OPINION —
When Vladimir Putin became Russia’s president in 1999, its constitution allowed presidents for two consecutive terms. But wait? After his second term ended in 2008, Putin sat in as prime minister before becoming president again in 2012. And so it goes. Did he serve two more presidential terms? Yes. Because Putin drafted an amendment for new terms. In July 2020, Russian voters approved that change. Now he may be in office until 2028. Or longer.
“You would be disqualified for a Trump administration job if you kind of have shown yourself to have fought against the Trump administration, or if there are issues when you have actually been counter to it,” said Paul Dans, a lawyer in the Trump White House. “People stand where they sit, so to speak. Their postings and social media, their allegiances over time give us a pretty good picture.”
The change Dans is talking about is transferring several thousand jobs into a different hire category, with more control by the Executive Branch. Fully staffing an administration requires some 4,000 political appointees, with 1,200 needing U.S. Senate approval. The extent of planning and ideas for disqualifying people this early harkens a new way to play the game.
There is a famous story about the Constitutional Convention in 1787, when the Constitution was adopted, in which the Americans gathered at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. They asked Benjamin Franklin, ‘What do we have, a republic or a monarchy?’
Franklin replied, ‘A Republic; if you can keep it.’ That anecdote has been revised by historians who learned that Elizabeth Willing Powel, an influential woman of the founding era, is the true source. As Franklin was there and a key figure, he was presented as the author of the phrase. But he was not.
More dramatically, changes instituted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will crimp the independence of the judiciary and limit checks and balances in the nation. The legislation places a black mark just as the remarkable nation celebrates its 75th year as the State of Israel. Netanyahu has been the country’s leader three times (1996 to 1999, 2009 to 2021 and 2022 topresent). Although not consecutive, he has the longest tenure in Israeli history.
Netanyahu’s plan is nothing less than an overhaul of the justice system and is seen as the beginning of authoritarian rule. After the vote, thousands of mass protests good new life. “It’s a sad day,” said opposition letter Yair Lapid said. “This is not a victory for the coalition. This is the destruction of Israeli democracy.”
The American Jewish Committee in a said it had “profound disappointment” with the events. It was “gravely concerned” that divisions will likely deepen in Israeli society with the huge demonstrations against the law.
“The continued effort to press forward on judicial reform rather than seeking compromise has sown discord within the Israeli Defense Forces at a time of elevated threats to the Jewish homeland and has strained the vital relationship between Israel and diaspora Jewry,” according to the statement.
Veteran candidates such as President Joe Biden and Trump should be closely monitored so their real plans can surface. They know the system and have access to the smartest advisors.
Didn’t citizens realize that Putin was going to do something to keep power when his presidential terms ended — twice? Couldn’t Israelis see that Netanyahu’s corruption charges might end up at the Supreme Court? Or that he might mold the court in his way? Haven’t people heard that the top U.S. political parties are already crafting laws and organizational charts in case they win the 2024 presidential election?
Always be aware of what is developing in politics and government. If we find out when it’s a foregone conclusion, we will certainly suffer. Time is of the essence, particularly when constitutional change is on tap. Small efforts over time assure better results. “Gulliver’s Travels”, a four-part satirical work by Jonathan Swift, was published anonymously in 1726.
Lilliputins put threads on Gulliver, who was bigger and stronger and the threads were not making much of a difference. Two threads, five or even 100 was not enough. But when you put hundreds of these threads over Gulliver, he couldn’t stand up. Just as in government: destructive and anti-democratic moves are not seen for what they are early enough.
Greg Markley first moved to Lee County in 1996. He has masters degrees in education and history. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama. An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to The Observer for 12 years. gm.markley@charter.net