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.

Comments

[julianne]

Thank you Gary Hart who worked feverishly to warn us and outline a rational sequence of actions to protect us from the kharma train of anger and resentment created by this international syndicate and all their insane fellow travellers.

[rizulee]

NEVER HAVE TRUER WORDS BEEN SPOKEN MORE ELOQUENTLY! THANKS!

[JimReed]

"our true national security is greatly at risk and our nation is weakened."

Are we really weakened enough to to be at risk? Rememember we started this spending far more than anyone else on the military. Even though weakened, we are still strong enough that no other nation would dare attack us, especially since we also have most of the world's stockpiles of WMDs and we have far more delivery systems for them than the rest of the world combined. They are still afraid of us, in fact now that we are so weakened they are probably more afraid because they know our weakness just makes us less predictable and more likely to use those delivery systems if we feel threatened. We are in bad shape, we don't know what to do, but the rest of the world is in worse shape because they know there is nothing they can do about us. I guess in the end they will have to give in and give us enough of the world's wealth to keep us happy. WE WIN.

[ManhattanMC]

Jim-

With enough box cutters....?

[joebaggadonuts]

So this is what winning looks like, eh JimReed? I beg to differ.

Being respected and leading the world to a better place is winning, not being the scariest dog in a pack. Don't you want to be human, or are you really happier when we are all primitive ape-like throwbacks to early tool users?

I think this is a serious issue, Jim. If you think that simply being the biggest bully is winning, you do not share the perspective of about 75% of humanity. Hobbes was wrong. The crowd is part of you, and you owe your existence and your iPhone to its interest in having you do well.

[dshwa]

Yeah right. What color is the sky in your world? Green? China could beat us easily right now. They've got the nukes to counter us and stop us from using them, and they own at least 20% of of our debt. Just look at what the bad debt from housing loans did to the economy for the last month, and ask yourself: What if the Chinese started dicking around with all the money we owe them? Our economy colapses, and our military is stuck half way around the world with no way for us to pay to extract them except to rack up debt at a much higher interest rate, crippling our government's ability to function for decades. Since the vast majority of our economy is tied into military spending, and since the primary source of income is from the government, we can't spur an economic recovery. The rest of the world adjusts their economies to not relying on us to buy their goods and goes on after a brief downturn, but we stay mired in collapse and debt. Basically, we become Russia circa 1994. Were we more afraid of them then or in 1979? I rest my case.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

Just as fact, not fear please, does anyone hear REALLY think China's missile test was to destroy just satellites - can anyone tell me what else travels quickly around our planet in space? (HINT: ICBM's!) Can you spell...

I-N-T-E-R-C-E-P-T-O-R?

[JimReed]

Russia in decline was still not militarily as strong as us. They didn't want war. China might be economically superior to us, but we still have more modern weapons, and far more WMDs. Another big difference is Russia was not run by religious fundamentalists who think just one or two more wars in the middle east might be enough to jumpstart the rapture and solve all the world's lesser problems like global warming.

[V4Vendetta]

All Empires eventually fall, Jim.

The American Empire will be no different.

The only choice will be whether America will voluntarily give up Empire, and take its rightful place as an equal member of the global community, or whether it decides to implode and potentially destroy global civilisation in an orgy of greed and war lust.

The signs are not looking promising.

[JimReed]

V4Vendetta,

You call it an orgy of greed and war lust, but the strategy has been rapture and meeting Jesus in the sky, and crushing the rest of the world and ruling them for the good of all men. If God willing we have time for another election, that is where the lines are drawn, and that is where you will make your choice at the ballot box.

[mrbadmood]

Strong words, Mr. Hart.

I helped vote in that mandate last November, and had high hopes the right thing would be done. So far I am not impressed.

I'll take the Democrats' rhetoric and platitudes with a little more than a grain of salt when I see them demonstrate some of the spine necessary for saving the lives of troops the President has left in the crossfire of a civil war.

Congress is not an innocent bystander in this matter; it can end this war by taking the initiative it was handed on a silver platter in the last election: pull the plug on funding.

Until they do, why on earth should I have even the slightest confidence that Democrats will 'reclaim honor and dignity' when they demonstrate none themselves?

J'accuse indeed.

[traveler501]

You have nicely moved from the real point, and the real perpetrators, to blaming those who haven't managed to bring the perpetrator to justice. If you can't figure out who to blame, you sure have no right to blame the Dems for not ending this conflict. Get your own house in order first!

[Stevelagain]

Yes yes, such a tragic mistake, you know better than the voters. The constant cry of the radicalized left wing.

[wmholt]

If a wild west town was serious about getting rid of the bank robbers and horse thieves, they hired a sheriff. If the sheriff did nothing to get rid of the criminals in their town, the sheriff should rightfully be blamed and lose his job.

It doesn't make the criminals any less worthy of blame, but when an entity such as Congress fails to do the job they were elected to do, then they too should rightfully be blamed and lose their jobs.

[wrabbitt]

we need to remember that people in this region have been fighting each other for 4000 years and they will fight for 4000 years after we leave. why are we there? even their elected officials took the summer off. Democracy don't work where everyone wants to be in charge. and will kill to get their way...

