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TechnoratiSign the Pledge! Trim Bush from American History
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column that resonated with a lot of people.
Since 2001, I noted, "We've lost our right to see an attorney, to confront our accusers, even to get a fair trial. Government agents have kidnapped thousands of people, most of whom have never been heard from again. Bush even signed an edict claiming the right to assassinate anyone, including you and me, based solely on his whims. Torture, the ultimate sign that civilized society has been replaced by a police state," has been legalized.
None of the major presidential candidates are currently promising to do what it would take to restore democracy: close Gitmo and the CIA torture chambers, get out of Afghanistan and Iraq, revoke the protofascist USA-Patriot and Military Commissions Acts, obey the Geneva Conventions and turn over Bush, his torturers, his Congressional allies and his top civilian and military officials to an international war crimes tribunal for their role in the murders of more than one million Afghans and Iraqis.
The politicians are too timid to do what's right. But we can bully them into it. Let's begin America's long slog toward moral and political redemption by demanding that our next president's first act be to declare the Bush Administration null and void. Every law and act carried out between 12 noon on January 20, 2001 and January 20, 2009 should just...go...poof.
My readers are cranky, distrustful and smart. (You can read their comments at tedrall.com.) Rallblog readers are all over the place politically: old-school Democrats, Goldwater Republicans, libertarians, socialists, anarchists, even neoconservatives. But they're speaking out as one about my call to expunge the legacy of the Bush Administration: Yes. Yes. Hell, yes!
Let's make it happen!
Now is the time. Write (an actual letter, not email) to your favorite presidential candidate and declare that you are a single-issue voter. Swear that, if he or she agrees to sign the following Pledge, your vote is assured. If not, promise to stay home or vote for someone else.
"I, ______________, hereby solemnly pledge that my first act upon assuming the office of President shall be to sign an American Renewal Act of 2009, which shall declare all laws, regulations, executive orders, treaties and actions undertaken by the federal government during the illegitimate and unlawful administration of George W. Bush to be null, void and without effect."
Sound crazy? So did Thomas Paine in 1775. As a practical and legal matter, however, consigning Bush to the dung heap of history makes more sense than revolting against the British.
First, the law.
George W. Bush's January 20, 2001 inauguration was unconstitutional. This isn't because Bush lost the popular vote. Nor is it because he lost Florida and thus the electoral vote. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear the Florida recount lawsuit, Bush v. Gore, violated the U.S. Constitution. It's a states' rights issue. Elections fall under state law; the highest court that may resolve a legal challenge about an election is a state supreme court. The U.S. Supreme Court--a federal body--didn't have jurisdiction in the case.
An American Renewal Act is merely a confirmation of two centuries of standard practice.
There are precedents. After France was liberated in 1944, incoming president Charles de Gaulle declared the collaborationist government of Marshall Henri-Philippe Pétain null and void. (It was a stretch. Unlike Bush, who carried out a judicial coup, Pétain came to power legally.) In any case, Pétain vanished from textbooks. Numerous laws passed between 1940 and 1944, dealing with matters like taxes and construction projects, had to be debated and passed all over again.
The Southern secession of 1860 was perfectly legal, yet laws and currency issued by the Confederate government in the South were invalidated by the victorious Union in 1865.
The main argument for erasing Bush and his nefarious deeds is a legal one: official acknowledgement that the 2000 election was stolen gets the U.S. back on the path to democracy. (Should Al Gore should be allowed to serve the term he won in 2000? I don't know.)
There's also an ethical principle at stake. As de Gaulle said about Pétain's partnership with the Nazis, the Bush Administration so disgraced itself and our nation that we have to renounce it in order to restore our moral authority, to be able to face citizens of other, less despicable, countries in the eye.
Another argument is based on power. Imagine that Gore had seized power in 2000 instead. Now imagine that he had turned as rabid as Bush, that he had ruled as far to the left as Bush has to the right. Businesses would have been nationalized. Healthcare would have been socialized; doctors would be federal employees. Taxes on the rich would have soared while the poor got off scot-free. Republican protesters at the Democratic National Convention would have gotten beaten up and thrown into filthy internment facilities for days on end. Crazy Gore would have apologized for foreign policies that provoked the 9/11 attacks. To prove he meant it, he would have sent troops to overthrow the world's most heinous dictators, all U.S. allies, in Uzbekistan, Pakistan and elsewhere.
Now imagine that, over the years, Gore's policies had ruined the economy and mired the military in endless, losing wars. That people had turned again him to the same degree that they've rejected Bush. As Frank Rich writes in The New York Times, only 24 percent of Americans approve of the Bush Administration--almost as bad as the image of the U.S. in Pakistan.
You can bet that the Republicans, after they took back power, would carry out the mother of all rollbacks. Gore, the rogue president, would probably wind up in prison. There's no reason to treat Bush and his policies any more gently.
"We are a people in clinical depression," writes Rich. "Americans know that the ideals that once set our nation apart from the world have been vandalized, and no matter which party they belong to, they do not see a restoration anytime soon." Anyone who reads Tim Weiner's "Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA" knows the U.S. was damned far from perfect before Bush came along. But Rich's broader point is correct. Falling short of lofty ideals is better than forgetting about them.
