The movement to prosecute Bush for war crimes is the most relevant and important thing happening. It is the highest goal of the netroots.
We should be putting pressure on our leaders to say which side of the issue they are on. In order to force our leaders talk about this issue, we have to talk about it ourselves.
Is DailyKos for or against the prosecution of Bush for war crimes? Is the answer to this question an awkward silence? Silence means you are not for the prosecution of Bush for war crimes. You have to explicitly state that you are for it now, when it still means sticking your neck out.
I don't want to see people begin to discuss whether or not the war crimes actually happened, or whether Bush is actually responsible for them. If you have no conviction on this issue, I won't even waste my time trying to coax you to support this cause.
If you say you'd like to see Bush prosecuted for war crimes, but he is not likely to be charged, or that charges won't stick, or that he hasn't personally broken any laws, you are against Bush's prosecution for war crimes and you are giving him succor.
If you are not explicitly for the prosecution of Bush for war crimes, you are technically a Bush-supporter on the issue which is most important to him, personally. All his recent legislative efforts have gone into the cause of retroactive immunity for his war crimes. Torture has been legalized for that reason alone.
If Democrats do not support the prosecution of Bush for war crimes, why should they be entitled to political victories? Why should Democrats win after 5 years of cowardice in the face of evil? Why should Democrats win if they are not willing to hold Bush accountable for war crimes?
All resources of the netroots should be focused on this single problem - the criminal prosecution of Bush. All problems are solved by the solution to this problem. No problems can be solved until this one is solved. This is the lynchpin of our legitimacy and our power.
Without tackling this problem, we have no legitimacy. Without tackling this problem, all criminals can rest assured that they live in a world of cowering victims. Tackling this one problem, all criminals must be afraid because the greatest criminal of all is vulnerable.
We've all seen how a divisive political issue can polarize the playing field and how everyone is then defined by their position on that particular issue. This is just such an issue, and soon it will polarize the political playing field and define the players, for better or worse.
If you presently support this cause, you walk erect and live free of tyranny. If you do not support this cause, you're compromised and politically inert.
Get with the program. Support the restoration of American legitimacy, human dignity, peace, prosperity.
Do it for Ali Abbas and all the children who've been harmed by Bush's wars. Do it for yourself.
- Paul Gaskin
PeaceUnion.org
BushCommission.org