One remark that particularly caught my eye was from President Eisenhower in explaining what he called modern (meaning moderate) Republicanism. According to Ike, “the middle of the road is all of the usable surface. Both extremes – left and right – are in the gutters.” Little did he know how prophetic he was.
One of the pleasures of winters in Myrtle Beach (apart from avoiding the Canadian weather) is that I always have much more time to read down here. One recent book was Great Presidential Wit (which, I appreciate, may strike you as a fanciful title). But the book, edited by Bob Dole, himself a former candidate for President, was published back in 2001 and quotes Presidents from the preceding two centuries.
One remark that particularly caught my eye was from President Eisenhower in explaining what he called modern (meaning moderate) Republicanism. According to Ike, “the middle of the road is all of the usable surface. Both extremes – left and right – are in the gutters.” Little did he know how prophetic he was.
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One of the fundamental principles of a democratic system of government is the rule of law, the requirement that all government actions must be legally authorized. If a government acts without legal authority, and is challenged, the courts will find such action ultra vires (beyond its powers) and will render it null and void. After one year of the Trump Presidency, the rule of law – and the democratic system that it supports – both seem increasingly in jeopardy. First, some background as a basis for explaining this alarming contention. It didn’t take long! Even before 2018 arrived, Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen had ignored Resolution #3, that we save our grievances for serious matters. As reported by Tabatha Southey, Bergen – on December 30 – accused Prime Minister Trudeau of cruelly insulting Christians everywhere. As proof, she tweeted a picture of the PM and his brother, taken at least a year earlier, in which they are wearing sweaters with the da Vinci scene of The Last Supper, with the faces of Jesus and the apostles covered by emoji and wearing party hats. There is a Happy Birthday cake in the background, suggesting that the photo was taken on a previous Christmas Day, the birthdate of both brothers. |
AuthorC. Richard Tindal, Ph.D is a retired Professor of Government. He taught for 30 years at St. Lawrence College, Kingston and was an occasional Visiting Professor at Queen's University. He has also written and consulted extensively about government. Archives
October 2023
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