Demand that the major presidential candidates sign the Pledge for American Renewal. We know the woman and half-dozen men who are leading in the polls want to rule us. But will they lead?
Ted Rall is the author of the new book "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?," an in-depth prose and graphic novel analysis of America's next big foreign policy challenge.
© 2007 Ted Rall
61 Comments so far
Show All"Oh, and I also think that his Texas accent is fake - remember, the guy was basically born and raised in New England, so that's an affectation to make him sound like a down-home good ol' boy to the NASCAR dads and southern Bible beaters."
More to that-sham than just-that...
Google Straussian-theories, and his notions of oligarchic 'Platonic-governance' in the US with the prototypical 'MattDillion and PerryMason' (obviously the Bush/Cheney-model [one Bush was groomed-for from way-back, with Saudi-capital to 'cover-tracks'], and remember the influence of UofChi-alumni signers of PNAC and as 'neo-thinkers'). The Doc "Power of Nightmares" illustrates all of this 'neo-Revolution' in a way that makes 'all apparent'...download it:
http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares
Love the notion-itself (been saying the same, myself, for years-now)...
EXCEPT, I'd like all to consider making it retroactive to the end of Truman's-office [to include the TaxCode!].
And 'No', none of the 'front-runners' would CONSIDER carrying-out such a common-sense Plan and improvement...the People would have to institute/Force such a sweeping-change.
["I can't bear to give my vote to another Kerryish Dem-golem..." -- ouch! Laughing so-hard it hurts...(thanks for that, I so-needed it!)]
Voter apathy.Would our votes really be counted?I don't know if mine were here in Ohio. Why did Bush get voted in twice.Everyone I talk to before the last election wanted him out.Who voted for him?I'm a college drop out.I saw what was coming the first time.Does no one remember how broke we were during Reagan?We let the big government and big companies brain wash us.Don't blame anyone but ourselves. Right now were letting the government decide not to impeach Bush .Mean while the county is falling apart.CAN WE REALLY TAKE ANOTHER YEAR OF BUSH? Will most likely vote in another repub.Or should I say big business will put them in office.We set and argue over global warming ,yucca mountain,health care,taxes,jobs (for everyone.I don't mean three jobs for everyone.) All the things we should know the answer to.If we would just us common sense.If we lived in Iceland would we be arguing this,if we lived in Nevada would we want this a few miles from my home.What ever happened to treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated.If everyone would just stop a minite.Think :if this was happening to me right now: (which it will eventually)give it time .It will get to all of us. Even the rich will pay for all the things were doing now. We need to think for all man kind.Not just as a nation.What we do effects everyone and everything on earth.God help us if something doesn't change and soon.I mean anyone ones God .Just help us all .Were moving to self distraction and fast.I cry watch tv,to see what we do to others and ourselves it a shame.Life is so wonderful and we can take care of the people who need a little help.Everyone needs to feel they count.Money runs everything.Not whats right for all.
Lets all try to remember how we got to this point.
The faith based bribe - got the votes of the mindeless christians
producing the faith based fool that now runs our country,
into the ground.
By The way, its all a set up, the next administration has no chance -zero possibility- of fixing the nightmare that bush has created.
Prepare for this: When Kucinich starts getting a far higher percentage of votes in the primaries than the MSM predicted or was hoping for, it will be news.
Like what's happened to Obama, we'll experience the media awakening to "The Kucinich Phenomenon". It will scare the powers that be so badly, they'll rerun the successful "Dean Trajectory": First, lots of breathless stories about the dark horse coming up from the back of the pack, then lots of stories about his seeming inevitability and suitability for 'this moment in history', then a media-manufactured and media-defined 'gaffe' that ruins him. Prepare for this.
I don't believe any front-runner who signed Rall's pledge would carry it out once elected.
I will write Kucinich in if he doesn't get the nomination or go independent. I can't bear to give my vote to another Kerryish Dem-golem, having seen the result of my deluded belief that if we all voted for not-Bush, it would help our country.
WJM wrote:
"But don't erase it from history. It needs to be remembered so that it never happens again. It needs to be taught to every school child as a warning about what happens when people and congress turn their backs on the country in the name of "security". Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it, just like we are now with the Gilded Age. And we will have to take the fall for this just like we did in the 30's. But this will be FAR, FAR worse."
I have to agree here. It's astonishing to me how many people don't know or don't care about history. I suspecd that this is mostly due to the rather dry way it's taught in school: battle, general, place, date, who won, who lost, dates of presidencies and not much else of substance. People forget that the root word of history is "story". History is the story of people through time, and the most interesting stories are the ones that don't make the history books. And remember, the victors write the histories, the losers suffer and/or write the songs about it.
