Incredibly, mass murderer and mass torturer George W. Bush remains at large. Justice, apparently, is not something Obama cares about.
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Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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If the U.S. government has even a sliver of legitimacy left, it'll be lost if there aren't prosecutions of these reckless criminals…
But we might have to wait for the international community to do this work. Let's hope Obama doesn't go so far as to intervene on his predecessor's behalf and monkey wrench trials in The Hague…
It is a Catch-22 for Obama.
If Obama wants to carry on with the Bush Doctrine, as it appears he does, then he has to go after Bush to prove that he is not Bush.
If he wants to overturn everything from the Bush regime, then Obama needs to have Bush tried in order to bring to light what was done and why it needs to be undone.
the international community will do nothing about Bush except to shower him with honours.The EU were like rabbits in a spotlight when Yugoslavia became a war zone & will continue to bend over when America whistles especially the Brits & Poland.
throw him in jail and leave him there!
If we don't make Bush pay for his crimes the somebody else will make us pay for it.
"You may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with you."
The past eight years will sooner or later come back to bite collective American asses if nothing is done to prosecute these criminals.
Well this indeed is a dilemma. Trying Bush or not.
The real issue is a ideological one. If we were to try Bush for something we disagree on then any other President could be tried.
It goes along with the previous Illinois' governors case. His argument is correct; he wasn't allowed to defend himself, and in reality it wasn't an impeachment. It was a vote of no confidence.
As much as I dislike Bush and I am not one of the Kool Aid drinkers, the man was lied to by his cabinet members and they in turn were lied to by other people. Look at Colin Powell, he was lied to and admitted he was wrong and quit.
It's something you can see in the Catholic Church, you do something and apologize for it later. At the moment it could have turned out that Saddam did indeed have weapons of mass destruction. It could have happened. But it didn't, hindsight 20/20.
The treaty Saddam and us signed in '91 was clear. Saddam broke parts of the treaty which then allowed us to legally invade him. Saddam was a saber rattling lunatic and he paid for it. Frankly, I think he should have taken the hint when we were having military exercises outside the border months before the invasion. As soon as they started, thousands of soldiers surrendered immediately. That probably would have been a good time to abide.
George Bush admitted he was wrong, and needs to do so more formally. However, as far as trying someone for something he thought was in the interest of the U.S. at the time, is ludicrous. What if Obama wants to lets say invade Canada because they are poisoning our water. And it turns out to be true. Would he be hailed a hero? Would Bush have been hailed a hero if he had found WMDs and Bin Laden in Afghanistan?
Again hindsight is indeed 20/20.
Being anti-war from the beginning does not give anyone the moral standing to say, "your reasons were wrong." It does give you the right to continue to be anti-war. But shape shifting your reasons after more information comes out to hold the higher ground is worse than the person who was wrong in the first place.
Frankly, I don't think we should have invaded Afghanistan. Precision air strikes on terrorists camps would have been a lot better. As far as Iraq, I think we should have invaded. However, as soon as we got there and defeated his Army and captured Saddam and his sons we should have left the Army standing to enforce the 91' treaty and left.
Well, I'm unsure as to how Obama will react when confronted with Bush's perpetual executive privilege regarding Karl Rove and Company. (He may want to prosecute, but I'm also sure he's tempted to support increases in his presidential power…)
I know Eric Holder said he viewed many of activities carried out under Bush as torture, and therefore illegal. (This may be one reason why so many Republicans opposed him….After all, Hillary had more role in the White House Pardons, and got far more votes.)
As for the rest of the world, tyke, many nations may simply look the other way. Violations of international law aren't considered much of a reason to go after people by most nations, except in a few small circles. However, don't expect Bush to get much of a positive welcome anywhere, except in Israel and Georgia.
Ezra Pound on the topic of mass murder:
There died a myriad,
And of the best, among them,
For an old bitch gone in the teeth,
For a botched civilization,
Charm, smiling at the good mouth,
Quick eyes gone under earth's lid,
For two gross of broken statues,
For a few thousand battered books.
– from "Hugh Selwyn Mauberly" 1929
Amy Goodman on "moving on":
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/28/EDI215I99P.DTL&feed=rss.opinion
As someone who spent 7 years in the military, having joined pre-9/11, I'd just like you to know that I look forward to your death. Peace out, asshole.
>As someone who spent 7 years in the military, having joined pre-9/11, I'd just
> like you to know that I look forward to your death. Peace out, asshole.
I don't wanna read this dumb-ass fascist bullshit. What are you guys doing?
