----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Pollak" <mpollak at panix.com>
On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Doug Henwood wrote:
> They're embracing a new set of doctrines, which Judith Butler explores
> in her little nwe book from Verso. The president doesn't follow law -
> the president is the law. Of course, this is monarchic or dictatorial,
> but it's a novelty in American thought and practice.
Actually historically this goes way beyond most monarchy, which was usually very closely bound by customary law (precisely what these guys are trying hardest to discard). The moment of "absolute" monarchy was extremely limited in time and space. Most monarchies which refused to follow such customary law were the exceptions that proved the rule: they were called tyrants for that very reason.
But now that you mention it, it is very close to the concept of plebiscitary dictatorship. A media mediated cesaerism.
Michael
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Or, in keeping with the privatization of the State's functions, one could see it as of a piece with the work of Bruce Benson and other radical libertarians calling for the privatization of criminal justice based on a reading of how the State expropriated customary law; the Bushies want to bring about an end to such an expropriation and establish a timocracy.