It's no wonder that we are reliving the Gilded Age of 100 years ago. How much do you learn about THAT in school? Did Dubya really care about academics when he had the chance to fully take advantage of it while attending the best schools in the nation? From reports, he was content to receive his "gentleman's C's", meaning he didn't apply himself to learn anything that would get him anywhere in life. Remember, the only reason that he's gotten where he is, is on account of Poppy Bush. Dubya has never gotten anywhere on his own merit. Poppy has basically propelled him into where he is today and it's no wonder that he's probably spent the better part of his life as a drunk and a drug abuser.
Somewhere, deep down inside, he must know instinctively that he's basically a failure and would never have achieved a single thing if it hadn't been for Poppy. And it's also no wonder that he's tried and tried to outdo Poppy as well - getting a second term in office, invading Baghdad and playing tough guy in an attempt to show up Poppy's reputation as a "wimp". Oh, and I also think that his Texas accent is fake - remember, the guy was basically born and raised in New England, so that's an affectation to make him sound like a down-home good ol' boy to the NASCAR dads and southern Bible beaters.
I don't think that we can afford to forget this disastrous failure of an administration. Let it serve as a reminder of what happens when an administration is beset by hubris and power madness. Let it serve as a warning to future administrations that this kind of behavior in office will no longer be tolerated. Let it serve as a wake up call to voters that candidates like Bush ought to be more carefully scrutinized before they are elected, and there were enough shady things in this man's past that should have served as a warning that someone who has basically spent a lifetime as a failed businessman has no business running the country.
No, let us not purge this administration from history. Rather, let it serve as an example of a very dark time in our country's history when our collective inattention and apathy caused a disaster for our country and our world. Let us move forward renewed by the knowledge that we all share some part of the blame for what has happened. In a country where it's considered miraculous when the voter turnout is 25% but mostly averages around 10-15%, it's no wonder that we got what we got in this administration. Collective voter apathy will be the death of us yet unless we get out there and exercise the right that our ancestors fought and died to preserve. Otherwise, we may as well submit to becoming just another country ruled by a brutal dictatorship that keeps its people so afraid that no one is willing to do anything to fight it.
And frankly, that's about where we are now and what we've become. And it's our own damned fault that it has. If more of us got off of our collective sofas and obese rear ends and voted, maybe we'd actually get a president with some conscience. But hey, there's that flat screen, 200 channel home entertainment system to distract us all from getting off of our butts...and believe me, working in a library for nearly 25 years, I have seen more obese people checking out armloads of DVD's instead of books, indicating to me where people's priorities lie. Mindless entertainment instead of using the grey matter between the ears.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Too bad so many people so willingly do it and are content to do so. We get what we deserve, sadly. And this administration should serve as a warning of just that sort of situation. We had it coming. Too late for buyer's regret. All we can do now is to wait it out and count down the days until Inauguration Day 2009. And hope that we elect someone with conscience like Dennis Kucinich.
"Restore decency, re-constitute fair laws, and nullify the temporary insanity of the past 8 years." you said it!!
Kucinich for the democrating ticket, Ron Paul if you have to vote republican like me, I truly believe in the Ron Paul Revolution, check him out 100% at www.RonPaul2008.com. I think either he or someone like Kucinich would end this madness we've become.
I see too many people picking other issues that the important one as a basis to favor or dis a candidate.
Ask yourself. Is he honest?, will he do what is right? or is he/she just protecting their own wealth? Just for clarification, the important issue.
Losing our freedoms and becoming the Nazi's of the world.
Even though we have other critical issues like abortion or immigration, they are second to this.
Umm...
I THINK pretty much all the 'helpful' proposals (e.g.; "department of peace", hit delete key on Bush admin, etc..) that run through the grapevine are okay, but also equally doomed.
The fallout from climate change and whatever seemingly related or unrelated tragedies occur will just spin everyone's head around. Think about it. Imagine migrant tribes (some with pretty advanced weaponry) moving across continents in search of secure locations with arable land. At this point, we hardly need some miraculous confluence of disasters, we're already pretty much at the doorstep.
I live in lovely semi-ultra-lib Boulder, Colorado. Here we have an official "climate action plan" that includes a tiny sub-decimal 'carbon tax' on electric bills which raises enough money to hire...guess what? That's right, a couple of people who can go out into the community and tell everyone about our terrific 'climate action plan.'
What do we do when some set of disasters around the continent, or in central america, or anywhere for that matter, asks that Boulder allow -- quite suddenly -- tens of thousands of "campers" moving onto our local open space?
Moreover, since we've put a huge percentage of resources into shopping malls and office parks, how are we going to raise enough crops to feed people, particularly when there are thousands of new people demanding living space AND food?
Bush spins along in his own little self-made universe, but the 'brains' behind him are fundamentally pragmatic. This is what they think: someone has to live, someone has to die, much better if I get to decide. (Or "we".)
And this becomes the underlying ethos -- a government that serves that function -- deciding who gets to live and who must die -- of course, in a manner that's cost-effective.
The only cost-effective solution for masses of people moving across continents is...barbed wire (i.e., razor wire.) You can point a gun at someone -- heard them into a given location -- (airport runway strips and football stadiums are all good) --- you've got your good-quality razor wire surrounding the place. If you have a job that involves supporting the government -- well then, you can probably still live in a house or apartment.
