Well, it turns out the Senate Armed Services Committee decided to show up for work today. La-di-fucking-da. This hearing is more than four years too late, and directing any intelligent thought at all to Iraq comes six years too late. Where I come from, AWOL becomes desertion after 30 days.
It's easy to point out that the Democrats weren't in control back then, but that's irrelevant. This issue isn't about what party you belong to, it's about being an American. The complete lack of legislative oversight here is simply disgusting and they were all complicit in what was done, party or no party. The nicest thing I can say about the Republicans is that they're all a bunch of spineless yes men, and the nicest thing I can say about the Democrats is that they're all a bunch of ball-less whiners. We've got an Army that's falling apart, we've got men and women dying (not to mention all the Iraqi deaths on our hands), and Congress is more concerned with Robert's Rules of Order than anything else. They voted for the war and they've been falling all over themselves to borrow Chinese money to fund it, but they've never bothered to look at what we're actually doing.
So- our Executive branch elected types need to be impeached and our Executive branch appointed types need to go to jail. Our General Officers need to be reduced to the lowest enlisted grade and discharged. The retired ones need to be recalled to active duty for the same treatment. Our Legislative branch types need to be replaced. We ditched a bunch of them in 2006, but they haven't exactly been doing a stellar job since then- making meaningless statements and then folding to avoid being accused of "not supporting our troops." The
What's lost in this is that abuse and torture is now recognized as being official United States government policy. The United States, if I recall correctly, was founded on the belief "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," and "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted..." The founding of the country is one thing, but the government itself is based on principles like "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial... and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense" and "nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."
I maintain that when the leaders of the government deliberately and systematically refuse to obey the rules that constitute that government, then they are not acting as government officials, but as criminals operating under the color of authority.
I would like to end with more of the document that established the United States:
The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation.
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit...
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury.
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies.
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments.
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown...
British Crown? I was expecting it to say "Bush administration." We've got to do something about these people. It's sad that the Democratic Party is the closest thing we have to an answer.
