Rule of Law

Republic: From the latin "res publica" or "the people's business." Form of government characterized by popular elections for public officials, the right of people to liberty, and the rule of law.

Rule of Law: The concept in government that leaders are subject to laws and not above them. Power is not exercised abitrarily but in line with precedent and tradition.

Both of these were trumped by yesterday's ruling in the Wisconsin state supreme court. According to JSonline, "[i]n a rash decision based on flimsy reasoning, four justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court have upended the state open meetings law and opened the door for political mischief." People have come to start calling Wisconsin "Fitzwalkerstan" after the governor and legislative leader acting like the autocratic rulers of some Central Asian country, the kind that boils political opponents alive. Now we can add the supreme court to the other branches whose ideology trumps any adherance to the above-referenced ideas.

Unlike what certain fans of this reactionary and highly anti-American political warfare claim, this is not about liberals "not liking the results of an election." This is about those traditions we all supposedly used to hold dear, such as government officials are not to break the law of the land, or radically alter the basis of government to harm the political opposition. Elections do have consequences, the winners have the authority to pursue policies to address issues that are the public's business. Elected leaders do not however, have the authority to pursue highly divisive and harmful policies for the benefit of special interests over the public interest, especially when laws already in place are violated in the pursuit. That is what the issue is, nothing more. Governor walker and the republicans in the legislature violated laws that we have for exactly this reason, to prevent favors to special interests from being rammed through without notifying the public. The so-called "budget repair bill" was rammed through without the requisite notice, without real debate, and without the public getting to see it. That is why the lower court judge ruled that it be delayed, the highest court in the land decided though nakedly partisan reasoning that it was imperative to screw the teachers as soon as possible.

Human nature is inherently flawed, the ambition for power is at the root of Niebuhr's conception of human sinfulness. We are moving away from the rule of law to the rule of money and power, those with enough are now above the law unless the children of light can summon the will to oppose them.