Hoping For Resignation, Waiting For Election, Resisting Rebellion
On Tuesday night, Keith Olbermann had another one of his "special comments" in wake of Scooter Libby's sentence commutation. This link will bring you to the transcript, but a link to the video resides there as well. Once again, Olbermann leads the ranks of news anchors in holding this administration accountable for its crimes. He calls on Bush and Cheney to follow Nixon's example and resign for the good of the nation. Neither he nor I believe that that will happen, but at least it's been said.
I've been wondering how much abuse my fellow Americans are willing to put up with from this administration. The abuses (take your pick) that have been carried out under its leadership are far worse than any conducted by any of its predecessors and its likely that, decades from now, we will still be learning of new abuses as future generations invoke the Freedom of Information Act to discover the truth. But what will we do today? Congress and the Courts have been neutered or stymied by political machinations and bullying and, as evidenced by Libby's sentence commutation, defeated in their attempts to use the rule of law to achieve any sort of justice. What are we to do?
We have roughly 18 months before a new president takes over. Whether or not he/she will be showing up with a can of Lysol or fertilizer remains to be seen. The electorate seems willing to wait it out, assuming that there aren't any further abuses of power. A great many would support impeachment, though Democratic leaders in Congress have long stated that they won't go that route. Apparently they don't wish to appear that they're going "tit for tat" over Clinton. I don't share their reluctance. We needed regime change years ago.
With the number of retired generals who have come out against the war in Iraq, I've often wondered if there's a more widespread level of dissatisfaction within the military's ranks. Is a military coup out of the question? It would be an unprecedented action, but is it unfathomable? Since W has no intention of pulling troops out of Iraq so long as he's president, the army will have to endure another 18 months worth of casualties, not to mention the collateral damage of worn out equipment and declining enlistment. Would not a military coup, with the promise to hold elections on an advanced timeline be acceptable? Scary, yes. But I feel like this country is spiraling down the drain and another 18 months may be too late.
Do we need to take things into our own hands? If we wait for some Orwellian nightmare to arise, it will be too late.
The Second Amendment to our Constitution states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." 218 years after its ratification, there are alot of people who think that the 2nd should be amended out of the Constitution; that somehow we've progressed beyond it. I think these people have lost sight of its intent. The Founding Fathers did not include this right to ensure that future generations of Americans could hunt quail with M-16's. They included it as the people's penultimate check on their government. An armed populace would surely discourage a would be tyrant from hijacking the Constitution and usurping the young Republic. But even though the Republic is old, I would argue that we need this right more than ever.
No? Well, how far are you willing to let this administration go? What Constitutional rights do you hold dear enough that you'd cry "Revolution!" if they were taken away? Not worried? Well, I guess you'll be fine so long as you're not declared an "enemy combatant." Once that happens, poof, there goes your right to habeus corpus.
With popularity over the Iraq war in decline, it would seem that Karl Rove would have to come up with some serious scheme to get the public back on W's side and let him make things worse than they already are. Considering his Machiavellian maneuvers in the past, and the public's willingness to sacrifice freedom for security, I'm not ruling him out yet.
I'm really hoping that we can ride out these 18 months and that whoever wins the election will at least try to right the wrongs done over these last 6 1/2 years. But if someone in Congress suggests that we should follow Hugo Chavez' example and abolish the 22nd amendment (presidential term limits), then I think we should all be very afraid, and make use of the 2nd while we still can.
\_/
DED
I've been wondering how much abuse my fellow Americans are willing to put up with from this administration. The abuses (take your pick) that have been carried out under its leadership are far worse than any conducted by any of its predecessors and its likely that, decades from now, we will still be learning of new abuses as future generations invoke the Freedom of Information Act to discover the truth. But what will we do today? Congress and the Courts have been neutered or stymied by political machinations and bullying and, as evidenced by Libby's sentence commutation, defeated in their attempts to use the rule of law to achieve any sort of justice. What are we to do?
We have roughly 18 months before a new president takes over. Whether or not he/she will be showing up with a can of Lysol or fertilizer remains to be seen. The electorate seems willing to wait it out, assuming that there aren't any further abuses of power. A great many would support impeachment, though Democratic leaders in Congress have long stated that they won't go that route. Apparently they don't wish to appear that they're going "tit for tat" over Clinton. I don't share their reluctance. We needed regime change years ago.
With the number of retired generals who have come out against the war in Iraq, I've often wondered if there's a more widespread level of dissatisfaction within the military's ranks. Is a military coup out of the question? It would be an unprecedented action, but is it unfathomable? Since W has no intention of pulling troops out of Iraq so long as he's president, the army will have to endure another 18 months worth of casualties, not to mention the collateral damage of worn out equipment and declining enlistment. Would not a military coup, with the promise to hold elections on an advanced timeline be acceptable? Scary, yes. But I feel like this country is spiraling down the drain and another 18 months may be too late.
Do we need to take things into our own hands? If we wait for some Orwellian nightmare to arise, it will be too late.
The Second Amendment to our Constitution states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." 218 years after its ratification, there are alot of people who think that the 2nd should be amended out of the Constitution; that somehow we've progressed beyond it. I think these people have lost sight of its intent. The Founding Fathers did not include this right to ensure that future generations of Americans could hunt quail with M-16's. They included it as the people's penultimate check on their government. An armed populace would surely discourage a would be tyrant from hijacking the Constitution and usurping the young Republic. But even though the Republic is old, I would argue that we need this right more than ever.
No? Well, how far are you willing to let this administration go? What Constitutional rights do you hold dear enough that you'd cry "Revolution!" if they were taken away? Not worried? Well, I guess you'll be fine so long as you're not declared an "enemy combatant." Once that happens, poof, there goes your right to habeus corpus.
With popularity over the Iraq war in decline, it would seem that Karl Rove would have to come up with some serious scheme to get the public back on W's side and let him make things worse than they already are. Considering his Machiavellian maneuvers in the past, and the public's willingness to sacrifice freedom for security, I'm not ruling him out yet.
I'm really hoping that we can ride out these 18 months and that whoever wins the election will at least try to right the wrongs done over these last 6 1/2 years. But if someone in Congress suggests that we should follow Hugo Chavez' example and abolish the 22nd amendment (presidential term limits), then I think we should all be very afraid, and make use of the 2nd while we still can.
\_/
DED
Labels: corruption, Olbermann, our_insane_world, politics
posted by DED at 7:44 PM
4 Comments:
Hi ded. Alas, thinking about the sad state of Amerikan politics and international relations makes me all disconsolated. Mrs. Mort says ignorance is bliss and that I should try it for awhile. Maybe she's right.
Please, please, please, everyone go vote for me. We can't let Og win. I'm counting on every one of you to put me over the top. Vote early, vote often. It'll only take a minute of your time. Time is of the essence. I'm counting on you. Thanks. :)
Ded, I can't even think straight when this topic is in the air. Really, I can't.
Mort: Done.
Mike: I hear you.
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