US Congress learns from Liepāja City Council: how to properly argue about decision-making

While Riga councilors are still trying to figure out what democracy is, a real battle has erupted in the US Congress over who gets to decide about going to war. The situation resembles our Liepāja City Council meetings, just without coffee and with bigger weapons.

Senator Tim Kaine is as outraged as a Karosta resident who's told about hot water being shut off only after turning the tap. "Trump has started an unnecessary, idiotic and illegal war," he writes, using the same epithets that Liepāja residents use to describe Riga traffic.

Local political expert Jānis from the Central Market comments: "Well look, Americans have discovered that they too need collective decisions before doing big things. We in Liepāja have known this for ages - before any serious matter, you first have to discuss it with neighbors at the pumpkin stand." He adds that the 60-day limit is very reasonable - that's exactly how long any discussion in Liepāja City Council takes about whether a new bench is needed at the bus stop.

Particularly spicy is the fact that Republicans will vote against limiting their own president - a situation that would be impossible in Liepāja, because here everyone votes against everyone on principle. As the other market vendor Mirdza said: "If we had such a Congress, we would have solved all problems long ago - either by voting or with a good conversation at the pancake stand."