Re: “U.S. has troubles, but will do the right thing,” Jan. 9.

Andrew Cohen is undoubtedly right in asserting that the U.S. will do the right thing in repairing its growing and shocking state of disarray by regaining public trust, controlling its deficit, bringing its infrastructure into line with current demands, controlling the budget deficit, caging its bureaucracy and once more letting democracy be an effective form of government.

The question is when?

Not soon.

American government is grievously hobbled by an 18th-century constitution that prevents elected officials from making hard decisions under 21st-century circumstances. The system was designed from the outset during the quill-pen age to thwart the unholy ambitions of a wannabe Hanoverian tyrant, and the disarray within today’s Republican party, better described as “tea-party anarchy,” is a clear manifestation of this feature during the Twitter age.

But changing the American constitution, by, for instance, eliminating one of the legislative bodies, say the Senate (for argument’s sake), is akin to rewriting the Bible. The temple of Washington has to be destroyed before such a sacrilegious act can be undertaken.

Boudewyn van Oort

Victoria

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