Land of the Free!...?

Just had to post a link to this Slate piece on the current state of affairs over there in the good ol' USofA.

Westerners have always been of the opinion that their civilizations are the best societies, the most free, the most socially evolved, blah blah blah. Yes, that's a generalization, but read enough history and it wouldn't be hard to come across that theme. And, sorry to say this, Americans always seem to be the most vocal about it.

"The world would be a better place if everyone else did things the way we do it."

One of the things they seem to be most proud about is their system of government. Not only is it democratic and representative, there's accountability, and separation of powers, etc.

Or at least, there used to be.

They have the three branches: the executive (the President, his Cabinet and their machinery), the legislative (Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives), and the judicial (the Supreme Court and all the other lower Courts). Actually, looking at their Federal Constitution, I should have listed that: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.

(Aside: Why do I, a non-American, never having lived there, know all this about their system of government? I'm not sure really, and not in the mood to start on about cultural imperialism...)

So the three branches are supposed to provide the checks and balances to the system, to keep the system "honest", and protect the people.

And now? Do you not see power pooling in one branch?