If you want to cure fascism through protest, the main outcome is likely to be something other than what you initially intended, at least in the short run.
More plainly, say you succeeded next week in impeaching Bush and forcing his resignation. So what? The net result is about equal to Boulder's climate tax -- you may have slowed global warming, but probably by no more than two or three seconds. Put another way, if we elected Dennis Kucenich, and he brought in a huge progressive crowd that restructured the government, ended repression, gave power back to small farmers, demilitarized the military -- all of that -- it's still likely we've done the equivalent of slowing global warming by a day or two...so that the really tragic outcome of massive loss of life happens in January 2014 versus the day the Mayan calendar ends a few weeks earlier.
I'm speaking metaphorically, but the principle is the same.
The others might sign it, but their words would mean as much as Bush swearing to uphold the constitution. Support Kucinich. Everything else is a waste of time. Check out dennis4president.com and december152007.com
He can win and he will.
I'm in.
Restore decency, re-constitute fair laws, and nullify the temporary insanity of the past (soon to be) 8 years.
We'd forgotten our true identity. Here's a chance to remember. We are this country, we are this nation -- not the scoundrels who've absconded with once generous and just system of governance.
Bush et co. are not the nation -- we are. A new pledge could be called "I am you, nation."
So, praise God and pass the "I am you, nation."
It's got a hopeful ring to it.
If he Dennis K doesn't make the "cut" I will write him in...and I don't want to hear any more of that "lessor of two evils" crap thank you.
SEQUOIABISON..Do you not find it a strange commentary on the American politico psyche that someone who wishes to restore the Constitution and impeach those who have defecated upon that almost sacred document are called "Progressive Liberals"?
Ted, you forget that there IS a candidate already out there who IS pledging to do just what you are asking the so-called "major candidates" to do, and that's Dennis Kucinich. Why so many people choose to dismiss him as some kind of uberliberal nutcase is beyond me. He's the only candidate out there who WILL restore our beloved democracy that the Bushites have so deeply damaged.
It's time that people stop dismissing Kucinich and TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY. Go to his web site:
http://www.dennis4president.com/
and read his platform. It's the only one that makes sense to me and that's why I support his candidacy and refuse to dismiss him as merely an "also-ran" without a snowball's chance of winning.
KUCINICH '08! NOBODY BUT DENNIS!!!
WAKE UP, AMERICA! Please don't nominate Hillary!!!
Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to you all, for what it is worth. We can be thankful for Dennis Kucinich and how brave he is to put himself out there as the ONLY REALLY LEGITIMATE candidate for President!
I have to wonder how many of the people who suggest violence on this forum are actually agents provocateurs trying to get this site shut down under the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act.
willybill.
I agree with your Dream.
Now, how would we go about this in a winner take all electoral system controlled by big money?
The thing that I am skeptical about is what chance is there for this to get off the ground if possible without it becoming controlled by the government and the big boys who would consider it such a threat that they would be doing their perceived duty to infiltrate and control this Plan for their own interests if it took off in any way.
At this point I think it is a moral Dream but a more practical plan in our non-Dream World would be to save and restore what we have left of the Bill of Rights and the constitutional framework.... scraping the constitution is Bush's job and his Class would love to take advantage of the Chaos and Vacuum that would occur if such a plan was a threat to the Powers...
Your Dream is appreciated but it could lead to making the situation Worse because you can't change the American tradition of reverence for the Bill of Rights...we have but are losing if we don't get involved in the big system.
If we don't want to get involved in Politics, just random acts of kindness will be more important anyway.
In our winner take all system I think it would be more practical to keep your dream in mind but Progressives will have more influence by supporting the most progressive candidates in the major two parties at this time in the primaries.
This would give us at least a boost in influence and we would develop new contacts and networks necessary for change by infiltrating the Big system... by registering for the big parties so our 3rd parties and Independents will have an influence in the present system that is not going to change before the next election if we have one, we could start to see better progress for a better world.
we could do this as a practical step to further your dream.
We need to take some political steps for this next special period at the crossroads of our Destiny.
Today is the 44th year of the killing of JFK and it is Thanksgiving too... how Ironic life is.
Even if we feel there is no Hope for the future, Our Human Nature to survive will find a little hope.
Progressives and Revolutionaries can begin to move forward by using the system we cannot change yet because we are too proud to deal with all the different views of the population by some compromise and finding common cause for the biggest problem of all... The Racket of War.
By working with the system we got we could better influence the big corporate world that destroying the planet is not in their best interest also.
This is my Dream and I think it could help get to where your Dream is about also.
Happy Thanksgiving and keep the spirit.
Ted you're a great American.
Unfortunately, one has to be a lot like Bush to get elected in this country.
The great Dennis Kucinich can never get elected because he supports Peace, a more Egalitarian society and single payer not for profit health care for all Americans.
Every time someone mentions the name Dennis Kucinich, I can just hear all the laughter coming from Wall St, the Insurance Companies, the Military Industrial Complex, and greedy selfish Americans everywhere.
Anyone who agrees with the philosophy of progressive liberals is destined to receive only 1 or 2% popularity in the polls.
