It had been Bush's war. But with a little help from the Democratic leadership, Bush seems to have scraped off his nasty tar baby. What did the Democrats get for having sold their souls? A little salted pork! Bush is not grateful. He gloats. He prepares his triumphal procession to the forum.
It has come to this because the American people will insist upon being led around by the nose. The country is run by liars, focus group experts and crooks. But this latest outrage is different! This is venal betrayal! This is a Faustian pact!
Clearly, times are weird when one finds himself in agreement with Pat Buchanan who wrote:
Remarkable. If the Republican rout of 2006 said anything, it was that America had lost faith in the Bush-Rumsfeld conduct of the war and wanted Democrats to lead the country out.What can be said of a party pissing away its only advantage? What can be said of politicians so utterly corrupt that they cannot, will not say no to mass murder?...
Yet, today, there are more US troops in Iraq than when the Democrats won. More are on the way. And with the surge and retention of troops in Iraq beyond normal tours, there should be a record number of US troops in country by year's end.
The elections that gave Democrats a majority clearly demonstrated a dramatic, collapsing support for continuing the war. It boggles the mind! Overnight, 70 percent or more of the US electorate who had opposed continuing the US aggression in Iraq are entirely disenfranchised.
Buchanan charges that Democrats lack the courage of their convictions. But that sounds disingenuous in the GOP, a party more at home with talking points than convictions. Alas - convictions no longer matter. The entire body politic is rotten, corrupt, bought and paid for by lobbyists - their clients and partners in the Military/Industrial complex. Democrats in congress are, likewise, recipients of AIPAC, oil industry, and military-security complex payoffs but, apparently, they get less than Republcians.
I don't mind a parasite. I object to a cut-rate one.Democrats celebrated too early, believing that their antiwar base has nowhere else to go. To call that mere cynicism is too generous. It's treachery of a truly Bush kind.- Rick, Casablanca
Having succeeded in corrupting the opposition, the Bush tyranny will escape a popular uprising that it so richly deserves. At this point, however, what IS the point? As the Who declared: the new boss is the same as the old boss.
Not so long ago a Democratic victory over Bush might not have been a utopian ideal but it was infinitely better than the hells and sewers into which Bush has dragged the nation and the world.
Among the fallout is a sobering thought: impeachment now is all but impossible. Bush might have been impeached on the Iraq issue alone. Forget about it now. The Democrats have conceded the moral high ground for a low road to hell.
The Existentialist Cowboy
American Empire
Bush
War Crimes
Perpetual War
Treason
11 comments:
Congratulations, Len. I heard Thom Hartmann mention Existentialist Cowboy the other day. Keep up the good work!
Whilst I agree with your sentiments, I draw your attention to a recent poll www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm which shows that funding the Iraq occupation (ok ok, war!!) with benchmarks is what 70% of the American people want. Only 13% want funding stopped now.
63% want a timetable for withdrawal sometime in 2008, which means the American people want the troops to remain in Iraq for the remainder of 2007, and at least for a part of 2008, and perhaps all of it.
In 2004, despite it being clear to all but the half-witted that the Iraq adventure was becoming irrevocably a debacle, the American people gave George Bush a second term in office.
What more can one say, other than that people get the leaders they deserve?
Vigilante said...
Congratulations, Len.
Thanks, vigilante. I hope he said something good : )
Seriously, a possible interview was in the works but I had a major move underway. Some other developments are back on track and I hope we can get together to do a phone interview.
...other than that people get the leaders they deserve?
Christopher, we are in complete agreement on that point. However, the implication of that is too terrible to contemplate.
If Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama think they can fool the majority of the Americans who urged an end to this costly Iraq war, by being among the 14 (!!) democrats who voted against the no-string attached $100 billion war funds, they must think again.
The problem is not that this political maneuver was obviously agreed within the
Democratic Party as to leave these two Presidential candidates raking deep into
the anti-war liberal base, while the party itself continue naturally to give themselves to corporate lobbying and right wing political pressures. The fact that these Presidential contenders
failed to bring their party in line behind their vote, or could not win nor tried to sway any vote along theirs, demonstrated a spectacular lack of leadership; and showed how, if they are still being appreciated for their vital fund-raising skill, their political opinions seem irrelevant to other democrats.
With this kind of following, how Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama expect the American people to believe that their political program and presidential promises will materialize into legislative reality?