The Department of Veterans Affairs wasn't created out of concern for Disabled Veterans and all Veterans coming home from war and military service. The DVA was created by Veterans. In the same way, American citizens who witnessed George W. Bush trash America for eight years, experienced every abuse short of all-out despotism by the Bush mis-Administration, will have to make sure private citizen, George W. Bush, and his fellow escapees/fugitives from justice are indicted, apprehended, and as Judge Roy Bean said so well, "given a fair trial and then hung." However, hanging is too good for the likes of the Bush mis-Administration crooks and war criminals. Life in prison at hard labor, not some piddly white-collar, minimum-security resort. The World, as cruddy and corrupt as many of America's politicians and corporate scum are, will take notice that America will dispense justice when its system of justice is given a chance to operate as intended. Private Citizen George W. Bush hopefully never has a single restful nap or night of sleep the remainder of his pathetic, welfare-queen life. And to George W. Bush's equally in-denial and corrupt parents, thank you for the parody of Doktor Frankenstein turning his monster 'son' loose on America and the world. Keep telling yourselves Little Georgie is misunderstood and vilified for no good reason. And George W. Bush's 'base' and the unrepentant, unremorseful, clueless Republican Party shows its consistently horrid colors by rolling out a Black Man to head the RNC, an insult, in case any Black Americans have any doubts, to the entire Black American Community.
Where's the Tylenol?
"As someone who spent 7 years in the military, having joined pre-9/11, I'd just like you to know that I look forward to your death. Peace out, asshole."
This is the oath you took Matt.
"I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC; THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; AND THAT I WILL OBEY THE ORDERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ORDERS OF THE OFFICERS APPOINTED OVER ME, ACCORDING TO REGULATIONS AND THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE. SO HELP ME GOD"
Did you notice the part where you took an oath to the Constitution. George Bush has committed crimes against the Constitution. Notably FISA which was forbidden after the Supreme Court case when Lincoln did it and the recent Supreme Court case addressing it.
Also, read the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Notably the first one.
Why would you be upset that someone is expressing their Freedom of Speech. Also why would you be upset that someone is proving crimes against the Constitution by the President.
You have a moral obligation to do what is right. That was the point at Nuremberg. I was following orders is not an excuse!
Something about a 7-year military vet saying 'peace,' while condoning yet more death, strikes me as out of place. But perhaps my grasp of the vernacular is lacking.
Santiago, your argument is only valid if we are talking about the vagaries of opinion. Here, we are talking about the concreteness of laws. War crimes and their respective punishments are well-defined by international law; best interests of country, ignorance or bad information have nothing to do with how justice is meted out.
Further, these officials had absolute knowledge of the situation. Plans were made to invade Iraq long before 9/11 even happened, and it was known then that there were no WMDs to be found. Colin Powell was asked to find a link between Al-Qaida in Afghanistan, and Iraq (anyone with rudimentary knowledge of Islam knows this is a joke); when Powell reported there were none, he was told to find one. This is all public record.
The next time you get pulled over, tell the nice officer that a well-informed friend told you that it was now legal to speed. See if he gives you a ticket. It's kinda like that, except a lot of people were killed.
Look, believing what any President tells you is true on its own merit is Kool-Aid; believing them when they later say they were tricked into breaking international law by bad information is simply a different flavor of it.
It's obvious Hussien is not ready for prime time. His appointees are tax dodgers, he almost ignited a trade war with the EU, his so called stimulus bill is popular with 10% of the population, his occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan continue, GITMO remains open, renditions continue, and warentless wiretaps go on. This is what happens when you elect the equivalent of a college professor who has never actually had to work (or lead) a day in his life.
Setting aside what Bush knew and when he knew it in regards to Iraq, he's admitted that he ordered torture, and that's reason enough to go through with a trial.
You don't ask someone to write you a legal brief on the legality of something you want to do if you're not pretty sure it's illegal – and even if he were able to make the argument that he honestly didn't know he wasn't allowed to order torture, it doesn't matter.
As the old saying goes, ignorance of the law is not a defense.
To Matt Sewell,
You are the one who is an asshole.
Why don't you express your opinion
politely, you piece of shit.
Do you think just because you are in the military, that gives you a license to shower profainity on people.
I hope you are not planning to become a cop after the service.
That will be a real bitch.
Matt served in the military and that gives him the right to look forward to an innocent person dying simply because what that person is saying doesn't jive with Matt.
The ultimate issue is that Matt has been trained to kill without remorse and sees all people not on 'his team' as potential targets. George W. Bush is Der Fuhrer and you CANNOT…CANNOT depict Der Fuhrer in a negative way or even so much as disagree with Der Fuhrer, or you are an anti-American, un-patriotic, ….etc etc (the list goes on and ends somewhere with comparing you to a figment of Matt's imagination created by the propaganda machine that turned him into a thoughtless death machine).
