As you're probably aware, leading democrats are seeking to discipline
Representative Wilson (R - SC) for yelling out "liar" during Obama's speech on health care.
My first instinct was to label Representative Wilson's action's outburst as rude and meriting the apology, which he quickly issued to President Obama . But, after viewing a session of the British House of Commons, I believe that Congress should apologize to the public for being so timid and complacent relative to their English counterparts. During the parliamentary debates, I did not encounter the mindless cheerleaders and clapping zombies that fill Congress. Rather, I witnessed legislators who aggressively debated and challenged their Prime Minister, directly calling him out for his dishonesty and demanding direct responses to their questions. I strongly encourage you to click on the link below to view this lively session:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xUy2inkGHQ
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN14523124
To be fair, there is a rule that would have had Wilson banned from the parliament debates, as the rule states that accusing the other of a lie is not allowed.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.oliverwillis.com/2009/09/10/you-lie-not-in-the-british-parliament/
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/09/if_congress_had_question_time.html
Anonymous: thank you for your thoughtful response. Here are a few points to consider:
ReplyDelete1. Even though Representative Wilson's response would not have been allowed in England, it doesn't diminish the validity of the point that a sycophantic congress that claps more than it confronts the president is not good for the health of democracy.
2. We should consider changes to congressional format that will allow for a more lively, serious exchange of ideas.
3. Perhaps Wilson's outburst is the result of a system that doesn't provide sufficient formats to intelligently challenge and debate the president.
4. Wilson's outburst is far less consequential to the wellbeing of the United States that Obama's outright lies. The non-partisan Budget Office declared that Obama's plans will increase the national debt, which is a grave threat to our longterm economic health.