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TechnoratiGeorge Bush and Lindsey Graham Push the Power of the President and Generals Over People and Troops
"How hard is it for you to conduct the war without popular support? Do you ever have trouble balancing between doing what you think is the right thing and following the will of the majority of the public, which is the essence of democracy?" asked Edwin Chen of Bloomberg.com at President Bush's press conference on July 11th.
Bush's answer clearly indicated that presidential power upholding the military as a critical constituency is actually above the American people. Bush sought to justify his Iraq War policy that has been conclusively repudiated by everyday citizens--in the November 2006 midterm elections, and, with increasing numbers, in public opinion polls.On Meet the Press on July 15th, Senator Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina said, ''We're not going to let politicians deploy troops based on the polling of the moment. I'm going to listen to this general, and I'm not going to let any politician take the place of the general."
The ever loquacious Graham appeared on Meet the Press with Senator Jim Webb (D), Virginia . Webb 's amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill was co-sponsored by Senator Chuck Hagel (R) of Nebraska and received 56 votes with 41 opposed. The Webb amendment said any armed services member deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan would have the same amount of time at home that they serve overseas before being redeployed. It also required that no troops, including those in reserve and National Guard units, could be redeployed to Iraq or Afghanistan within three years of their previous deployment. Graham led a filibuster to defeat this military family friendly amendment.
On the show Senator Webb voiced concern for the strain and hardships on the military members and families. He said the traditional operational policy has been that if you've been gone for a year, you get two years back. Webb contended, "We're now in a situation where the soldiers and the Marines are having less than a one to one ratio, and somebody needs to speak up for them, rather than simply defending what this president's been doing. You can look at poll after poll, and the political views of the United States military are no different than the country at large." Less than half of the military says we should still be in Iraq .
Graham , a military lawyer reservist who has visited Iraq seven times told Webb , "I think you're making a mistake for the ages." Webb replied, "You know, you go and see the dog and pony shows (in Iraq ). Why don't you go look at the polls, Lindsey , instead of the seven or eight people that are put in front of you?"
Graham placed his hand on Webb 's arm and said, "We both admire the men and the women in uniform."
"Don't put political words in their mouths," Webb interrupted.
In his July 11th media conference, Bush attempted to dismiss widespread opposition to the wanton destruction of human life that defines the war in Iraq . There are millions of Americans who dislike the war, not because it has been mismanaged and may not "succeed", but because they were lied to about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, having ties to al-Queda and they deplore the unnecessary slaughter of US military personnel and innocent civilians.
Bush defended his Iraq policy by appealing to the military as opposed to the general population. "If our troops thought that I was taking a poll to decide how to conduct this war, they would be very concerned about the mission."
He continued, "sometimes you just have to make the decisions based on what you think is right. My most important job is to help secure this country, and therefore the decisions in Iraq are all aimed at helping do that job."
Every authoritarian measure is taken to ensure national security---the line used since 9/11 to diminish constitutionally protected democratic rights, to win the "war on terror." When Bush talks about the security interests of the US , he is really speaking of the geo-strategic interests of neo-cons and those who consider controlling the oil-rich Middle East to be central to those interests.
When Bush speaks of the military, he is not referring to ordinary soldiers or their families, who are generally no more supportive of the war in Iraq than the average American.
One of the grievances against King George III in the Declaration of Independence was: "He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power."
Bush insisted it was impossible to "let the Gallup poll or whatever polls there are decide the fate of the country" and "I just ask the American people to understand that the commander-in-chief must rely upon the wisdom and judgment of the military thinkers and planners."
Like Lindsey Graham , Bush declares that politicians cannot determine military policy-only generals can. Bush is a politician, and the top generals in charge of the military were chosen to carry out his policy. Bush has replaced or dismissed military officials when they disagreed with administration policy.
This thwarts the principle of civilian control of the military. According to Bush, the president is their "commander-in-chief," in the sense that he must do what the military wants. If the president determines the military brass does not want to obey the results of an election, then there is nothing that can be done. George Bush and Lindsey Graham put the power of the president and generals over people and troops.