It's time for a big third party to emerge out of all this mess.
Christopher, you say: In 2004, despite it being clear to all but the half-witted that the Iraq adventure was becoming irrevocably a debacle, the American people gave George Bush a second term in office.
No disrespect, but both elections were stolen and the details are well documented: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
dante lee said...
It's time for a big third party to emerge out of all this mess.
Of course, I agree with you on that point. But, alas, the task of putting together such a third party is daunting. I suppose all political "infrastructure" run on money but that seems especially the case in America where outright bribery is all but legalized as long it is called a "campaign contribution".
We are outraged when we read about how the Praetorian Guard (the Military/Industrial complex of its day) auctioned off the Roman Empire to Didius Julianus. But in the US that auction is held every day.
The people are left with 'bugger all'.
I am told that the only person who could pull off a third party coalition right now is Al Gore. After all, Barack has never really said anything inspiring and Hilary is hip deep in establishment.
It is truly sad that our fate now lies in the hands of a "savior".
damien said...
No disrespect, but both elections were stolen
And the next one will be again unless raw power challenges raw power. That's been the only reason I continued to support the Democrats over a third party challenge with which I might have been more comfortable in principle. Our absurd system compromises every citizen at the outside, requiring that his/her every choice is an imperfect compromise if he/she is to have any hope of supporting a "winner".
Idealists will often say that voting for a marginal third party candidate does not really waste a vote. In fact, it does. The primary system, campaigns that are entirely too long, and the amount of money it takes just to get into the race all "conspire" to make third parties impractical, idealistic dreams. In the end, the winner is always a Republican or a democrat, two wings of a single, monied party.
Alas, there is nothing in the American system that could not be remedied by massive reforms. But where is the will to do it?
Len, what's your impression here:
I've been wondering where in the hell Rep. John Conyers of Michigan has been amid all this. It seemed like, a year ago, he was at least trying to tie a bitching legal slipknot for Bush. But we haven't been hearing much from him since the new Congress came in. He had been leading the movement for impeachment, but lately he's been relatively silent. He chairs the House Judiciary Committee. It does seem like these folks are pissing away the opportunity to stop these war criminals from skating.
Fuzzflash sez...
Ah, Len, the bitter-sweet irony of your opening salvo, The Who doing (heh), “We Won’t Get Fooled Again", was not lost on this “no- good alcoholic, “nigger”-lovin', dope-addled Commie punk”, as the Good Commander Cody was wont to say.
What a fantastic band were Moon, Entwhistle, Townshend and Daltry. They had it all.
The Dem lawmakers prostrated themselves like grovelling lick-spittles before the will of The Imbecile, and betrayed the trust of their electors. The tactical dissent of Obama and Clinton was a tokenistic insult all who oppose the “occupation” and undeclared “war”(thank you, comrade Christopher) in I-raq.
Damien, your links have the look of a politely and neatly arranged lay down misere, but upon inspection, the impact of a Grand Slam in Clubs.
Dante, do we really need another Saint Ralph, mate? A third party candidate would have to pull around 35% of the national vote to be a chance. Al Gore might do so as an Independent, but he won’t because he knows he’d be signing his own death warrant. The theft of election 2000 would not have played if Nader hadn’t siphoned off his decisive percentage of well meaning idealists who weren’t hip to Realpolitik.
Shits me to tears too, but short of another revolution, we’re stuck with the current bunch of money-sucking, self-preening cowards. It could have been so gloriously different, but when a nation is glued to SchlockTV and addicted to mindless consumerism , the "eternal vigilance" part of the "price of liberty" is effectively taken out of play.
That poll Christopher linked to -- the question is "Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq sometime in 2008"
It doens't really ask about immediate withdrawal because the alternative to setting a timetable can mean not withdrawing at all -- or a timetable for withdrawl in 2010. That's not a valid question or poll. "Do you still beat your wife?"
Fuzzflash said...
The tactical dissent of Obama and Clinton was a tokenistic insult all who oppose the “occupation” and undeclared “war”(thank you, comrade Christopher) in I-raq.
I am not impressed with either Barack or Hilary. Both are GOP-lite!
Edwards and Kucinich have taken positions based on principles -not politics. But I am still waiting on someone from the left to stir things up.
Re: Poll linked to by Christopher:
That's not a valid question or poll. "Do you still beat your wife?"
Good point!
Post a Comment