So, what next?
It has become increasingly difficult to continue this blog. Not because it is a chore, or because my vast readership seems to consist of three Davids and LH, but since TTP is focused on the misadventures of King George and how, in some small fashion, to rid us of him, it now appears almost pointless.
An editorial in a recent New York Times states the obvious: Just What the Founders Feared. George Bush has claimed powers that are the antithesis of what this country was founded upon. Fleeing the rule of kings, our founders created a document restricting the reach of the Executive branch, out of fears that a power mad President would attempt to create their own monarchy, beyond the reach of law. They established- in equal power- the two other branches of government to act as regulators of the executive. And for the most part, it has succeeded. Why? Because at the end of the day, all previous Presidents have actually respected the oath they took, first day on the job, to uphold the Constitution. They understood that Congress had the ability- and the obligation- to keep their hands on the purse. To pass laws. To represent the people from which they were elected. They knew that the Supreme Court held final sway over the health of the most precious document in our history.
Then came George Bush. From before he even was installed in office, he has tested the limits of his power, and as of yet, has not found any check nor balance that he feels stops him from doing anything. Just to make sure we haven’t forgotten some of his “greatest hits”:
He wasn’t elected in 2000, rather he was “judicially awarded” the job in a rigged judgment by the Supreme Court that stopped the Florida recount, showing Bush the winner by 537 votes. Later studies proved that if a full recount of Florida voting had occurred, Gore would have easily beaten Bush, and hence won the White House.
After the “terrorist” attack of 9/11, Bush ultimately invades two sovereign nations, neither of which had any part in the planning or execution of the attacks, without the approval of Congress as required by law.
He authorized the wiretapping of American citizens without FISA approval, ordered the military and the CIA to ignore the Geneva Conventions when dealing with captured “enemy combatants”, dispensed with Habeas Corpus, detained American citizens without charges in Gitmo, and used “signing statements” over 700 times to declare his “right” to ignore any part of any legislation he deems limits his ability to wage war.
He has ordered private citizens to commit contempt of Congress by instructing them to not appear when subpoenaed to testify on his purge of Federal attorneys.
He has communicated the sentence of a convicted perjurer who undoubtedly has the ability to testify to Bush’s culpability in the outing of an undercover CIA agent, which is, without a doubt, one of the most treasonous acts ever undertaken by a senior government official in a time of war.
And in case you’re not up on the latest- and who could blame you, we’re all suffering from “Bush Fatigue” at this point- you’ve probably missed these new bits of Kingly action:
The White House denies the access of a Democratic congressman– a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, no less- to the plans for running the government after a future terrorist attack.
On July 17th of this year, Bush signed the Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq , which basically allows for the seizure of the private property of anyone Bush deems to be “threatening” the stabilization of Iraq.
The “King” will not be questioned.
His approval ratings hover in the mid-20s, not that it matters. Millions marched in 2003 to stop the Iraqi war, and we see just how effective that was. Congress enjoys even lower ratings, which shows exactly how deeply the American people feel about our out of control President. Sure, the polls say, Bush is awful- but you, Congress- elected a few months ago to rid us of this war, this King- you have failed to show an ounce of courage by standing up to him. Sure, you hold hearings, and bluster about defunding the war, but in the end, you cave, or get played by the Kings henchmen, the GOP congressmen who will go to their graves with their morals and convictions firmly entrenched in our Kings hindquarters. It is a shameful spectacle.
But in the end, all Congress can do is attempt to reign in an out of control monarch using the laws given them- and that only works if all sides in the conflict agree to certain rules to govern their behavior. Bush clearly does not. He ignores Supreme Court rulings, laws, treaties, all of it. He does what he wants, offers no explanation for any of it (none that is remotely believable, that is) and derides anyone as anti-American if they attempt to check his power at all.
We are clearly living in a tyranny. Nothing- from attacking Iran, yet another sovereign nation that hasn’t threatened us- to deciding to suspend the 08 elections, nothing this man might do should surprise us, from here on out. He has clearly stated and shown that he regards himself and his administration as exempt from the laws of our land. He has behaved akin to an errant child who keeps provoking his parents, daring them to limit his behavior. So far, no one has.
So, what next? What does a nation do when its ruling class feels themselves above the law? What recourse do we have?
Sobering, isn’t it? Kings don’t amass power unless they intend on using it. If our king- our unelected, treasonous tyrant- doesn’t frighten you, appall you, enrage you- then dear reader, you’re not living in the reality of our times.
