strong federal government
From Berlin to Baghdad
With the election this month of the first-ever democratically elected Iraqi government, under the new constitution ratified in October, Iraqi society has turned a corner, and the world looks on with mingled hope and trepidation. The optimists cheer; the sober demur. For it is not clear yet what, exactly, lies around this corner.
Historical parallels are never perfect, no more than metaphors are literally true, and we should also keep a clear view of the distinctions between different historical moments, actors, and forces. But historical parallels can vividly illuminate the present, and serve as vital indicators of where the present could be heading, just as metaphors can make known to us the qualities or properties of a literal thing.
Against Originalism
With the ongoing transition in the Supreme Court, we've been hearing a lot about "originalism" when it comes to Constitutional interpretation. This doctrine, espoused by conservative judges Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, along with much of the American Right, including President Bush, holds that the proper approach to interpreting the Constitution is to be guided by the "original" intent of the framers.
