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J'Accuse
Six years ago three thousand Americans lost their lives. They need not have. Their deaths could have been prevented. Their lives could have been saved.
The Bush administration was warned months before 9/11 that terrorists were going to attack America. They did nothing. They have yet to be held accountable for the preventable loss of American lives. Yet the administration blames its critics for not understanding the terrorist threat.
The perpetrator of those American deaths is still at large and the war to eliminate those who harbored him threatens to drag on inconclusively for many years. Instead, administration operatives, with the approval of their masters, find it convenient to use him to create fear, and therefore justify their positions of power.
The United States has suffered more than 30,000 casualties in another war that had nothing to do with those attacks. This folly is producing more haters of America than it can ever possibly eliminate.
The backbone of domestic security, the National Guard, is deployed in that war and is thus not at home being trained, equipped, and deployed to protect America.
The consolidation of federal border protection and attack response in a single agency did not begin until at least 18 months after it was proposed and, six years later, it has proved to be woefully inadequate, in large part because those responsible for its administration possess a political philosophy that does not believe government can or should be effective. And they use every occasion to prove it.
The U.S. is currently pursuing a foreign policy in the Middle East and throughout the Arab world that is dementedly designed to promote a clash of civilizations. When this policy produces further attacks, our current policy makers will respond that this is what to expect from those who hate America and only tough-minded conservatives know how to deal with them.
Those who claim to understand terrorism and the use of force, meanwhile, have so exhausted our combat forces that our true national security is greatly at risk and our nation is weakened.
This administration stands indicted for incompetence and mendacity. That it still commands the loyalty of even a quarter of our fellow citizens is testament to the persistence of willful ignorance. Against all the facts assembled in this indictment, that the administration's operatives can still make claims on strength, security, and determination is chutzpah on stilts.
That the media still treat these operatives and spokespersons, and indeed the president himself, seriously is witness to their desire for "access" and "sources" rather than their commitment to the truth.
America is today under the steady gaze of billions of the world's citizens and even more under the examining lens of history. Nothing is more difficult than to admit that we made a tragic mistake in selecting our leaders. But that is the first step toward redemption. Absolute rejection of those who lay claim to ownership of security is the next.
We are too old to behave as adolescents any longer. That includes particularly our president. America must grow up. We must redeem ourselves in the name of those who lost their lives unnecessarily six years ago. We must reclaim our dignity and our honor from those who have neither.
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Does 1plus 1 equal 2 or is it 4 because he is our president. What a hard reallity we face. It is so sickening to think we have been betrayed to such a great degree. It is hard for even our government to face up to it.
The history Channel tried to play shows against it. What a shame. If the truth came out what effect would it have on this country? That is the question? The truth would set us free. God Promised it I believe it.
What can you say when the absolute power is handed to and evil man. George Bush took that power by force by fixing his election. He lied about intellegence. They planted the intellegence based on false lies. The war complex along with the CIA worked together to give Big Oil what they wanted along with the mega rich and the New American Century.
Why is it so profound to believe that and no the rest about 9/11 itself. Corruption so great has shown itself again. What can we do. We must pray and call on God's name. God owes those who used his name to steal anyway. Every word the President said the other night was a bold face lie and propaganda why couldn't he also have ties to Bin Laden. Is he just half a liar or a whole one?
we need not fear being attacked a second time. those who masterminded and perpetrated the attacks on 9/11 knew full well that when the first dominoe was nudged the american people would jump in and do a fine job of terrorizing ourselves. nothing dismantles like the emotion of fear.
Think back to 2000. The budget was balanced for the first time in memory. We could finally think about addressing some of our fundamental and long-ignored problems. Then Bu$hBoy and the Rubepublicon borrow-and-spenders came along. Think back to 2000. American military power was unquestioned. Then Bu$hBoy and the Rubepublicon Saddam-obsessives came along. Think back to 2000. FEMA was effective. Then Bu$hBoy and the Rubepulicon "drown-it-in-the-bathtub" crowd came along. Think back to 2000. Women were autonomous, rights-bearing individuals. Then Bu$hBoy appointed Scalito to the Supreme Court, and the rights of women were ceded to their husbands. Think back to 2000. The Clinton administration was at least connecting the dots about the threats organizations like al-Qaeda posed (creating a counterterrorism czar; bombing bin Laden's camps; etc.). Then Bu$hBoy snoozed down in Crawford. Think back to 2000. Al Gore had a solid reputation in national security affairs. He was no "lefty." He certainly had more national security bona fides than Bu$hBoy. Yet somehow, it's the Dems who are portrayed as "weak" and Bu$hCo as "strong" on national security.
How did the struggle to address terrorism transmute into the invasion and occupation of Iraq? Why are its adherents still writing in the pages of the Washington Post or blathering on in the halls of Congress or punditTVland? Whom do I accuse? Americans get the government they deserve.
It has been said before and it will be said again and again by many despite the controversial nature of the issue.
Clinton's administration, including the CIA was lackadaisical with terrorism. Their wimpish approach encouraged Al Qaeda to flourish, grow and become more lethal.
My assessment of the two last administrations is this. Clinton's was irresponsibly too weak and Dubya's recklessly too strong. Neither administration got it right.