If Hillary had taken my advise on how to run a campaign she would now be polling at the same numbers as Dennis.
It is difficult to understand why the majority of Americans dismiss his candidacy so easily.
The only way a progressive can get elected these days is to lie to the electorate about your intentions (compassionate conservative) and then once in office try to implement your liberal agenda.
In other words you have to act like a politician to move ahead in this country, the way Hillary has done so effectively.
If you are a true progressive and want to get elected you cannot clearly enunciate your position or you will be shouted and laughed off the stage and marginalized with UFO questions.
We all know it is blasphemy to say that our Dennis has no chance of winning, but his low standing in the polls is a painful reminder that the country is just not ready for this particular liberal progressive.
Nevertheless, my dream refuses to die, I will continue to support this rebellious Menace until he tells me to stop sending checks or drops out of the race.
Bush is just one of many. There is a George w. Bush on every corner. Until people get from behind thier computers and do something meaningful, nothing will happen. If you want your country back? Then stop talking and start marching. START THE MILLION PATRIOT MARCH NOW!
Texas Recall (asassination) 4
Impeachment 2
Lobo
Why? The Democratic leadership in both houses has no INTENTION of impeaching Bush, the most impeachable of all American presidents in history. In my book, that refusal to impeach Bush means they approve of all he's done. It's like a parent who abuses a child while the other parent watches and does nothing. But because the Democrats with their majority and their promises to stop him and have instead supported and even voted for his unconstitutional criminal actions, it's even worse. It's like the police arriving at the scene of the crime and joining the criminals in committing the crime.
I can see it no other way.
Like Petain in France, I certainly would not want the Bush Administration's crimes and those of the Congress etc. "erased from the history books."
Every illegal move they have all made should be shouted from the rooftops until the end of time. Textbooks should be re-written anyhow with a more Howard Zinn flavor...you know...the TRUTH!
For instance, today is "Thanksgiving", a national holiday where we have a day off work to get together with our families and friends to gorge ourselves on dead turkey flesh (read Bill Maher's column on CD yesterday), but the holiday is also set up to remember the lie of the pilgrims feasting with the American Indians. Before we killed practically all of them. The American holocaust....genocide on NATIVE AMERICANS. Reflect on that today with your last bite of pumpkin pie.
We need to tell the truth about EVERYTHING. Columbus, the mass murderer, all the dirty deeds of the CIA and FBI with our tax dollars, the whole electoral and media system rigged so only rich people have a chance of winning for Congress etc., the truth about all the assassinations, 9/11 and on and on.
BTW, speaking of getting presidential candidates to sign things, I saw an interesting Zogby Poll yesterday that was done Nov. 19th. Guess who won hands down?:
http://truthseeds.org/2007/11/19/ron-paul-wins-latest-zogby-poll/
Frankly, I think Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich would be the only two candidates who would sign a pledge like this.
Everyone dodges the real issue. Why should we have to wait until Jan 2009, impeach Bush and Cheney and institute the reforms now!
Lobo Gris
Way to go Ted.
A complete rollback pledge will pick up all the truant voters who stay home now. But a rollback on illegal pork stolen by Haliburton, Blackwater and countless other crooked corps must be recovered as well..
too much?
Maybe you're right Ted. Start with a torture tribunal and take it from there.
Cheers!
pac
Hillary Clinton won't undo anything George Wanker Bush has done. Can you imagine how she must be salivating at the thought of wielding such power? Obama can't be elected president because Americans absolutely won't elect a black person to that office. Bloomberg, even if he spends one billion dollars on a run as an independent, won't be elected because he's Jewish. That leaves Clinton against either the angry crypto tyrant Giuliani, or Huckabee, the kid glove version of Bush. Quite a prospect!
I agree with texray and ekay that Dennis Kucinich is the best bet to bring about needed change and we should all get behind him as he knows what he thinks and stands up for it rather than holding his finger in the political wind as most others do. Ted has painted a great picture of a dream we would all like to see take place, but it is highly unlikely to happen. Bushco took seven years to dismantle our system of government and short of absolute revolution, will take time to unravel if ever. Elect Dennis and start hacking away at the jungle of junk!!
yes..the author certainly forgot that Dennis Kucinich is running on the ticket, and could turn this country on it 's heals and head us in the right direction.
as Bush sez... and we're gonna make the law "permanent"
Also helpful reading is The Great Turning by David Korten. We've got to engage in the process of creating the alternative - lots of folks are at work as we speak.
Ooops--I'll have to step away from the "fire guy" above... no violence, please, it only encourages them and gives them an excuse to add more money, time and energy to going in the wrong direction.
I have read every one of the above comments.
It is inspiring and hopeful to be among people who love their country, its Constitution and the ideals we were taught it stands for.
I'm not pushing the following book for any reason other than that I think each of you would find it a breath of fresh air as I did.
"Blessed Unrest" - How the largest movement in the world came into being, And why no one saw it coming.---by Paul Hawken, 2007, Penguin,Viking
when you finish it-pass it along.
Cheers.
