in their best interests.They are not rulers in their own right and their ability to elect anyone is a fragile right. The people do not elect imperial rulers who are free of judicial or electoral review and judgment. Elected representatives may be recalled by the electorate. They may be tried in courts or run out of office. If they are found guilty of crimes, they can be stripped of their titles, rank, powers, privileges and benefits.
This must be the nature of Democracy or there is no democracy at all. When the voters fall under the spell of incompetent, crooked and charismatic creeps who get into power and rule in imperial ways, they do so by willingly give up their rights. Then, there is no democracy at all.
When the voters are disenfranchised through crooked state level gerrymandering, legislative sleight-of-hand, or illegal statute, there is no democracy at all. There is no longer a vast weight of an electorate that can bear down on people who are in office. There is no democracy at all.
In the U.S., the President is not elected by the people. The Electoral College does the choosing. When the College is tampered with at the state level or otherwise compromised, there is no democracy at all.
There is no public collective that can be called "the will of the people" when the will of the people has no heft, no substance, no weight, no composition and no power.
Summary
Next time, pay attention to the tactics of the media, the tactics of the Republican party and the tactics of those shadowy extremist, corporate and unseen political powers that operate in America. They are still at work. The next major elections, in 2014, will tell us if anyone has learned anything. 2014 will tell us whether a new teacher is required.
America does not need for that teacher to be the ultimate demise of our nation. America does not need to wake up and discover that there is no democracy at all.
*That is, law that is not written for us by the corporations, secretive right wing organizations, or the Koch Brothers fake grassroots organizations.
[1] Dictionary.com
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