Despotism and you

       By now you have either watched, heard, heard clips of, or analysis of, or read the transcript of , the President's State of the Union address.  I will not address here the finer points of it.  Nor will I list the parts I disagree, or agree with.  I am using this space to point out something that should scare the hell out of you.

       The President of the United States of America is charged with, and sworn to, upholding our laws.  The backbone of our republic, is that our elected officials will voice our wishes, and vote them into law, in congress.  For good or ill, congress is the vox populi.  So it is important to understand that the voice of congress, is the voice of the people.  Maybe not each individual's voice, but as a people.

"America does not stand still, and neither will I, so wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do."

-President Obama-

(http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamas-2014-state-of-the-union-address-full-text/)

       At the outset this sounds good.  Sounds like a man fed up with congressional inaction, and honestly, who isn't?  But who is he to say what will or will not expand opportunity?  Also, when  a President uses an executive order, it is typically for something like: pardoning someone, protecting a marsh, or getting something done in an emergency, not setting policy.

       Now I have seen it quoted that this President has used fewer executive orders than any in recent history.  I don't doubt that.  But when he says he intends to bypass the due process of law, on things that require it, such as economic policy, we are going down the wrong path as a country if we do not challenge him on that.

       So when our President says that this will be a year of action, with or without congresses' consent; when he says that he will use executive orders, and any other means at his disposal to get things done, even if congress does not cooperate; when he makes it clear that he knows better than the people of this country what is best for the people of this country; what separates him from a despot?

Hopefully this was just the grandstanding of a lame duck, wanting to make things better.  Hopefully these were the words of a frustrated man who realizes he doesn't have the time left in office to do the things he wanted to do.  Hopefully he was merely angry at not just the Republicans who have not cooperated, but also his own party which failed to support him on many issues.  But that is really my point.  When your own party does not get behind you, you need to consider that you may be wrong.

When the President attempts to enact policy, without congressional approval, should that carry the full weight of law?  That is not an executive order.  That is a Royal Decree.