First impeach, then roll back. If they won't get behind impeachment, they most assuredly won't get behind annulment. Work harder in support of Kucinich.
Isn't impeachment the constitutionally prescribed remedy for this situation in which we're confronted with a criminal administration? Maybe we need to consider the real possibility (read Naomi Klein) that we're kidding ourselves if we think there will be a clean election in 2008. What good does the annulment proposal do if Guiliani is "elected" our next President?
BURN DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!
BURN DOWN CONGRESS- with everyone still inside!
First, a technicality: you cannot legitimately "swear that, if [a candidate] agrees to sign the following Pledge, your vote is assured", since you can only cast one vote for President, and more than one candidate might sign the pledge (hypothetically; okay, VERY hypothetically). So you should write that you will not vote for any candidate who does not sign the pledge.
More importantly, the candidates already made their positions on such matters clear in the debate in which the moderator asked the candidates (other than Dennis Kucinich) to raise their hands if they would support Kucinich's bill to impeach Dick Cheney. There they stood, stock still, making their positions with regard to the Bush administration's spoliation of our democracy clear to all who had eyes to see.
I love it!
No Senator running for president has uttered a peep about rolling back any of bush/cheney playground rules. Hmmm? Wonder Why?
Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel and Ron Paul
have all vowed to restore our Constitution
hence their portrayal by the media as kooks.
Sounds like a plan--a good start as we peel away the layers that insulate the real power brokers from scrutiny. I'm with you on that GEOFF29.
As for Kucinich, I agree with every supportive statement concerning his candidacy. I had trouble holding down my lunch, while listening to a Wisconsin Public Radio talk show this afternoon highlighting the RACE.
Both the host and guest were continually asked by callers why with all the time devoted to the RACE we weren't seeing every candidate's having equal timne to state their positions on key issues facing us. Callers accused the MSM of complicity in dummying down the process, and focusing on money and polls instead of educating the public.
Whatt did the host and guest say in response? Something like, you can find that out on the various websites of the candidiates. Unspoken message---it's not our job---we get to spend our time reinforcing the top tier candidiates and who got in the best jabs in the last debate or who is beating who in fund-raising this month.
In response to a caller's question as to why more time wasn't given to DKm the host said, " Dennis Kucinich has had exposure in the denates and he simply isn't catching on. He just doesn't seem to have widespread support."
I had to turn it off. Clueless was he? "Gee Ben," I wanted to call in and say," Do you suppose the fact that his name is rarely mentioned aloud in any so called analysis could have somehting to do with it?Or that despite the fact that his policy stands reflect what the majority of the the country wants,, they don't even know someone in the race represents thosed views?"
Dennis Kucinich will talk truth to power every time he gets an opening, and we need to amplify his message every chance we get. Rome wasn't built in a day, but maybe we can at least gets some very bright strret Lights up to show the way.
quietgenbob
The proposal is wildly unrealistic,
Is this one of those tricksy statements, sort of like "Americans must vote for the lesser of two evils in the next presidential election"?
A pledge to restore America to a Constitutional government would cover the items you think are realistic as well as everything illegal this administration has done. Getting rid of the illegalities is just as "real" and necessary for America's survival and future as anything you've mentioned.
If, by "realistic", you mean that the candidates won't commit themselves to such a pledge, America needs to know that their favorite candidate will continue in Bush's footsteps now that there's no longer a check unitary executive power in the office.
The proposal is wildly unrealistic, since most Americans would reject any candidate who made such a statement.
Much more realistic would be a pledge to issue "after-signing" statements not to enforce any of the unconstitutional provisions of the "Patriot" Act, a pledge to roll back all the tax cuts for the rich, a pledge to publicly fire on Inauguration Day any Bush "interim" or "recess" appointees, and a pledge to reverse the policies of huge subsidies for corporations via the open-ended contracts with such as Blackwater and Haliburton.
Good idea but we need to reset "our" government further back than Bush43. It was about Reagan's era that most of our politicians turned into whores working for their corporate pimps instead of we, the people.
Gail
I will vote for Kucinich, but a publicized refusal of frontrunner candidates to agree to restore the Constitution is, I think, critical information for the public to have, with specifics that describe what it means -- a continuation of Bush's illegal acts. And, in my disgust, I think that's what the majority of both party candidates want, hoping to slide into the power-goodies without anybody noticing.
In addition to Kucinich, Dodd is also running on a pledge to restore Constitutional government. They're the only two I know about.
Actually, the pledge should also be sent to every candidate for any 2008 Congressional seat with a slight re-wording. A president can't do the gruelling work of rebuilding America without Congress buying into it and working to make it happen.
"None of the major presidential candidates are currently promising to do what it would take to restore democracy:"
Well, if journalists had any integrity and enough intelligence to understand how critical the 2008 election is to the welfare of this country and its citizens, Ted Rall wouldn't be making the statement quoted above.
Why would any credible journalist (in their right mind) want to give all the media attention to candidates who don't want to restore democracy in this country?
I guess that's a question they all have to answer in their own simple little minds.
"Demand that the major presidential candidates sign the Pledge for American Renewal."
