This coming year will be a time when the damage Bush and Cheney have done so far will seem miniscule, compared to what they can and will do if allowed to continue running the US into the ground.
In the SC debate, yesterday, the DEM candidates agreed that Bush has been incredibly destructive.
Failure to impeach and quickly end the occupation will send the US into an irreversible nosedive.
The world is entering a time of chaos. It will be a time of fluctuations-- in power, finance, alliances, war...
Many things will not be as they seem.
The next year, with such massive instability, will be a time of great danger to the middle class. If you are afraid, you have good justification.
This coming year will be a time when the damage Bush and Cheney have done so far will seem miniscule, compared to what they can and will do if allowed to continue running the US into the ground.
Today, to intervene, hoping to damp the expected crash that the rest of the world experienced yesterday, the Fed cut a key interest rate 3/4s of a point. We still see, an hour into the market day, the market down 350 points-- with a massive rate cut. The Bush/Cheney administration is clueless and don't have any answers. It's not suprising, since they have made appointments based on loyalty, not competence.
In the SC debate, yesterday, the candidates agreed that Bush has been incredibly destructive.
Hillary said, "We will inherit a huge amount of damage from President Bush." and Obama said, "When you look at Bush and Cheney and what they've done for us... They have given their party a very bad name. "
It is criminally insane for the congress to allow Bush and Cheney to continue, without holding impeachment hearings. The candidates, at least the Democratic candidates, should be challenged on impeachment at every opportunity. "If you know the damage Bush and Cheney are doing to the nation, why are you not supporting impeachment?"
It is screamingly obvious that the war in Iraq is siphoning off, sucking out the spine of our economy and without those funds, we are hurting.
It is time for the Democrats in congress to stand up to the failed, incompetent, but loud-mouthed right wing financial, economic, military incompetents who have led our country to the brink of ruin. If Pelosi and Reid fail to take action now, they should be drummed out of congress. They have a historic opportunity to rescue America. Waiting a year, until the next president is inaugurated is far too long. They must act courageously, now.
It is essential that the democrats in congress get the message that simple tax breaks are not going to ingratiate them to the public. Simple tax breaks will not persuade the public that the congress has a handle on the economic problems we face. On the contrary, people see this as a weak, shallow, meaningless, almost insulting gesture.
The way the congress can help America is to get Cheney, then Bush out, and put someone in who can function competently and intelligently-- maybe James Baker. Yes, he is a Republican. But he is competent and it is not possible to put a Democrat in. That will have to wait.
If congress begins impeachment hearings... HEARINGS, not votes... in short order, Cheney will be forced to resign and he will be replaced and Bush will be investigated next with impeachment hearings. The hearings will force Bush to resign and the congress will be in a position to get things done. Republicans who were blocking solutions will be forced to cooperate to save their jobs.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
To learn more about me and OpEdNews.com, check out this article.
and there are Rob's quotes, here.
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A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
The Democrats aren't going to do anything differently than they already have.
The U.S. has come to the end of our economic rope and is holding on to the knot.
The ice is so thin that the Dems fear any movement would simply collapse the remaining economy and they would then be culpable for their actions.
It is much easier to stand by and blame Bush and Cheny for all that is wrong and vindicate the 540 in Congress as innocent bystanders who were powerless under Bush's intellect and cunning. Geez!
Ya see what telling the truth did for Paul and Kucinich.
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Mike Folkerth (120 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 566 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 9:08:24 AM
Mike - I hear what you're saying, but the moment you accept what the enemy - in this case the Dems - want you to believe you've joined the team.
Rob - Good piece. Regarding the Dems being "criminally insane," though, I would suggest that's letting them off the hook a little too easily. Let's just call their behavior criminal and leave it at that - accomplices at best.
cbw
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Cheryl Biren-Wright (19 articles, 23 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 351 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:06:48 AM
first, i was joking about the "joining" them part - sorry, i know that wouldn't be the case. and, like you, i don't have faith in them, but i do have faith in us.
your message just seemed to me kinda like why bother, they're not going to do anything anyway, if you speak the truth you'll get dismissed and marginalized.
i'm a believer in the power of the people and while it will always be an uphill battle, when pushed, push back harder - that's all. the dems want us to stop pushing and your comment seemed to suggest that it wasn't worth pushing.
i apologize if i offended you.
