The main story in U.S. news these days has been about the possible impeachment of President Donald Trump. Trump has been one of, if not the most unconventional political figure in all of American history. America’s out-dated electoral college brought him to power in 2016 against the wishes of the majority of Americans. Since then politics in America has not been the same.
From travel bans on immigrants from specific countries through trade wars with China, tax cuts for the rich, the reversal of “Obamacare” and warming up to America’s historical enemy-ally Russia, the American political landscape has been nothing short of tumultuous under Trump. But Trump threw everyone off, especially his Democratic opponents when in mid-2019 he withheld military assistance to Ukraine requiring of the American ally an investigation into the son of political rival Joe Biden.
That was it! It was time to remove this man from power. If the President of America, the world’s greatest democracy was using his power for personal gain that would be a breach of his oath of office because he would in so doing be breaking the Constitution. The Democratic-led House impeached Trump but it was up to the GOP or Republican-led Senate to remove him from office or acquit him. A Republican party suffering from a deficit of leadership unsurprisingly acquitted Trump.
But that’s just where the problem lies! The whole story demonstrates how undemocratic the system is. I do not see why a bunch of politicians should have to decide whether or not to impeach a President who it might turn out is just their best trump card to keep political control. The American voter should decide whether or not to remove their number one civil servant, the President, from office by means of impeachment or acquit him of crimes he is accused of.
This is the third time in American history where a President has arguably flouted the Constitution and yet has been allowed to stay in office because of partisan politics. If this is what makes American democracy the best in the world, then there is so much to say about democracies elsewhere.
The people should be the only ones through a vote to decide to impeach or acquit the President, not his own party members or political opponents. The Constitution of American should be amended allowing only the people to vote to impeach a President or keep him in office. There is no need to belabor the point. The impeachment process in America is a charade, a travesty of justice. America’s impeachment process is another demonstration of how flawed its democracy is.
David Anderson says
Actually were the Republican Party not so craven and unethical the impeachment system (inherent in any representative gvt) should work OK. A citizen led impeachment might be a little dangerous as it leads to mob justice – which is why we have *representative* democracy.
Of course – as you note – the utter amorality of those guys means the process is confounded.
The answer to that is simply getting Americans to the polls. Particularly the younger voters. If *only* people under 30 voted, and no others, apparently, it would have been an 80% walkover for Hillary in 2016.
The needle won’t move in either direction – *nobody* is changing their vote. But we don’t need that – all we need is to get MORE of our people (particularly the young) walking/driving TO THE POLLS, then – horrors – STANDING IN LINE FOR A FEW MINUTES and then voting.
Ngah Gabriel says
Hello Anderson,
Sorry for my late reply. I agree with you all the way. I just feel that for something as important as the impeachment of the president the people who put him there should decide whether or not he should be removed, not his peers and political allies. The motion could originate from Congress but it should be put through a popular vote. If it is properly done, mob justice can be avoided.
Jack Jones says
I like what both of you guys have said!