[ExI] Superpower goodness and the efficacy of (largely) internalconstraints

[spike]

> ...On Behalf Of Brian Manning Delaney
> ...
> ...The world has become unbelievably more peaceful and 
> productive since 1945...

Ja!  Thanks Brian.
 
> (A fascinating world-historical event: Nixon RESIGNED. Think 
> about it.) -Brian

Yes, however before we conclude that it was some internal magnanimity on his
part, keep in mind the US constitution was designed by a bunch of guys who
had really fresh and bitter experience with despotism, so they wrote the
rules specifically to discourage power grabbing.  The constitution names the
US president as commander of the military, so long as she upholds the
requirements of that office.  Had Nixon gone much further down the road he
was on, it isn't clear at what point he would no longer be in command of
that force.

I am watching this closely today, because our previous president was doing
things that were on the ragged edge: warrantless wire taps, using the
military when war has not been declared (Nixon did that one too), holding
those captured indefinitely without trial, invoking state secrets privilege
to compel dismissal of lawsuits in advance, and so forth.  The surprising
thing is that the current government followed suit on everything, doing all
the above.  But this time it is more scary, for at least the previous
government was bitterly opposed by the popular press, whereas they seem to
fawn all over the current crew.  The press downplays the fact that the
current government can match their predecessors sin for sin, with plenty of
sins left over, huge egregious ones, such as the car deal.

spike