Is this suppose to be a guarantee they will follow through on that pledge? How about voting for Dennis Kucinich who has already made this pledge without having to be coerced? Doesn't that make far more sense?
Brilliant,
I am definitely a single issue citizen, in that if we don't reboot the US we will be living in a fascist dictatorship.
I think Americans are now ready for the restoration of the Constitution and of the balance between the branches of government.
so, start up a website where voters take the pledge, we will only vote for a candidate that swears to implement your American Renewal Act of 2009..
Count me in..
My computer has a function called RESTORE to a previous date's setting. One does not loose data, but restores the hard drive. It seems this might be a similar thing for our government. I would surely like to give it a try before we have to chuck the whole thing!
Ted,
It's a great idea, and would certainly ease the fears of many of us who see the frontrunners apparently not concerned about the vandalism of the Constitution, thereby positioning themselves to follow in George Bush's footsteps unless much of what he's done is repealed.
Actually, I AM a one-issue voter, and the issue is a return of America to its Constitutional roots. Since this is something I've been really concerned about for months and don't want any "wiggle room" in such a candidate-pledge, I'd include some specifics in the pledge that have most disturbed Americans that none of the frontrunners have even mentioned. Please understand that this edit of the pledge is related to politicians' irresponsible refusal to stand up for American Democracy, not the language of intent in the pledge, which theoretically covers everything, but it's so general that a candidate could interpret it as they please while continuing the illegal actions.
I added an introductory phrase, and illegal invasions of other countries, torture, rendition, the illegal surveillance and imprisonment of Americans, and unitary executive principles, then a catchall phrase for everything else that's prima facie illegal not contained in the language.
Here:
In order to restore America's Constitutional government, I, ______________, hereby solemnly pledge that my first act upon assuming the office of President shall be to sign an American Renewal Act of 2009, which shall declare all laws, regulations, executive orders, signing statements, treaty violations, illegal invasions and attacks against sovereign countries that have not attacked the US, the authorization of torture and rendition, unlawful surveillance and imprisonment of American citizens, unitary executive principles, and all other unconstitutional or unlawful actions not mentioned here undertaken by the federal government during the illegitimate and unlawful administration of George W. Bush to be null, void and without effect.
As I say, not better but widens the specifics of actions committed to.
I'm laughing because I can't imagine that any of the frontrunners would commit themselves to restoring a democratic form of government, since Bush has shown everybody how easily a democracy can be wrecked in the quest for power. Think they'll want to give that up?
Oh, but I'd love ALL the candidates to receive it. We need to know their commitment to a Constitutional government.
Ted Rall, make sure that your form takes postal codes as well as zip codes and become a guest on The Hour or the Rick Mercer Report - the former is more serious, but both are good ways of getting the word out.
Ho-hum. How dreadfully boring. And, Gore sent to prison? The man (along with his "opposition" party whom are nothing but the exact same as Bush & Company?
I mean, does ANYONE out there really take these arguments and musings seriously in 2007?
I think we all should remember one thing, regardless of what Bush'll think of next:
Every time something is destroyed, there is always a rebirth. After facing ages of darkness, shame, and despair, America will eventually learn it's lesson. It doesn't matter how long it takes or how it will appear, after the legacy of the Bush&Co pass, things WILL get better. Do not give in to the sickness of spite, despair, and overall negative emotion, for it will hold us like stone. If there is something, no matter how large, renowned, or time of operation, it is not impossible for the light to shine through.
It's good to see that Kucinich is on the mind of the crew over here in CommonDreams. He's hardly gotten a mention over at HuffPost. He's the only one among the official prez contenders that doesn't need to go through this "I'm shocked", mock indignation nonsense. He's already proposed impeachment before the House. Let's see if that flies now. Yes, and he will again make the Constitution whole, although it may already be too late to do so.
Oh, and Ted, keep up the good work.
I think ted rall's headline is misleading as the article isn't really about eliminating
the bush from the history books. God forbid. He has taught us so much about
ourselves, the lessons should be enshrined in stone. I do agree about sending
the pledge to our candidates. And i also wish ted had given Dennis some credit
for being the only candidate who hasn't turned into a whore for the
military/industrial/religious industry. I would also include republican Ron Paul
in this incredibly way too small category. Make it happen people, in spite of everyone
telling us "there is no alternative. you will be assimilated." Change our own lives first
and then maybe there is some hope of electing someone like dennis kucinich president.
Want to do something by doing nothing? Observe "Buy Nothing Day" on this coming "Black
Friday," the day after thanksgiving (courtesy of Adbusters, bless their little hearts)
http://www.adbusters.org/
We are expected to go out and shop til we drop on this day. Our dear president even says
this is the right thing to do. Let's fool em all by staying home. We'll then be able to tell our
children we actually did something positive to end the madness
I always wanted--and felt there was cause--to rescind this whole dark illegitimate administration and its boat load of nefarious deeds. The one thing it can't bring back is the body and souls of those it has lent its hand in murdering; nor can it give limbs and eyes back to soldiers used as target practice in the insane war on reason, (terror, they call it). Anyone who wants Armageddon ought to be given some good acid and sent to some remote island. Let them all work out their fantasy there, and leave the rest of us alone!