Der Fuhrer is on Matt's side, and you, Ted, are not. That means you have no rights as a citizen, no value as a human being, and deserve no mercy, no compassion, no defense.
I'm sure Matt is going to be hunting for me now that I've posted this. I sincerely hope that one day Matt recognizes that he's been used by authoritarian monsters as a storm trooper to keep the peasants in line. Military strength is less about abusing the rest of the world, and more about keeping the natives in line. This was even true back in Roman times.
George Bush campaigned on the claim that our military was not prepared for combat. A year later they were the best in the world, without a substantive change. Why? Rhetorical bull. That's all. And apparently some people are STILL eating it up with a giant spoon.
Fellows like Matt are why I'm proud to serve our veterans as a VA employee. Or the exact opposite, either way. Love the 1% fucking it up for everyone else.
Hey Matt Sewell:
Take your military rifle and stick it in your mouth – Full Metal Jacket style.
Now THAT's change we call ALL believe in!
no no guys. Clearly "Matt" is a troll who has no opinion and just likes to "see you get your panties in a knot". You know…the guy who just likes to "fuck with you" because you "take yourself to seriously"…
that is the tool we are probably dealing with.
To anon 2/4/09 9:55
> Why don't you express your opinion
politely, you piece of shit.
Why don't you follow your own advice? I might think Matt's an arrogant jerk, but then, I might think the same of you.
Also, his spelling and grammar is better than yours.
"Santiago, your argument is only valid if we are talking about the vagaries of opinion. Here, we are talking about the concreteness of laws. War crimes and their respective punishments are well-defined by international law; best interests of country, ignorance or bad information have nothing to do with how justice is meted out."
We invaded Iraq because of a clear international treaty that was broken. End of story. No war crimes.
The WMD link was more than likely to sell it to the American people. He didn't need an excuse, Saddam gave it to him by breaking the treaty!
Vardulon,
The real people that need to be convicted are all the members of Congress during his Presidency. They allowed it to happen knowingly. They even approved of his actions and passed his inspired legislation. FISA.
You can't blame George Bush for taking the mile when Congress gave him a shuttle ride to the end.
Russell wrote: "Why don't you follow your own advice?"
I wanted him to taste the garbage
he is dishing out.
Also you accused me of being arrogant jerk!
From your name "Russel" I can guess
you are a snoty arrogant Brit. from the "old empire school" critisizing other people
grammer and spelling!!
How do you know if English is my
native language?
To Ted,
Calling for war crimes trials is
a waste of time and effort. You
know and I know this will never
happen because both Democrats
and Republicans are partners and
you have to try everyone starting
from Bush1(Iraq& Panama) to Clinton(Iraq & Yugoslavia) to Bush2(Iraq
& Afghanistan) with their crews.
You have to try Tony Blair too!!
Forget it Ted and move on!!
Angelo is most likely right. When I stop to unbind my panties and think about it (they're pink, with a little rose in the middle), I only know two former military guy who acts like that, and one usually only goes off at keg parties because he's a raging alcoholic. The other is an ancient redneck of Cold War era who'd be a bigot regardless.
All of the other former military guys I know are substantially more level headed than to say the overly nasty things about other people. It's just the stereotype of the meat headed militant with the Iron Man complex that I was making a satire of.
Santiago, your moronic unquestioning assertions that something is a fact don't make it a fact. Nor does repetition. What you say three times, in your kneejerk, unreflexive little jingo dittobot spasms doesn't ever become true.
We've done our homework, you haven't, and frankly, you're a partisan of war crimes, an imperialist, and a foe of international law and the peace.
Marion,
Apparently you haven't done any homework. Again, he had all the international right in the world to go in and invade Iraq.
Why the world won't do anything about it? Because he had the treaty to fall under.
By the way, this is usually why your arguments fall by the wayside. Personal attacks make you look completely irrelevant.
Again, it won't happen because he had the right of law. Show me he broke the law. Show me actual judicial evidence.
Santiago, are you nuts? Regardless of whatever treaty Saddam signed with the U.S., it doesn't allow the U.S. to start a "preemptive war." This is like arguing that I have the right to break into my neighbor's house, shoot him and and his wife and beat up his kids because he broke an agreement we had.
Invading another country is in violation of international law. The U.N. didn't authorize the attack, and the Bush administration didn't go back to ask (because they wouldn't have gotten it). The resolution that was passed DID NOT give the U.S. the right to invade another sovereign nation. Go "do your homework," you dolt: read the Iraqi resolution and show me where it legalizes the invasion.