Tom Turnipseed is an attorney, writer and peace activist in Columbia, South Carolina www.turnipseed.net
25 Comments so far
Show All@ Kelmer
Yes, it is correct -- it used to be that the commander of a military region was called the Commander in Chief of that theater. But the military was ordered to stand down from that practice -- the reason given is that there is "only one commander in chief".
I'm sorry, I can't recall if it was before the Terrible Tuesday of 911 -- but I think it was.
In any case, this penchant of the Codpiece for that particular honorific is scary. We have seen him prance around in homemade uniform jackets that looked like something out of Star Trek, with the Presidential Seal and COC on it.
I'm sure that everybody knows that "Commander in Chief is an excellent translation of "Imperator", which was the title the first Caesars chose and later became our word "Emperor"...
As I've said on other posts, I'm ashamed to call myself a South Carolinian, with an evil senator like Lindsey Graham. I'm sure that Bush has a nice cozy position for him planned out when Bush -officially- becomes dictator of America. If I ever see Graham again I'm spitting in his face, and making sure I have lemon juice in my mouth.
That blithering lunatic of a president says, "I just ask the American people to understand that the commander-in-chief must rely upon the wisdom and judgment of the military thinkers and planners."
... and that way, you can be assured of a tasty, blood-soaked repeat-screening of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and other tragedies for the human race...
(-thanks to Aymon for that point)
The so-called, "wisdom and judgement" of "military thinkers and planners" is the chimerical non-wisdom of a simian breed of tree-dwellers, fit only for history's garbage bin, whilst their 'judgement' is as sound as that of a gang of crack addicts let loose in a cocaine factory...
"Military *thinkers* and planners..."?
~~ Ha-ha-ha!! What an oxymoron!
They unconscionably *plan* only for personal glories and fat retirement pensions.
And they *think*only with their penis-extension armaments, - and are still further constrained by the narrow confines of very tiny minds, bent completely askew by years of heavy-duty brainwashing.
_______________________
When reality finally kicks in, [and it shall. -And it will hurt like a thousand hells] such morons will be planning only how to atone for their bloody murdering sprees, and will be thinking "Who the $$$$$ ever got me into this sewage?"
!! Heads up, American leaders and military zombies !!
As the poet John Donne wrote:
"No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main,
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were,
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were,
**Each man's death diminishes me
For I am involved in mankind**
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee."
___________________
~ US leaders: thou art indeed now 'dead men walking' ...
"America should never get involved in a land war in Asia."
Words of wisdom spoken decades ago by some (in?)famous American who was either always wise or had become wise after getting American ass kicked in Asia.
What is that baseball expression that you Americans use all the time? Ah yes:
"Three strikes and you are out."
Korea, Vietnam, Iraq.
Aymon
Hey ya'll....check out CSPAN 2 right now....
They're squirming!!!!!!!! Just a little, but they're squirming!!!!!!!
Sen. Lamar Alexander from TN is yacking it up now trying to prop up Bush the Criminal saying, "I respect the President...."
NEXT!!!!!!!!!! This is supposed to go on ALL NIGHT LONG.....
Put on a pot of coffee and check it out....
They are the 'War Pigs'. Ozzy had it dead on.
Gravel/Web has a nice ring to it.
I haven't read any of the above, but Lindsey Graham
is the subject. He just said on The News Hour his
hope when we leave Iraq is that when you are in a
courtroom in Iraq you will be tried based on what
you did vs. who you know. Yeah, right! Tell F*ing
Scooter Libby that.
Lindsey Graham is just another recipiant of AIPAC bribes so he does as he's told. See South Carolina......
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/june2003/0306036.html
Absolutely. Everything the current cabal in DC plans is solely for Their Benefit and the Detriment of the rest of US.
what about a Webb/Gravel or Gravel/Webb ticket for 2008?
