(Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.)
Very unfortunately, our Canadian brothers and sisters find themselves in direct confrontation with the Bush administration’s fascist-wannabe ethos of governance. This time the complete outrage is the case of Maher Arar, an innocent Canadian, who was illegally shipped to Syria for torture because Bush administration officials simply decided he must be a terrorist, the facts be damned. Four years later the Canadian government concluded its investigation, awarded Arar $8.9 million and apologized. They’re also demanding Arar be taken off the US no-fly list, and of course our Republican government refuses to do so.
This could go on for a very long time if not handled correctly, and I’d like to offer my Canadian neighbors the most humble advice on how to proceed in this horrible matter. After watching extremely closely and living under the heel of these reactionary freaks who call themselves Republicans for six years I believe I have some valuable insights on how to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
Before I begin I must apologize to all the citizens of Canada for the filthy lying power-tripping constitution-shredding reactionaries who have hijacked the government of the United States. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the USA as you knew it is completely gone, and although tens of millions of Americans are frantically trying to get their country back it does not excuse the unconscionable behavior of the war criminals who dare to say they presently represent us. I am sorry, really sorry, for my country’s shameful behavior in this matter.
The first thing to understand when dealing with my government is to never, ever trust a word any official says. Bush administration personnel lie like they breathe, effortlessly, all the time, about any matter big or small. Words from the mouths of Bush or Rice or anyone in the State Department have zero worth, these felons believe lying is necessary for good governance, they really do. Do not be trapped into believing anything they say, only empirical actions have any value when trying to analyze their motives. The FBI has already repeatedly lied to you in this matter—all of my government behaves this way, all the time.
The second thing to understand is that our government is accountable to no one. Bush administration officials will lie, break the law, defecate all over the Bill of Rights, kill innocents and torture people for no reason because they can. As you’ve noticed in this case, US courts completely deferred to the Executive and threw Arar’s case out of court, no matter how heinous the truth was and is.
The US "journalism" corps has degraded into a completely owned subsidiary of the American corporate elite where Republicans rule. They hold the Bush administration to no standards at all: 90% of Americans have never heard of Arar, they never will if they can help it, they will not report this story and if forced to they will cover and enable the lying Republicans. Forget about trying the usual tactics through the media, they won’t work here.
Congress can do nothing for you. Naturally the preceding six years under Republican rule Bush could and did do anything he liked with nary a peep from his corporate lying brethren, but even with Democrats taking over Congress this year their reach in a matter like this is extremely limited. One would think that in a democracy Nancy Pelosi would have a lot of influence, but again, Bush doesn’t believe in Democracy and hates Congress for threatening his pejoratives in any way. Not only would Bush ignore Pelosi, his agenda and relationship with Congress be damned, but he would also delight in rebuking her in a way to demonstrate weakness.
To put it bluntly, our government is run by liars with the intellectual and emotional status of children. They don’t care about democracy, the law, human decency, or anyone but themselves and their rich enabling cronies. To make them change one must confront their grossly immature intellects with very blunt instruments or threaten their power directly.
For all their tough talk and bluster Bush and his people have nothing else. They don’t have facts, reason, justice, truth or constituents to back up what they try to do, so if confronted correctly they’ll immediately back down with surprising speed, precisely as all bullies will do when brought down. Like all bullies they are also very defensive and extremely attuned to any attempts to bring down their power.
That defensiveness is a key in leverage over Bush. If for instance Bush knew that in 24 hours the Canadian Prime Minister would publicly call Bush a liar to the international media, a torturer with no care or remorse in charge of a wrecked democracy, Bush would back down and Arar would be taken off the no-fly list. Standing up to Bush in a way that shreds his alleged character in a media environment that cannot be controlled by him will work.
It’s offensive in its immaturity and shallow emotional prodding, but that’s George Bush, immature and shallow. He simply doesn’t get anything else, that’s why it works.
The only other option is to threaten his cronies by hurting their business. Halliburton and all the major oil companies must have extensive investments in Canada, and it should be easy to punish them severely in a quiet, vicious way until Arar is taken off the no-fly list. If there has ever been a consistent behavior from Bush its total deference to his oil buddy friends, they have enormous power over his administration, and to make Bush change means only they can carry the message.
I apologize that my proposed solutions in getting Mr. Arar off the no-fly list are so base, crudely simple, and fundamentally immature but, I’m sorry more than you’ll ever know, that’s my busted government, crude and immature in its fumbling criminal incompetence. Again, I apologize fervently to all the citizens of Canada for the heinous actions inflicted upon Mr. Arar by the government of the United States.