William Cormier's article here on OpEdNews, If Bush is leaving office in less than a year, why are they still intent on destroying our privacy? asks a question that deserves an answer. And, the article deserves to be read by everyone in the United States.
Cormier's article documents the attack on the United States by George Bush and his Republicans to try to destroy our right to privacy and thereby find out what we're thinking and doing.
The question that is the title of the article is not rhetorical. It has a basis in fact that raises some other questions. Why is Bush so completely unconcerned and uninterested in the campaign for the next president? Could it be that he knows there will be no next president? Why has Bush not made any comments about who his successor might be? Why has Bush not endorsed any of the candidates? And as Cormier asks, why is Bush continuing his attack on the people of the United States, setting in place draconian laws and systems, that if he leaves office, he won't be able to use? Is it that he knows he'll be using them? Why is Bush so goddam smug and happy all the time? Is it that he's just a grinning mental defective?
It looks like the answer to the questions is that Bush doesn't plan on leaving office. There are several ways he can do this. With an ass kissing Congress, he can declare martial law at any time. He can attack Iran at any time, to reinforce martial law. Time of war and all that, you know. With this Congress, he can issue an Executive Order that the 2008 elections are postponed indefinitely, and Congress will support him in this. They'll say, "Yes sir, Mr. Bush, whatever you say, Mr. Bush, here, let me bend over, again, for you, Mr. Bush, sir."
Or, he can make use of a little known provision in the Constitution, Article II, Section 3, that says, "he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, HE MAY ADJOURN THEM TO SUCH TIME AS HE SHALL THINK PROPER." That could be indefinitely, until he dies.
Congress is the only entity that has the power to enforce the two term only requirement of the Constitution. Bush can claim an extraordinary occasion and shut them down to prevent the enforcement of that requirement.
Cormier makes the point that the government now wants to treat the entire civilian population of the United States as suspects. Bush, Cheney and their Republicans are also treating us as the enemy. We're a danger to their privileged lives. We're a danger because we want our part of the pie that they won't get if we do. Bush sees everyone who doesn't share his mindless, primitive view as a threat, to be controlled or eliminated. He views us as the other, the separate, the unknown, the enemy, not a part of his narrow, paranoid, delusional world. And, of course, we're not.
The rest of the world and Congress are not a danger to Bush. He has Congress by the short hairs and the rest of the world is scared spitless of him. It is the people of the United States who are the greatest threat to his power and privilege. He doesn't care about being shown to be a fool, a liar, a conniver, a deceiver, a flaming a**hole. It is the threat to his power and privilege that he cares about. And, we're the only ones who can take those away from him by bringing him to law, conviction and prison. We're his biggest threat. We have to be watched closely to see that we don't do that.
The satirical Sinclair Lewis novel, "It Can't Happen Here," pointed out that when the people give blind support to their leaders, it results in a fascist dictatorship. You think it can't happen here? Its happening here right now. Our Congress is conspiring with Bush to bring it about.
As Cormier points out, all of Bush's actions indicate that he intends to set in place dictatorial policies for us to follow well into the future, and that he intends to be the one to do the enforcing.
Its entirely possible that even if impeachment proceedings were started, Bush would just adjourn Congress to stop it and rule, alone, from the White House. Which, of course, he's doing now, anyway.
Are we to be pawns in the Great Decider's, the Commander Guy's delusional fantasies? Forget Congress, its up to us to see that that doesn't happen, whatever it takes. And, yeah, I know, its going to take a hell of a lot more than writing articles and begging, pleading with, cajoling, threatening an indifferent, deaf and blind Congess. They're not going to do it. We've got to do it.
We're sitting here allowing Bush to slowly squeeze the freedom out of us, tightening the ratchets, one dictatorial power at a time, with a compliant Congress helping him along. If we continue to offer no resistance, we're a pretty pathetic bunch. Words on paper are passive. They are persuasive and are good at making people aware of what's going on. But, they do not remove George Bush from the White House. You've just read this article saying that Bush must be removed. Now, look over there at the White House. See? He's still there. There comes a time, and that time is now, when that's what must be done, with words or not.