Could it be that the surge in Iraq is nothing more than an elaborate ruse to get our troops in position to launch an attack on Iran?
"Wake up Congress! This is your legacy also."
Amen JS, amen.
And when I see that smug Hillary, acting all indignant over the INCOMPETENT prosecution of this war, the one she VOTED YES ON, I am disgusted.
A little research into the motives for attacking Iraq, and I knew it was for Big Oil, for empire, for baby bush's "legacy".
Lazy, distracted "front runners" need to do some homework, like any sixth grader does, before taking the BIG test.
Shills -
It is truly nauseating to watch Bush use his latest line over and over, that he is nobly refusing to let polls and politicians direct the war. He has nothing else to say.
The war is now only about the President's ego. He will commit any amount of money and people to avoid being saddled with this colossal failure. He is foolish enough not to realize that his two choices are failure or longer, costlier failure.
The public, the media, Congress, etc have been very slow to grasp the extent of the President's stupidity. The words delusional and incompetent appear from time to time, now, years after it became obvious.
As soon as George is out of office, much more will be written about his ignorance and Hitler-ish delusions
Wake up Congress! This is your legacy also.
Fascists ALWAYS prefer the military over the civilian power structures--unless those structures are private and serve the interests of the monied elites.
And incipient fascism is exactly what this bunch of thieves is about--and getting less "incipient" every day.
Observer: Bush has never been elected-the rightwing Supreme Court appointed him in 2000 and Blackwell the Sec. of State in Ohio stold it for him in 2004.Bush should never been allowed to take office but the criminal republican congress backed him in everything he wanted that's why this Republic has gone down the drain. Chaney/Bush in that order should be impeached NOW.
He also said that the US was in a proxy war with Iran. Of course with Iran going to the Yen, and the Iraqis refusing to give away their oil under the guise of revenue sharing, the situation is getting more and more dangerous.
In a White House dimly illuminated by diminished wit, confusion and boredom are constant hazards,
alleviated only by the sport of war and the prospect of spoils.
Meanwhile, Democrats accept their stipends
for creating the illusion of a two-party system.
So the plan proceeds apace; concentration of wealth and power by expansion of war, debt, poverty and the abandonment of all that is humane.
And no one seems to notice the symbiotic relationship between George Bush and Osama Bin Ladin who provide for each other the political fuel that neither could have earned on his own.
And no one seems to notice that in this "Christian" nation, the Beatitudes are nowhere to be heard.
So, let us get on with it:
Say Good Night, America
and
Good Morning, Iraq-Nam!
Up the Surge!
Send more troops!
War eats up a lot of meat.
And craps money.
Chickenhawks hang about its hind end,
mouths open.
I think Lindsay Graham responded to Bush's advertisement for a new lap dog. I wonder what type of treat he will get??
Bush and his kind ruthlessly drive out generals that do not give them exactly what they want. Generals that are not in lockstep with Bush's political ideology have no position in the war. Then, Bush claims these generals are independent expert advisers when it comes to setting the path forward.
Dropping the doublespeak of the final four-feathering paragraphs, the Buck STOPS with Cheney-Bush.
Didnt Bush change some rule in the military where there was someone else who is referred to as "Commander in Chief" besides him-and he made sure that only he could be referred as that? A child with his toy soldiers.
Dictators tend to eventually get their comeupance...either in court or at the end of a rope.
You can accomplish a lot with the military backing you. You can accomplish a whole lot more with the resources of the USA backing you. He offends the sensibilities, at best, of the civilized world, is a war criminal, at next to worst, while existing above the law in his own country. The word "dictator" does kinda spring to mind.
As usual, Bush has it wrong. Generals only execute the will of the Commander in Chief in war - they don't make policy nor decisions. If Bush doesn't have the backing of the American people and Congress and he doesn't, then he should be removed. He has turned into a dictator!
I really like Bush's blantness, which border with being idiotic. Why, he was voted twice into office and still commands support of 30% of electorate.
We all will have big fan very soon.