MANY OF THE HIGH PROFILE DEMOCRATS ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE, so they lack the courage to say what is needed.............i suggest that other democrats who are not running should help create a DEMOCRATIC ATMOSPHERE in USA by doing as You have done in this POST.
Thank you ,
Je vous remercie.
mali bahreman
Most of all, the billions of other people in this world are watching to see if we, given obvious evidence of High Crimes by our President and other "Civil Officers," will in fact do anything at all about it.
Their conclusions with regards to this country will be permanent, and their consequences to this country's future will also be permanent. It is, after all, a small world.
The American people did NOT make a tragic error, the Supreme Court did, which is all the more reason for voters to ride herd on the selection process for future justices. When Clarence Thomas said there were absolutely no politics involved with stopping the Florida recount, he was telling THE BIG LIE.
Hindsight is 20/20. 9/11 and the Iraq War came after Dubya was elected for his first term.
What if Al Gore was president and also did something foolish? I bet you a lot of us would have criticized Gore and wished Dubya was the president instead. We will never know.
I point my finger to the deceptive politicians, their handlers (Rove, etc.) politicians who don't have the backbone to vote outside their party line, and the political structure of the two party system which normally results in gridlock on partisan issues.
Many of us have so many emotions surrounding the Bush administration's immorality.
Mine is mostly SHAME at this point for-
- continuing an immoral war
- re-distribution of wealth to the very rich
- attack on the US constitutional freedoms
- failure to have ethical US regulatory agencies
- failure to act on health care- even for kids!
- many more(TPM readers- add please)
I am proposing that 2008 be declared "the year of America's shame" so that we can at least demonstrate to the rest of the world our deep level of how shameful it is to have been an American under Bush< and his immoral cronies/sycophants
We need a logo and a color -suggestions please
We will wear it.
As pennance we will elect an honorable person to become our next president if we can find one?
Please join me. Visibly show your shame in 2008.
Thank you so much
Be Well,
Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com
Democrats are as controlled by the big money interests as neoCOns are.
Frank Zappa said look at those who control the raw materials(oil..food..etc) there you find the real power. This power is in control of BOTH parties...the Dems so far have not shredded the Constitution so far like Bush has but they sure did nothing to stop him.
It is complete bullshit to say it will help republicans if impeachment starts ...it will help them and most of all help the USA become a country under the Constitution.
Let us not forget the ONE MILLION Iraqis who have been killed and the fact that the USA wrecked their country.
My friend voted for bush because of his Jesus stance but refuses to admit she make a mistake. Will not even discuss politics or bush.
Admitting to a mistake in un-American. Look how long it took us to get out of nam and that was with the draft and ten times more Americans being killed.
No we Americans are big on winning even if the war was illegal and based on lies.
As far as the demos. Complete lack of courage. Americans must give up its love affair with a two party system.
If I were walking down the street and saw a repub on one side of the street and a demo on the other I would take my chances and walk down the center of the street. Voter revolution will be the only thing to stop this corrupt lack of courage government and if a voter revolution does not happen we may end up with a much more severe revolution. Hope not.
Mr. Hart,
It has been said that people deserve the politicians they empower. However, it's rather harsh to blame the voters and non-voters (those eligible to vote but didn't) in 2004 when the incumbent's deceptions were not yet fully revealed. It's unfair to blame the voters and non-voters in 2006 when the Democrats pledged to end the war, were empowered by election then turned their backside to the public and supported Dubya's policies. Electing our officials should not be a crap shoot but unfortunately it happens too often.
Clearly, we need changes and they will come albeit not quick enough. But don't blame John and Jane Public for Dubya's, Reid's and Pelosi's deceptions.
Thank you for writing this article. I'm not certain why we have taken so long to wake up... but glad my daughters and I emailed Bush several times in 2002 prior to the Iraq invasion and implored that he pursue terrorists and not Iraq. We saw this incredible propaganda machine pushing us into invading Iraq rather than find the 9-11 terrorists - reporters for major media pushed that agenda. It was shocking! This entire propaganda farce flies in the face of all that conservative fear education about Pravda - could never happen in USA? Wrong, it did. By the way, my daughters saw right through the Bush garbage - only 22 and 12 years old, the youngest was the most vocal and vehemently against the Bush ploy. They also predicted an economic turndown... oh my!
well, petraeus betrayed us as expected, turned into yet another mealy-mouthed slimy toad with gonza typ e testimony. will the american public ever wake up and stop this madness??? where are the people who've lost their health care, lost their children, lost their savings, lost their lives. all for the enrichment of halliburton(dick cheney) THIS WAR IS ABOUT PERSONAL POWER FOR A SHADOY CABAL WHOSE TOOL IS DICK CHENEY, WHOSE "TOOL" IS GEORGY. GET IT TOGETHER PEOPLE.
I've looked thru all these posts, and obviously there's a common thread - redeeming America, impeaching this Administration; basically, no one has stepped up.
One thing I have not seen -- anywhere -- is a historical reference: had things been different, well, things WOULD be different. We lost Paul Wellstone in October 2002. He was the loudest voice in the Senate.
What the Senate needs is someone to fill Wellstone's shoes, able to admit mistakes (he voted for the PATRIOT Act, and regretted it publicly before it became popular to do so), and not afraid of Faux News and Right-wing spin.
Can you imagine the hell he'd raise, if he were confronted with "impeachment is off the table"?
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