[mtburke59]

The Dems were given a bare majority in 2006, but only because there was a concerted effort to get Dem voters to actually go to the polls. We heard much ado about the "mandate" to end the war and "do something" about the abuses of the Bush Administration.

It is very unfortunate that the new Speaker of the House basically said that they would do nothing to curb the administration when she "took impeachment off the table." Does it surprise you that the administration analysed that and understood that they were given carte blanche to continue to do as they pleased?

We still have a war 2/3 of Americans want ended, Presidential Signing Statements, illegal surveillance, more than 45 million with no health care, failing schools, the VA a mess, talk of more tax cuts that will only benefit the wealthiest 0.1% etc, the list goes on.

Yes, we CAN blame the Dems for not doing anything but making excuses ("not enough votes" is a lame excuse for inaction) and trying to scam us into voting more of them into office. What then? They will not get a veto-proof Senate in 2008, even if every Rep up for re-election lost to a Dem and the Dems kept all their seats. and are unlikely to get enough in the House either. And don't bet that the Dems will win the WH, either, it is not a foregone conclusion.

After all, 2000 and 2004 were the Dems to lose and they succeeded. One can argue that they actually won both times, but that is irrelevant.

To stop this madness the Dems MUST impeach Cheney and Bush. Yes, it is unlikely to have done anything other than shut down the Congress - but then they won't begiving Bush everything he wants. Consider this: In light of the obvious impossibility of having 67 votes in the Senate to convict Clinton. the Reps impeached anyway. All they really wanted to do was embarass Clinton. What the Dems need to do is no less than save the Republic. Worth the effort?

[NoContest]

mrbadmood, I certainly agree with Gary Hart's comments and basically agree with yours. What does it take to instigate the change? If not a congressional majority against overwhelming odds in '06, than what?

And ps -

I too am SO sick of george bush I can't even express the feeling in words. That has been an evolution on the emotion scale, from disappointment, distrust, embarrassment, disgust, to rage. This country is in hella trouble and going downhill on hairpin turns without brakes.

~

[JoAnnCr]

We need a borne fighter right now. No one fights like John Edwards, as in fighting big companies that no one thought could be beat as a trial lawyer, and setting up bold, and I mean really bold, plans before anyone else does.

Different times in history call for different kinds of leaders. Now more than ever we need the smartest, most focused, most studied and most honest and decent pit bull we can find. No one comes close to John Edwards. I look to him even now to influence the ending of the war. Let's see what happens.

[pmfelipe]

If Bush is guilty of this war so is John Edwards. He was one of the cheerleaders for this war. He co-sponsored the Iraq Authorization Bill eventhough he knows that it is a lie. Now that the war is unpopular he suddenly becomes anti-war. He is actually the worst not the best.

[Grace]

I agree. Edwards is the only Democrat who can win in 2008. As I heard a woman say at a rally recently, "America is not ready for a woman or a minorty to be president",(her words, not mine). If the democrats are so foolish as to nominate both in 2008, we will lose again. The Washington establishment needs to start talking to America instead of each other.

[Grizelda]

Edwards couldn't even win his own state. Sure, he is a fighter, but he is too slick.

No one can fight like Hillary. She has had all the heavy ammo from the right wing aimed at her for over a decade, and has defeated them time and time again.

Remember when Hillary took on the health care industry? That brought out the right wing's big guns in the first round. Then, when Bill took on the tobacco industry, the right wing brought out the "nukes" and attached full force to destroy his reputation. It is poetic justice to see the hypocrites who excoriated Clinton for having oral sex revealed as the pedophiles and closet case psychos that they truly are.

[FOXYLADY]

J'ACCUSE......YOU ARE TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME ON THE WRONG PEOPLE MYBAD!! OUR GOVERNMENT IS IN SUCH A MESS IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR TO FIX IT......BUSH AND HIS MINIONS HAVE ROYALLY SCREWED UP OUR GREAT COUNTRY...AND MENTIONING THE WORD "ROYALLY"....THAT'S JUST WHAT FORKING BUSH WANTS TO BE...KING OF THE HILL.....LIKE SOME SPOILED BRAT/KID

[rmc53x]

foxylady-- would you please quit YELLING.
your opinions do not gain credibility by posting in all caps.

[abluevoice]

Strong but necessary words by Gary Hart. Every Democratic candidate should be shouting these words at every chance they get. 7 years of incompetent and dis-honest Republican rule has got this country into the mess it's in now.
It's not the current Congress's fault it's not any Democrats' fault it is George Bush and Dick Cheney's fault!
This should be the mantra for 08 elections and it should be repeated over and over again by Democratic candidates, Republicans are corrupt and Bush and Cheney are incompetent! The evidence is overwhelming just starting with Bush's war on the wrong battlefield, Iraq, and then going to our economy in hock to China and the Saudis, our lack of health care, global warming, social security, Katrina and every thing the Republicans have screwed up in 7 years.
Every Democratic candidate should become political prosecutors of Bush and Cheney and their Republican followers. Stop bickering among themselves and attack Bush's incompetency in unison. There is plenty of evidence and all they have to say to the voters over and over again is we can't correct the problems Bush's incompetency has caused in the US and the world until you give us a majority in Congress and you kick out Bush and crew! Put the blame where it belongs on the dummies that voted for Bush, not a Congress without a strong enough majority to over-ride an incompetent President.