Is it time to start thinking about impeaching King George?
During the summer and fall of 2002, as it became increasingly clear that the Bush administration was willing to do whatever it took to launch a war against Iraq, and that very few were willing to step into the administration's storm of intimidation, I personally started calling George Bush "King George". He assumed for himself all the appearances of royalty, including gathering under his banner a fawning Congress and being able to flaunt the fundamental principles of justice... meaning that he and his royal court behaved as if their accusations alone were evidence for the accusations simply because THEY were the ones making them, an implicitly arrogant position. And they disposed of the constitutional principle of writ of habeus corpus for those American citizens it accused of terrorism, and proceeded to detain these citizens without their being able to seek legal representation and without their being charged with a crime. And they rushed to secure The Patriot Act, an instrument ripe with opportunity for abuse by authorities. King George and his court assumed powers that only kings would dare claim for themselves.
And they lied and distorted to get this nation to invade Iraq. This is becoming more clear as time goes on. Who is going to be held accountable?
This administration has not missed a chance to make a bad decision. It is highly likely that Iraq is in the beginning stages of melting down completely into civil war (see the links below, registratoin required for the New York Times article), creating a "safe haven" for those with terrorist intentions unlike any they'd had before. America has lost its credibility worldwide, including where there had always been a truly grave national security danger, North Korea with it's nuclear weapons production. Now, when our diplomats talk about evidence of North Korea embarking on a massive production of nuclear weapons which will ultimately be for sale to whomever has the money to purchase them, China smiles patronizingly and says, "But look at how wrong you were in Iraq. There is no such program in North Korea. Now run along, little boy." And our diplomats have no response worth listening to. The implications for the future are truly ominous.
From an intelligence credibility perspective, America has been neutered and made impotent by its willful King and his willful court.
King George will be soundly defeated at the polls in November. But should this be the last word?
Even today, the King's followers are demanding silence and deference from his critics under the pretense of patriotism and national unity in a time of crisis... another fundamentally dishonest tactic. They do not want rumblings against the misleadership of their king to grow. They do not want to lose power or to be held accountable by The People. And their intensity is that of a panicking dog that is slowly beginning to realize it is cornered.
Should we not start talking now, today, about holding the King and his court of willful neoconservatives responsible for the damage they've done to this great nation and the lies they used to justify the invasion of Iraq? Do the lies of this administration not warrant a full Congressional inquiry? Is this issue not worthy of criminal trial? Is there any patriotism greater than that of holding officials accountable for their abuse of power in office?
It will take time for the political will to build. Perhaps now is the time to start a growing thunder of voices calling for justice and accountability for our reckless "leaders".
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june04/iraq_4-7.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/international/middleeast/08SHIA.html?pagewanted=1&hp
