fandomhigh | Practical Civics, 3rd Period

"So, we might be starting in the deep end today," Tony said once the class had arrived. "With, well, not yelling, but basically yelling about the US Senate."

There would be so much righteous anger, class.

"Right," Steve said, pulling down a hand-drawn little triangle of buildings--the US Capitol, the White House, and a series of scales because he was pretty sure most people couldn't recognize the Supreme Court at a glance. "Theoretically, the US government is held in balance by a series of checks and balances. The President can't get too power-hungry or overtly crazy without the other two branches of government 'checking' him into the nearest facility for the criminally negligent."

Steve thought this was actually helping. "One of those branches in the US Congress, which is broken up into two sections: the US House, run by the Speaker of the House, and the US Senate, which is supposed to be more of a group of equals with two people as leaders to make it slightly more streamlined. But not right now." He gestured to Tony. "Mr. Stark?"

"Oh no, now we have--" Tony taped a picture of a turtle over the US Capitol building like it was some sort of slow kaiju. "--the Senate majority leader refusing to allow any new legislation to pass through the Senate to be voted on. Just flat out refusing. Because that's how responsible adults behave."

The sarcasm was strong in this one.

"I'm so disappointed in him," Steve said, looking the kind of disappointed that made people want to curl up under desks and confess to every childhood misdeed.

"And instead of the introductions we're sure you've done this entire week so far, we'll be asking you just how you would handle this completely ridiculous situation," Tony said. "With The Turtle."

"And because around here, it's important to specify, it's not a literal turtle running the Senate," Steve added. "He just kind of looks like a turtle. So. How do you make a grown man do his job?"

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How would you make people do their goddamn jobs?

Honestly, at this point, Tisarwat was wondering if this was some sort of trick question. Or, even worse, an Ethics one.

Still, she couldn't think of any answer but the one she gave. "When something breaks," she said, "when it no longer does the job it's supposed to, you fix it. Or replace it."

Hi. Sorry. Little baby tyrant. Tisarwat was having a real hard time seeing what the problem even was.

Of course, to her credit, it really didn't take a tyrant to look at that situation and feel utterly bewildered about how it could have gotten to that point, either.

Edited 2019-09-06 12:42 (UTC)

"Oh god, would that we could," Tony sighed. "But unfortunately he's in that position until, hopefully, the next election."

And Tisarwat just stared at Tony for a moment.

Hopefully?

HOPEFULLY?

"Well, that's your problem right from the beginning," she stated, plainly. "Elections."

Oh, she was going to do great in this class!

"Well," Tony began, trying to formulate a response to that. "There are problems with the process, but elections are important to this country."

Tisarwat considered that pause, consider her own views on the situation as presented to her, and considered...a slightly different tact.

"Why?"

"In a perfect world, wouldn't you like to have an equal say in how your government is run?" Because reality was a bit of a dumpster, but a guy could dream.

And Tisarwat blinked, then gave a soft, uncertain laugh because she was pretty sure he was joking. He had to be joking, even if his expression seemed almost ancillary still for someone who was joking. She felt humor on this planet was a little more obvious, so far, in her experience, but this...

"In a perfect world," she teased back, "we wouldn't need government at all."

Equal say! What was this, some kind of democracy?

Edited 2019-09-06 19:51 (UTC)

"Maybe, depending on your thoughts on human nature. That's a different class, I think," Tony replied with a laugh. "But you're avoiding the question here."

Which he was willing to allow if she really didn't wany to answer.

Lana caught Tisarwat's eyes and shrugged. Democracy; what could you do?

"Threaten or replace him," Lana said. "If he's not doing his job, he shouldn't be there."

"Unfortunately that's frowned upon by polite society." A beat. "And he somehow keeps being elected despite having a negative amount of charisma."

"Is he very powerful?" Lana asked. "Otherwise, why not just stage a coup?"

Practical Civics, 3rd Period - Friday

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