George W. Bush may not be much of a student. He's certainly not much of a "President" or even a leader, whether in politics or business.
He is, however, one of a long line of Bush war profiteers -- a direct descendant in a family that has a history of war, treason, sedition and unpatriotic behavior.
The BBC just had a very interesting program about The Whitehouse Coup -- the original one, circa 1933; I strongly suggest folks go listen to it and replay it often, everywhere.
What he and others in the current BushCheney Administration have done with their stonewalling, illegal wiretapping, secret prisons, US Attorney firings, Department of Justice politicalization, betrayal of a CIA agent and rampant cronyism is nothing short of miraculous: they have succeeded where Prescott S. Bush failed. They have staged a successful, bloodless coup. Now, let's see how long they can hold it.
First things first: go bookmark the page for the BBC program, and listen to it. Keep a copy for posterity if you can. Here's a blurb talking about it:
Document uncovers details of a planned coup in the USA in 1933 by right-wing American businessmen.
[...snip...]
The coup was aimed at toppling President Franklin D Roosevelt with the help of half-a-million war veterans. The plotters, who were alleged to involve some of the most famous families in America, (owners of Heinz, Birds Eye, Goodtea, Maxwell Hse & George Bush’s Grandfather, Prescott) believed that their country should adopt the policies of Hitler and Mussolini to beat the great depression.
Mike Thomson investigates why so little is known about this biggest ever peacetime threat to American democracy.
It's not a show to miss.
Prescott Bush (Wikipedia entry) was very successful at war profiteering. In fact, it -- and the political machinations that went along with it -- became a mainstay of the "family business." If it wasn't for the forthright involvement of Marine General Smedley Butler (Wiki), Prescott and his friends may very have succeeded in their Business Plot (Wiki) and overthrown President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
One crucial, critical, extraordinary relevant point to take away from all this: when Congress started to investigate, the witness lied under oath. When the investigation began getting close to the top, the investigation was stymied by the expiration and non-renewal of the committee. From the Wikipedia entry:
The Congressional committee report confirmed Butler's testimony:
In the last few weeks of the committee's official life it received evidence showing that certain persons had made an attempt to establish a fascist government in this country.
No evidence was presented and this committee had none to show a connection between this effort and any fascist activity of any European country.
There is no question that these attempts were discussed, were planned, and might have been placed in execution when and if the financial backers deemed it expedient.
This committee received evidence from Maj. Gen Smedley D. Butler (retired), twice decorated by the Congress of the United States. He testified before the committee as to conversations with one Gerald C. MacGuire in which the latter is alleged to have suggested the formation of a fascist army under the leadership of General Butler.[20]
MacGuire denied these allegations under oath, but your committee was able to verify all the pertinent statements made by General Butler, with the exception of the direct statement suggesting the creation of the organization. This, however, was corroborated in the correspondence of MacGuire with his principal, Robert Sterling Clark, of New York City, while MacGuire was abroad studying the various forms of veterans organizations of Fascist character.[21]
Even though the Senate committee did take the threat seriously and did verify that a fascist coup was indeed well past the planning stage, the Senate committee expired.
It was an effective method of defusing a major blow to powerful enemies of the state. One which has continued, IMO, through the use of the Pardon power and Commutation power of the Presidency. For what, if not through the embodiment of the Chief Executive, is better when it comes to staging a coup against Democracy than to start at the top...just the way George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales and their supporters have done?
Please listen to and share the BBC program. Remember all the incidents and "accidents" that have occurred during the tenure of the Bush family -- Iran-Contra, BCCI, etc. under Bush I, and an ever-deepening pile under Bush II (Downing Street, PlameGate, USAGate, etc., etc.).
If ever a family so embodied "the sins of the father" being visited sevenfold upon their sons and their sons' sons, this is it. Now is the time for us, as a nation, to stand together and face the criminals inhabiting and infesting our government. It's time for Congress to impeach, convict and remove all elements of this dangerous infection, preventing them from ever holding office again.
And anyone -- Liebercrat or Republican -- who stands to oppose impeachment, conviction and removal should be tried for their role as accomplice in the sedition and treason against the United States. No more should they be permitted to hide behind snivelling protocols and talk out both sides of their mouths -- either they are with the nation, or they are part of the criminal conspiracy currently thwarting the will of both Congress and the People.
Crossposted to ePluribus Media as The Bush Family Legacy: Improved Coup, Corruption and War Profiteering.