In the midst of these economic times and all of the other problems with the US today, and the wave of euphoria that has seemed to wash over the world now that Obama is president and the Democrats have even more control over the government than the GOP did the past 8 years, one thing must be remembered:  The US is based on democratic principles.

(note: “Democratic”=Democratic Party, “democratic”= the notion of the right of the people to choose who governs)

I am an American citizen who has been living abroad since last July.  Since Obama’s victory, the feeling I am getting from so many in the country I am in and from both US and international perspectives is that now that Obama is president, he should be able to get whatever he wants and not be hindered or distracted by any criticism or slowing-down of the process.  Anyone who dares say otherwise is only out for themselves and not for the good of the country.  Now, I hope as much as they do that Obama is able to succeed.  I’m surely not Rush Limbaugh.  However, I do fear for the life of democracy in the US as the process continues.

First, Obama has already shown that he is a great fan of the executive order.  I don’t mind that he used it to close down Guantanamo Bay prison or make sure that a country that is already supposed to have outlawed torture actually follows that law.  I think they were both wise moves.  However, he has also used it to send money overseas to support practices that I severely disagree with.  That’s taxpayer money, basically given to “charitable causes” that I don’t believe in.  It’s like someone who donates to a fund to help undocumented immigrants all of a sudden being told their money went to build the wall to keep them out.  The only body that can stop such an order is the Supreme Court, and only if such an action is unconstitutional.  I hope that they don’t become too afraid to speak in the future.

What concerns me much more than that, however, is the current state of the one decently strong opposition party in the US - the GOP.  The Democrats have them, and they have themselves, on the ropes and down for the count.  In the eyes of the media, when the Democrats were in the opposition, they were fighting to protect our rights and our democracy.  Now, the GOP is being painted as pure obstructionists who are only out for themselves.  The media are kicking the GOP when it’s down.  They really want to see it cease to exist.  They’re getting on the GOP’s case for daring to question where the more than $800 billion in stimulus money is going to go, when they were criticized in October for supposedly making it disappear.  So, they’re not allowed to learn from their mistake because it angers our president?  Good lord!  They’re the opposition party, it’s their role to question!

And so, we reach my main point.  In any other really democratic country, the opposition bloc’s role is to question the ruling party and prevent, or at least slow down, policies that may have some objectionable effects.  But, in this climate of “destroy the GOP” in the US, we must question, if the GOP is destroyed, even as foolish as it is being right now, what’s left?  A one-party state.  The death of democracy by the hand of the Democratic Party.  They could pass anything they wanted, unrestrictedly and unquestionably.  That’s not the democratic way.  Therefore, we’re left with two options: keep the Republican Party with enough strength to at least considerably slow down Democratic policies, or build up a third party, or even a group of third parties, that can do the job.  However, taking the latter option will take a while to do, and require a lot of donations and thinking as to what sort of party will take shape.  It will still require keeping the GOP long enough to survive until such a party eclipses them or absorbs them.  As much as the Obama lovers want to see it happen, they will all live to regret creating a one-party state someday, should it happen.  We need some sort of opposition, but as the GOP digs itself into a bigger hole (caused by them or not, I will let you decide), I would prefer that some other party steps up to the plate soon and takes the mantle, one that can compete with and challenge the Democrats while working for the people.  I am sure that I will get angry posts from both hard-line Republicans and kill-all-opposition Obama supporters on this one, but Obama needs to be checked by something (he would probably say so himself!) and the GOP is looking DOA right now.