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Cheryl Biren-Wright (19 articles, 23 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 351 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 11:06:00 AM
that you don't think I consider the Pelosi Reid crew innocent victims. I was thinking like that about a year ago, and it lasted a few months. Now, like I said, I consider them criminally negligent at best, enablers or accomplices more likely.
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Rob Kall (809 articles, 3927 quicklinks, 333 diaries, 1707 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:31:52 AM
as a former mental health professional the use of the word "insane" to me suggests something beyond ones own control. i just wanted to throw out another word that reflects the active choices they're making and not making.
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Cheryl Biren-Wright (19 articles, 23 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 351 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 11:10:24 AM
I think the correct term may be sociopathic. Here are some traits of the sociopath:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Do not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seek out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercise despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Have an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore need their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
(The above traits are based on the psychopathy checklists of H. Cleckley and R. Hare.)
Sociopaths also tend to gravitate to positions of power, of which they are the least qualified to fill. Hence, our political system. The people least qualified to fill positions of power and influence are the ones that run for office and win. They win because they are good liars, and if they have the money and influence of others that have the same global agenda of ruling the world, they rise to the top.
One of the main things to remember about this type of personality is that there is no cure. A sociopath will not change. There is no effective treatment for this disorder. To change, one must admit that there is a problem. By his/her very nature, the sociopath does not think there is anything wrong with his/her behavior.
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Barbara Peterson (46 articles, 80 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 416 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 12:38:11 PM
They're contemptuous of those who seek to understand them because they privately believe all people are whores. All people have a price at which their morals will mean nothing to them. The psychopath (Hare's term) perceives himself as different insofar as he's aware of his own tendencies in that direction. He admits to them, if only privately, and in some cases, even glorifies them. Pathetically, he can't find anything wrong with himself if he's just like everyone else. This is a collectivist in the final analysis, and collectivists become authoritarians in an effort to control the sacred consensus. (An individualist whose rights were sufficiently protected would simply make his own decisions, not dupe others into making them.) Of course, all authoritarians are going to be secretive and paranoid. They instinctively know it wouldn't be possible for everyone to willingly and genuinely agree with them all the time (or even most of it), so they watch for so-called traitors or terrorists. As their paranoia overwhelms them through snowballing complications, enslaving others becomes a dangerously addictive remedy. They can't quit without panicking. Despotic control over every aspect of a victim's life becomes counterintuitive or self-contradictory insofar as they want those victims OUT of their lives, period. They make their victims appear responsible for the predicament they may privately feel, out of impenetrable confusion, they brought on themselves. (Human relations are not that simple in reality.) Sadly, willing victims are utterly despised by these people. Why can't their marks see through the scams? Why don't people get it? They must all be stupid. The human race is insufferably stupid.....and so on (a rant). FREEDOM is what totalitarians crave, but they can't conceive of it as Ron Paul does. Freedom, it seems, can only exist through the total elimination of burdensome victims. Remorse and guilt are incomprehensible to the perpetrators at this stage of the game because all significant players were for sale, and were therefore immune to their own remorse. The "psychopath" (as if this was a permanent malady of some sort) simply recreated his or her childhood in most cases. He or she probably never knew anyone who couldn't be described as a player. In a wasteland like that, narcissism is all you have to live for, and you're going to be insatiable as a natural outcome of malnutrition. Yes, there is such a thing as psychological malnutrition.
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Amber Larson (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 10:34:02 PM
Isn't it just about as likely in the event of impeachment hearings that Bush/Cheney would find a cause to invade Iran, start World War III, and then suspend the November elections and declare martial law? This is the scenario Ralph Nader laid out in a youtube video a month or so ago as one Massachusetts rep's excuse for not pursuing hearings. His conclusion was that whether congressional democrats believe that scenario is possible or not, things may be "a lot scarier than we thought."