The main difference between the Bush regime and those previous is that this regime is routinizing torture, unprovoked invasions, political murders, constant psyops, etc. overseas and within this country.
Previously, the above Black Operations were done overseas, secretly (plausible deniability), and as part of counter-insurgency operations.
Presently, these pacification bureaucracies are closing in on us -the average US citizen.
And they are continuously growing because the US has no countering institutions to block them.
Many of these pacification bureaucracies are closely related to various private corporations and financial institutions.
As a result, we regressed as follows: a welfare/warfare state to a garrison state to friendly fascism to ?
One thing is clear, we can observe a marriage between oligarchs, oligopolies and praetorian guards.
To reverse the above regression, we will also have to break up various private corporations and block the intrusion of foreign corporations who will gladly pick up the slack.
Of course, the military arm of the state has to be radically downsized or used to reconstruct our infrastructure around mass transport, a national healthcare system, environmental and toxic cleanup, replanting trees, community development, etc.
If that won't work then be thankful that
gun owners just celebrated National Ammo Day.
Count me in Ted...
The only favorable thing I can say about the past seven years is that it has made me realize how strongly I feel about the welfare of my country, my fellow countrymen and America's image in the world!
I have watched in utter amazement how deftly the neo-con movement has destroyed the country I knew and loved, and have been absolutely stunned by how difficult it has been to make the fascist Bush apologists see reality.
The hard-working farmers, factory workers and "Nascar Dads" rallied behind Bush, Limbaugh, Coulter and the right-wing religious nuts and sang the same slogans and phrases over and over like some Orwellian mantra... and refused to hear a lick of common sense... while the military-industrial complex quietly carried off the last remnants of our Treasury and our children's futures.
I'm seeing a glimmer of hope as more and more people are starting to see the light. We might be able to save our country yet... but we need to make the lessons of the recent past VERY LOUD AND VISIBLE so it can NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!
I haven't posted in a while and when I saw this, well.... TED,TED,TED, I dont need your pledge because my favorite candidate WIIL DO THOSE THINGS AND NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR PLEDGE, TED!!! Ted, I'll bet your one of those who THINKS Dennis doesn't have a chance in hell. Well I say your pledge really doesn't stand a chance in 3 hells, that "YOUR FAVE CANDIDATE" like hillary, obama, or edwards, or any of them, EXCEPT Dennis, would take any action. The only one who has already PLEDGED IS DENNIS KUCINICH. Wake up bro. Your part of the MSM, TED! Sorry everyone, they did not provide an email for this guy and I know he probably reads the things. Peace Texrey
Something definitely has to be done to change the economic and moral decay America is pursuing.
We have become so hated and despised by most of the rest of the world that one should not for amoment believe they are feeling our pain resulting from our gradual and sustained decline - most are delighted and amused.
Whereas Presidents Chavez and Ahmadinejad openly display their schadenfreude at our demise, most of our "so-called" allies are secretly gloating too.
Hopefully, China will not pull the rug from under our precariously placed feet as, we all know, they have us by the balls and have begun squeezing, albeit slightly.
It is much better to do something positive by signing rather that simply resigning ourselves to the inaction,hopelessness and despair that is permeating most of our society at this time.
Yeah, I'm in with requiring the definition.
Secondly, Bush is merely part of the dog and pony show. Ok, so he's one of the vicious curs. What difference will it make erasing the frontman from the history books. Once again it's falling for their grand scheme it seems to me. It's the what goes on behind the scenes folks that we want to be erased from the books.
Speak up you miserable cowards! Use a nom de plume here in the aether nether nether world from comfy cozy realm of one of your pied-a-terres - while feasting you play around with our world and work to have us fight and quibble amongst each other over what's in a name.
If you at least say something here at Commondreams where it hardly won't matter a damn, even if it's imploring us as to "what in heavens you're supposed to do?" Then we can think of you as a jot above pathetic.
as it it well judge yourself for yourself.
I know you're out there lurking around.
I'm all for it. If it doesn't happen, it will take decades to undo everything piece at a time. And let's not forget every one of the "signing statements" that keep this "president" from obeying the law at all.
Then, let's go after the entire administration legally for war crimes, treason, lying to congress and the American people, and anything else we can find. This debacle needs to be ended and ended soon.
But don't erase it from history. It needs to be remembered so that it never happens again. It needs to be taught to every school child as a warning about what happens when people and congress turn their backs on the country in the name of "security". Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it, just like we are now with the Gilded Age. And we will have to take the fall for this just like we did in the 30's. But this will be FAR, FAR worse.
What is the definition of a "major presidential candidate"?
I like this plan. I also like the Congressional bill Onion has just written about; it would restore life to all the American soldiers killed in Iraq.
The major presidential candidates are not doing the things you say they shoul, Ted, but Kucinich is--you could have noted that. Maybe just a PINCH of positivity and hope in this near hopeless political nightmare wouldn't have hurt, Ted.
I am game.