The U.S. President is not the most powerful man in the world. Globally, he is one part of an international network of leaders, ever more closely tied together culturally, technologically, and economically. Domestically, he is the head of one of three co-equal branches of government -- the executive branch. Although he can assert influence over the legislative and the judiciary branches, he does not control them.
Few administrations in history have had to face the frightening kind of attack on the U.S. mainland as did the Bush administration on 9/11. It was a relatively young Presidency still, but it grew up fast. As a new book by Jane Mayer documents, Dick Cheney effectively took control of the response, authorizing torture, the occupation of Afghanistan, widespread surveillance of Americans, secret military prisons, "renditions," and other actions that remain so tightly classified we do not yet know what they are.
Cheney also led the wing of the administration that decided to invade Iraq and overthrow the secular, non-terrorist sponsor dictator Saddam Hussein -- a bad man for sure but one who had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11.
This cowboy foreign policy, which has been supported every step of the way by another cowboy, John McCain, has helped ruin America's reputation in the world, sacrificed untold lives of American, Iraqi, and Afghan innocents, bankrupted the federal budget, undermined our precious civil liberties, and spurred the growth of new terror networks throughout the Islamic world.
The whole damn mess backfired, yet few Republicans have the courage to admit that. Instead, they cling to small signs, like improved security in Iraq, or a handful of al-Qaeda leaders killed near the Afghan border, as signs that their tactics ultimately will be successful.
This is the legacy John McCain wants to inherit and perfect. He wants to be the man in office when Osama bin-Laden is finally brought to justice.
***
Meanwhile, we common Americans need a fresh vision. We do not want to be the enemy of everyone else in this world. We want to be friends. We do not hate people of other faiths; we welcome them into our communities and our families. We do not want to see our economic fortunes destroyed in the name of some theoretical national sacrifice that is in fact a militaristic and systematic abuse of other people' human rights. We abhor that kind of regime.
We need a face of integrity, a person who will not only talk the talk of change but walk the walk. Speaking of talking, we want wise leaders who understand the role of diplomacy, not paranoid sociopaths who refuse to speak to their "enemies," thereby eschewing the one great tool in our arsenal -- our wealth -- that could and should be employed to wage peace, not war.
All of this is, or should be, self-evident to thinking persons. The ignorant, suspicious, frightened portion of the American population cannot be the segment that controls all of our fate any longer. We need to bring those in the Bush administration responsible for war crimes and crimes against the domestic population to justice. The courts have started the process by forcing detainees at Gitmo to be given at least the semblance of trials; and by refusing Karl Rove and others who claim they are above the law and therefore refuse to appear before Congress when subpeanoed.
Rove and the others soon will be held in contempt of Congress if they continue to refuse to appear, which can be the beginning of more substantive legal actions against them. It is time to dismantle this corrupt, mean-spirited government that has ruled on the basis of fear. Tyrants rule on fear.
As difficult as it is going to be for Democrats to resist fighting for the Presidency without sinking to the depths of meanness and exploitation of fear that the Republicans have already embraced whole-heartedly, it is critical that our next President be a healer, not another in a long string of dividers.
As we bid farewell to the "Decider," hopefully we can welcome a President who understands his true role in this complex new world -- the Uniter!
-30-
1 comment:
“The whole damn mess backfired, yet few Republicans have the courage to admit that. Instead, they cling to small signs, like improved security in Iraq, or a handful of al-Qaeda leaders killed near the Afghan border, as signs that their tactics ultimately will be successful.” Well, you did say your on the “left coast”.
It is a shame that the economy grew by 1.9% in Q2, that Iraq is achieving real progress, that more Al Queda leadership is being destroyed, that Palosi and Reed have lower pole numbers than Bush, that McCain is leading in poles of “likely voters”, that American women still favor real men, that Obama continues to ramble in search of a coherent thought, that 71% of Americans want off shore drilling now, and that “conspiracy theories” are the best ammunition available to the emotionally twisted Bush/Cheney haters.
According to your earlier statements, this may or may not be a crucial election year. But it most certainly is among the most entertaining.
Post a Comment