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Petercapecod (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 8 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 7:25:45 PM
The Congress is no more criminally insane than the Bush/Cheney regime. Barry Goldwater made a comment about cutting off the Eastern part of the US(including DC) and letting it drift out to sea. An idea whose time has definitely come! How can we, as reasonable human beings, look any politician in the eye and believe anything they say? How can they live in DC with all of the portraits and statues of truly great Americans and not give a damn about this country and her people? Pond Scum has more ethics, integrity, and honor than those elected to Congress and the administration. A little over eight years ago most of these very same people impeached Clinton for lying about a sexual screwup. Now they are refusing to even investigate Cheney/Bush for what would have to amount to the crimes of the centuries. Pelosi and crew must have taken a ton of payoffs to continue to hide the "tables" I have never heard excuses so lame. It is like they are calling in sick on a sunny day. "It's too late"! My arse! The only thing it may be too late about is the chances this country has of surviving it's own government. The rest of the world must look at us and wonder if anyone is home! We all must be nuts to allow this crap to continue! Political "debates" have removed anyone who dares to speak the truth or address our problems. They would rather show a bunch of wimps b*tch slapping each other(I mean this in the nicest way)! I have a great deal of frustration in my personal life from diseases that I and my wife are suffering from but the frustration I have from our countries sad dilema crushes those with ease. We desparately need another Teddy Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln. or George Washington. No one presently running for president has the combination of integrity, honor, ethics, charisma, trust, morals, or other required qualities to be electable and lead this country out of the darkness we find ourselves sinking into. How did this Hell happen? We all have played some part in it and we all must rise to a much higher standard if we are ever to recover from it.
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Hayesml47 (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 471 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:19:57 AM
How it looks to the rest of the world isn't complicated
The arguments for not impeaching are about winning the next election and not being divisive.
If those arguments are used now when the impeachable offences include aggressive invasions (of foreign countries) and torture (of foreign nationals) foreigners must know that they will always apply in future so long as there are two major parties that see beating each other as the largest consideration.
The problem for foreigners is that the situation of taking impeachment off the table essentially as a political tool altogether which is the way that folk like Nadler talk (when he suggests the founders didn't anticipate political parties) leaves the US Presidency as a role that Americans will pass back and forth between the parties giving the President of either party the capacity to set aside the rule of both domestic and internation law.
When Presidents know that they will not be impeached and they have Presidential pardon power they can use the office to grant illegal (against treaty) commercial favours to American corporations and American corporations will know that too.
The end result is that for foreigners it looks like the Americans are creating a position of untouchability that can be used against them despite that Americans have given their word not to do certain things - like aggressively invade and like torture.
All the argument by Democrats for not impeaching can be read as effective arguments for being able to reneg on international agreements using the position of the Presidency. Foreigners don't vote but they are not disinterested and they are not ultimately powerless against America.
Americans are giving foreigners very good reasons to want to hurt Americans in order to teach Americans a lesson and to remind them that there are reasons that humans agreed to treaties not allowing aggressive wars or torture. Pelosi and Reid and yes even John Conyers and Nadler will be partially responsible for some of the anti-Americanism that is aimed at Americans in future - anti-Americanism ranging from the petty to the lethal and unlawful, because of what they are failing to do.
In considering so hard and so exclusively the domestic political situation only and only in the short term Pelosi, Reid, Conyers and Nadler are complicit in selling out the national interests of American citizens in the longer term.
The rest of the world is not going to welcome back a sheepish America that has a knew President but has not repudiated the actions of the previous one because the rest of the world will, with good reason suspect that America wants to reserve the right to break laws with impugnity for itself. The rest of the world is not that fond of America and doesn't have that much good faith to entend it.
Actions have consequences. Bad behavior is remembered. Invasions and torture unrepudiated is remembered.
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Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 1010 comments)
on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 6:49:18 AM
I don't know if you had time to see the video I gave you as a responce to your article on "bio-Politics", but it explains our system and prepares you for the next era, the new age we are donning. I'd like to suggest, from a tip in the Democrat Debates, Dennis Kucinich sayiung he has seen a UFO.
Imagine Bush saying the USA has contact with alien life. Think 9-11 was big?
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Jeanette Doney (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 304 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:21:01 AM
I'm not sure how serious your intent is here, but there is a body of evidence that suggests that the next 9-11 type event will be the final one needed to complete the coup, and force everyone to seek government protection from a new invader - one from a hoaxed threat from outer space.
