It’s worth reflecting on the issues that dominated the American political landscape just a few days ago if only to fully apprehend just how inconsequential they are.
For the better part of a month, House Republicans argued amongst themselves over whether it was necessary or even desirable to keep the U.S. government open if they failed to use leverage they did not have over Democrats to secure spending cuts. It was a conversation divorced from political reality, and it produced only one concession from the party in power — cutting off support for a U.S. partner that has been ruthlessly invaded by an overt American enemy. That concession proved unsatisfying because the debate in question was only ever a proxy fight over which Republicans had enough power to satisfy their ambitions. In the end, a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to oust the speaker, paralyzing the House and calling into question the body’s legal authority to respond to world-altering events overseas.
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