A House Divided . . .
By James Donahue
Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus when he gave his famous "house divided" speech before the Republican State Convention in Springfield, Illinois, on June 16, 1858. He went on to win the Presidency against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.
Lincoln’s speech was controversial when he said it. Yet it was clearly prophetic because of the looming Civil War that was to literally tear the nation apart during his term in office.
That war was fought over the issue of state’s rights and slavery. Today, a century and a half later, America is once again a house divided, and the rift may be even more severe than it was in 1858. Not only are Americans divided over political issues, but Lincoln’s grand old party is still embroiled over the old issue of race following the election of President Barack Obama, the first black president to be elected to the White House.
The fighting on party lines was so severe that President Obama had to use every trick in the book to deal with important issues. Many of his appointments to vacant political seats remained unapproved by a Republican controlled Congress. He did manage to push a health bill through the two houses but it was left somewhat skewed by the political in-fighting that occurred among legislators that worked hard against the bill. Because of gerrymandering and trickery in key voting districts the Republicans gained gained control of the Senate, thus creating a political block against just about anything Mr. Obama had on his plate for his final four years in office.
While unable to get much done on the home front, the Obama Administration focused on issues in the Middle East, which even then were growing ugly. One important question was whether Iran could be persuaded not to build atomic weapons after it successfully constructed a nuclear power plant.
Vice President Joe Biden, who was personally involved in negotiations with Iranian leaders, justifiably exploded in anger when 47 Republican Senators sent a letter to Iran which questioned the authority of President Obama to negotiate such a deal with Iran. In a prophetic statement, Biden accused the Senate Republicans of undercutting "sensitive international negotiations" and acting "beneath the dignity of an institution I revere."
Biden's letter suggested that any deal the Iranians made with President Obama might well be scuttled by Republican legislators, and that a successor to Mr. Obama might choose to invalidate its terms. Indeed, we now know this is exactly what happened. Donald Trump succeeded President Obama and within his first few months in office, he and his radical pack of legislators set about reversing every presidential order made and scuttle every peace initiative during the Obama years.
Consequently the world is closer to the brink of nuclear war than ever before in history.
In his prophetic statement, Biden also warned that the GOP letter "ignores two centuries of precedent and threatens to undermine the ability of any future American president, whether Democrat or Republican, to negotiate with other nations on behalf of the United States.
"As the authors of this letter must know, the vast majority of our international commitments take effect without congressional approval," Biden added.
Since it is clear that the "Tea Party" Republican legislators have been busy erasing everything Obama attempted to accomplish, and the now slanted Judicial branch has been successfully muddying the waters with controversial decisions, this house . . . the United States government, is clearly divided on almost every front.
It is no secret that America has now made enemies in all corners of the world. Are the Republican legislators . . . many of them greenhorn Tea Party extremists . . . not placing our nation in great jeopardy by doing what they are doing? Could they collectively pull themselves up for a united front in the event that the United States comes under any kind of attack by a foreign power?
As radical groups like the KKK and Nazis are reappearing with the apparent blessings of Mr. Trump, and state governments rebel against imposed problematic demands issued by this radical president and his staff, are we not in danger of launching yet another civil war within our own boundaries?
Operatives for North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Pakistan, and various Middle Eastern nations might be asking these very questions as they watch the strange events unfolding these days in Washington.
By James Donahue
Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus when he gave his famous "house divided" speech before the Republican State Convention in Springfield, Illinois, on June 16, 1858. He went on to win the Presidency against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.
Lincoln’s speech was controversial when he said it. Yet it was clearly prophetic because of the looming Civil War that was to literally tear the nation apart during his term in office.
That war was fought over the issue of state’s rights and slavery. Today, a century and a half later, America is once again a house divided, and the rift may be even more severe than it was in 1858. Not only are Americans divided over political issues, but Lincoln’s grand old party is still embroiled over the old issue of race following the election of President Barack Obama, the first black president to be elected to the White House.
The fighting on party lines was so severe that President Obama had to use every trick in the book to deal with important issues. Many of his appointments to vacant political seats remained unapproved by a Republican controlled Congress. He did manage to push a health bill through the two houses but it was left somewhat skewed by the political in-fighting that occurred among legislators that worked hard against the bill. Because of gerrymandering and trickery in key voting districts the Republicans gained gained control of the Senate, thus creating a political block against just about anything Mr. Obama had on his plate for his final four years in office.
While unable to get much done on the home front, the Obama Administration focused on issues in the Middle East, which even then were growing ugly. One important question was whether Iran could be persuaded not to build atomic weapons after it successfully constructed a nuclear power plant.
Vice President Joe Biden, who was personally involved in negotiations with Iranian leaders, justifiably exploded in anger when 47 Republican Senators sent a letter to Iran which questioned the authority of President Obama to negotiate such a deal with Iran. In a prophetic statement, Biden accused the Senate Republicans of undercutting "sensitive international negotiations" and acting "beneath the dignity of an institution I revere."
Biden's letter suggested that any deal the Iranians made with President Obama might well be scuttled by Republican legislators, and that a successor to Mr. Obama might choose to invalidate its terms. Indeed, we now know this is exactly what happened. Donald Trump succeeded President Obama and within his first few months in office, he and his radical pack of legislators set about reversing every presidential order made and scuttle every peace initiative during the Obama years.
Consequently the world is closer to the brink of nuclear war than ever before in history.
In his prophetic statement, Biden also warned that the GOP letter "ignores two centuries of precedent and threatens to undermine the ability of any future American president, whether Democrat or Republican, to negotiate with other nations on behalf of the United States.
"As the authors of this letter must know, the vast majority of our international commitments take effect without congressional approval," Biden added.
Since it is clear that the "Tea Party" Republican legislators have been busy erasing everything Obama attempted to accomplish, and the now slanted Judicial branch has been successfully muddying the waters with controversial decisions, this house . . . the United States government, is clearly divided on almost every front.
It is no secret that America has now made enemies in all corners of the world. Are the Republican legislators . . . many of them greenhorn Tea Party extremists . . . not placing our nation in great jeopardy by doing what they are doing? Could they collectively pull themselves up for a united front in the event that the United States comes under any kind of attack by a foreign power?
As radical groups like the KKK and Nazis are reappearing with the apparent blessings of Mr. Trump, and state governments rebel against imposed problematic demands issued by this radical president and his staff, are we not in danger of launching yet another civil war within our own boundaries?
Operatives for North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Pakistan, and various Middle Eastern nations might be asking these very questions as they watch the strange events unfolding these days in Washington.