joe1776
Well-Known Member
Obstructionism is the practice of deliberately delaying or preventing a process or change, especially in politics.
Megatrends are trends that have an effect on a global scale.
There have been two megatrends going on for centuries, probably since humanity's beginning. The first is that we humans have been learning from our mistakes. The second is that we are making moral progress. We humans treat each other better now than at any time in the past.
These trends move at glacial speed, so we might not be aware of them in our lifetime. To spot them, it's necessary to compare the distant past, point by point, with the present.
Intelligent men (women less frequently) infected with greed or the ambition for power have usually held an unfair advantage in human societies. When the megatrends combine to weaken their power, these men become obstructionists. They've been doing it for centuries.
In American politics, the obstructionists were not able to stop the abolition of slavery, but they have been able to keep the descendants of slaves, along with the poor of other races, from getting their fair share of the benefits of our cooperative society for more than 150 years since slavery was abolished.
If unchecked, the obstructionists will use all of the several devices built into the governing process to stall progressive legislation. And, if those fail, they will argue that the policy is unconstitutional, and it may well be since the Founders were men who lived with immature, 18th Century morality.
If the Biden administration is to live up to its promises, removing the obstacles to progress should be the number one priority. Ending the filibuster would be a start but enlarging the Supreme Court and adding progressive members should be on the agenda.
Megatrends are trends that have an effect on a global scale.
There have been two megatrends going on for centuries, probably since humanity's beginning. The first is that we humans have been learning from our mistakes. The second is that we are making moral progress. We humans treat each other better now than at any time in the past.
These trends move at glacial speed, so we might not be aware of them in our lifetime. To spot them, it's necessary to compare the distant past, point by point, with the present.
Intelligent men (women less frequently) infected with greed or the ambition for power have usually held an unfair advantage in human societies. When the megatrends combine to weaken their power, these men become obstructionists. They've been doing it for centuries.
In American politics, the obstructionists were not able to stop the abolition of slavery, but they have been able to keep the descendants of slaves, along with the poor of other races, from getting their fair share of the benefits of our cooperative society for more than 150 years since slavery was abolished.
If unchecked, the obstructionists will use all of the several devices built into the governing process to stall progressive legislation. And, if those fail, they will argue that the policy is unconstitutional, and it may well be since the Founders were men who lived with immature, 18th Century morality.
If the Biden administration is to live up to its promises, removing the obstacles to progress should be the number one priority. Ending the filibuster would be a start but enlarging the Supreme Court and adding progressive members should be on the agenda.
Last edited: