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Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Federalism

As Petraeus speaks, the term Federalism is invoked in reference to a future political entity for Iraq.

From the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Federalism is the theory or advocacy of federal political orders, where final authority is divided between sub-units and a center. Unlike a unitary state, sovereignty is constitutionally split between at least two territorial levels so that units at each level have final authority and can act independently of the others in some area. Citizens thus have political obligations to two authorities. The allocation of authority between the sub-unit and center may vary, typically the center has powers regarding defense and foreign policy, but sub-units may also have international roles. The sub-units may also participate in central decision-making bodies. Much recent philosophical attention is spurred by renewed political interest in federalism, coupled with empirical findings concerning the requisite and legitimate basis for stability and trust among citizens in federations. Philosophical contributions have addressed the dilemmas and opportunities facing Canada, Australia and Europe, to mention just a few areas where federal arrangements are seen as interesting solutions to accommodating differences among populations divided by ethnic or cultural cleavages yet seeking a common political order.

Patraeus paints a nice picture of Iraq. All that I read states the opposite. The violence and disassembling continues. I give credit to Patreus based on his disciplined and steady manner in giving testimony and answering questions for 6 hours, that's a feat in itelf. Clearly he is a steady individual. Why is it that his testimony was supported by Republicans and rejected by Democrats?

Perhaps when he stated that troop levels could be reduced by the Summer of 2008, he might have added, "just in time for the presidential elections ."

2 comments:

Glynn Kalara said...

Everything these reptiles do is timed to their advantage. Its interesting to see at what level of organization they're all so disciplined at. Very reminiscent of how the Nazis were, but without the German's fanaticism for detail. Its a Corp./ Military mentality from top to bottom, except for BV$H.

Jim Sande said...

Americans should try to put 1 plus 1 together. We have an extended depleting war that has depleted the Republican position from the American electorate point of view. Now miraculously, the voice of America in Iraq, Patreus, determines that the summer before the major election is the time when all will be just dandy.

Exactly how many times will the American people buy the Brooklyn Bridge? Answer: an unlimited number of times.