Only Criminal Indictments Can Save This Country
By clammyc
I know all the arguments against impeachment. It’s too late. The process
is cheapened. "We can’t win". Whatever else. Blah. Blah. Blah.
But at this point, all of that is moot - even though technically a
Democratic president, a Democratic Attorney General, and a larger
Democratic Congress can step up and at least mark some of the criminals
that infested this Executive Branch over the past 8 years tagged with the
stain of their heinous behaviors.
At this point, "we" have already lost in the court of public opinion.
"We" most certainly do torture. "We" certainly knew that a hurricane was
about to devastate an entire region of the country. "We" manufacture
evidence to invade other countries on false pretenses. "We" are arrogant,
belligerent and stubborn.
But there is a difference between "we" and "they". At this point, "they"
have already lost even more in the court of public opinion. "They" knew.
"They" outed a CIA operative and an entire network of covert operations.
"They" tried to find a justification for their sadistic tendencies and be
able to torture others. And then "they" destroyed the evidence.
The list of known criminal activity is really
endless. Illegal spying. Criminal negligence in so many areas - Katrina,
9/11 are the two most obvious. Ignoring subpoenas. Stealing not one, not
two but three elections (Georgia 2002, anyone?). Attorneys General lying to
Congress. Attorneys General tacitly approving of torture. "Fixing the
facts around the policy". Illegally declassifying information. Obstructing
justice with respect to the Plame investigation. Obstructing justice with
the destroyed emails. Obstructing justice with the destroyed CIA torture
tapes.
And that is merely the tip of the iceberg.
If we were to expand this to things that are so morally reprehensible,
even a "not guilty" verdict could not even begin to negate the absolute
necessity of holding criminals accountable for their criminal activity. It
is morally imperative if this democracy (little and big "d") is to survive.
It is mandatory if our Constitution is to have any further meaning. It is
a required step in order for us to have any semblance of credibility or
voice, or even to participate in world affairs.
One’s world standing, coupled with militaristic leaders and an aggressive
foreign policy are a toxic mix. Nobody survives - at least not in the same
shape and with the same standing as they were before such actions. The
Roman Empire, the Soviet Union, Germany, even Saddam in 1991 are all good
examples. And there are many, many others. To think that the United States
- with its arrogant, hypocritical, belligerent and reckless foreign policy
(both historically and more importantly, recently) could not befall the same
fate is both arrogant and foolish. In fact,
it is already happening on the global economic scale, and it is
bankrupting this country at home.
If the illegal behavior is not confronted in a meaningful way, then that
only shows approval and complicity. There is no "moral standing" when the
President of the United States admits that he approved of torture -
especially when he is not held accountable. There is no "moral
standing" when private contractors murder innocent Iraqis and threaten our
own Armed Forces - especially when it is known throughout
the world and nothing is done to hold anyone accountable. There is no
"moral standing" when hundreds of thousands of innocent people are
displaced, left with broken lives and are murdered based on lies. There is
no "moral standing" when bin Laden, al Qaeda and the Taliban are allowed to
reconstitute, strengthen and attack our troops and allies in Pakistan and
Afghanistan - especially when we talk about fighting
terrorism while we ignore it.
"They" did all of this. Willfully. Purposely. For their own personal
gain, or own sick twisted jollies. "They" did it all in our
names. "They" even did it in not one (Reagan), not two (HW
Bush) not three (Ford) but in four prior administrations (Nixon).
"Their" actions over the past 40 years, and especially the past 8, are a
reflection on this country’s standing in the world. The fact that we are in
such economic peril makes it even worse.
And everybody disapproves of it. What is the
approval rating, 20%? This country finds their actions despicable. The
entire world finds their actions despicable. The entire world knows they
committed crimes - war crimes, lying to the world community, illegal use of
chemical weapons, murdering innocent people. Most of this country knows
that torture is illegal. Most of this country knows that illegal spying is,
well, illegal. Most of this country knows that obstructing justice,
destroying evidence and stealing elections is illegal. And most of this
country (I still hope) thinks that this type of behavior should not be
ignored.
It is a long road back to respectability - both here in the US in terms
of the "rule of law" and around the world in the eyes of the global
community. There is too much at stake to be held in such low regard. There
is too much at stake to be pushed aside. And there is too much at stake to
put ourselves at such a disadvantage when it comes to foreign relations.
The world knows that top level "leaders" of this country broke numerous
laws - some very heinous laws, and committed atrocities on many levels. And
that they admitted to not only doing so, but making a premeditated decision
to do so. We will never be taken seriously and will be at a
substantial disadvantage if we don’t repair our image and hold criminals
accountable.
Hell, let Attorney General John Edwards appoint one of the US attorneys
that was fired as a special prosecutor. A "not guilty" verdict will not be
looked at as vindication. The process will be looked at as a spotlight on
the criminal behaviors that have permeated this Government over the past few
years. It will show that we still care about what is right and what is
wrong.
Freedom Press Handbills Help spread the word about George W. Bush and his band of robber barons intent on destroying Democracy in America! Use our growing collection of handbills as a grocery list, then leave it in the shopping cart when you are finished!