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Bill Cain (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 290 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 11:08:09 AM
I take it all with allot of salt, (because Murphy's Law happens more often than not) including the UFOs because I have never seen one, and I do not want to see one, that said, it appears to be very soon we are going to get an announcement about alien life because such an announcement would be a 9-11 event...imagine what that doee to religion. poof
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Jeanette Doney (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 304 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 2:09:31 PM
and similar documents. Impeding the duties of Commander-in -Chief in the times of War on Terror, how can that be interpreted, may I ask? I said many times that the proper way to attack Bush would be not impeachment( though I would love it) but judicial attack, a lawsuit and the best case was Katrina. Otherwise, watch my lips- if anyone in Congress even mentiones that impeachment thing, his family members would suddenly become members of the sleeper Al- Qaeda cell ( no matter that Al Qaeda does not exist). You people see pretty naive to me: the machine is not built to stay still, it rusts that way. The Congresspeople must do what they can do: put moratorium on ALL bills for the Y 2008 and start dismantling ther machine starting from Patriot Act and DHS while at the same time- support and push for the Louisiana to .. quietly open a criminal case on Cheney and Brown on Katrina. Congress must also revoke the Condi (that would be easy) and.. start bringing the troops back.
There is also one more way: Congress can open an investigation on Bush's sanity as well as Cheney's.
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Mark Sashine (51 articles, 19 quicklinks, 244 diaries, 3465 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:29:06 AM
I know you mean well, but this is exactly what I object to by the Conservatives -- fanning the flames of FEAR. Let's stop and think rationally for a moment. Congress has some work to do to help stimulate the economy and prevent it from slipping too deeply into recession. They need to calm the jitters of not only our own public, but Markets worldwide. Right now, that is a more important objective than impeachment. Claiming Bush and Cheney will do more damage this year is hyperbole we don't need. I think the Dems will keep them in check and prevent any additional gross damage like another war or another inappropriate appointment. Committee chairmen in Congress will continue to subpeana people and documents to try and force accountability among the Executive branch and Departments in Government. That is progress.
Should Bush and Cheney be held accountable for their actions? You bet they should. Will they be? Realistically, probably not and that will be the biggest failure of the Democrats, Pelosi and Reid in particular. We all want a government more accountable and transparent. We aren't going to get that with Bush or Cheney. However, right now we need to look beyond them. They are almost out of office. Dems need to prevent them from doing more damage until that day, and meanwhile we need to select a LEADER who can move us forward starting in Jan. 2009. This doesn't have to be a lost year if damage is minimized, the economy is put back on track and people are given hope that next year will be better with Democrats in charge. Anytime you fan the flames of FEAR, paticularly when people are already uncertain and worried about the future, you make the situation worse. I think we can do better. Real programs and initiatives can be put forth to calm people's fears that move us forward and that should be our goal.
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Peter Wedlund (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 167 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:37:51 AM
Peter Wedlund has some points, Rob. Politically, you cannot sell pure fear when it can mean freefall in an economy that takes virtually everyone down. Fear is a brake on progess.
By the way, James BAKER is NOT our savior!! Hello!?!
Wexler is one now we need to support. He is showing uncommon courage. He has made clear he is looking at opening issues beyond the three semi-wimpy articles in the current Kucinich bill to impeach Cheney. What I see could be catalytic is ADDING A FOURTH ARTICLE re the 9/11 acts of Cheney and his LIES to the 9/11 Commission!
Many Americans are now unaware, and this may include you, Rob, of the testimony of Sec. of Transportation, Norman Mineta, who was WITH CHENEY from 9:20 that morning and watched Cheney watch the plane coming into DC airspace (which was "the plane... coming into the Pentagon") without any interdiction being ordered.
Once this is common knowledge, Cheney is toast faster than stale bread in your kitchen appliance. The members of the House Judiciary Committee are possibly as ignorant as the average American and THEY are shocked and horrified when they learn about what Mineta told the commission and how the commission ignored it.
So, realistically and practically, the way forward right now is FORCING THAT FOURTH ARTICLE. It breaks the media blockade as a bonus and things happen a LOT FASTER than if the present bill is left unamended.
We must take this to Repubs as well as Dems. Until impeachment is FORCED to be bi-partisan, it will languish. Lamar Smith, the ranking member (R/San Antonio) now knows. The best SINGLE PLACE NOW to apply PRESSURE is exactly there. 1 800 828-0498 gets the Capitol switchboard. Ask for Lamar Smith and tell his staff you know he knows about what Mineta told the commission and ask what he is going to do about it.
Surprising things can happen when a few people take a highly focused action. Real people are still in places where their own call of conscience can change their own behaviors. Make the Smith call today. We might be surprised by him calling a press conference to announce he is supporting Wexler's call for hearings!
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Carl Weis (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 23 comments)
on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 1:08:31 PM
