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The Decider Can Become a Dictator
The Decider Can Become a Dictator
Taking note of Perez Musharraff's resignation as president of Pakistan, the New York Times editorialized that "the presidency must also be stripped of the special dictatorial powers that Mr. Musharraff seized for himself, including the power to suspend civil liberties and rule by decree." It is easy to agree, especially given some of Musharraf's excesses -- including firing judges he didn't like.
One might substitute the Bush presidency. The most dramatic example is the basically unilateral decision by the president to suspend recognition of limits imposed by American and international law on methods of interrogation and detention of persons -- including U.S. citizens -- declared, often by sheer fiat, to be "the worst of the worst."
George W. Bush's description of himself as "the decider" reinforces the notion that we are electing what might be called a "constitutional dictator" empowered to make unilateral decisions on matters of peace and war, life and death.
A similar idea was suggested by Hillary Clinton's disgraceful "3 a.m." campaign ad, which fed the image of the president as our de facto dictator, ready and willing to make instant decisions about national security.
Bush administration lawyers have mined ambiguities in the Constitution for the proposition that the president's power is basically unconfined whenever he is acting as commander in chief or otherwise trying to protect vital U.S. interests. Such views display contempt both for Congress and popular government.
When the redoubtable journalist Helen Thomas asked White House press secretary Dana Perino in March if the American people are entitled to any real input on presidential decision making regarding the conduct of the Iraqi war, Perino replied that "the American people have input every four years, and that's the way our system is set up."
This is a frightening theory of electoral democracy, for it limits popular opinion to once every four years -- when the winner of the election may, because of the vagaries of the Electoral College, fall short of receiving majority approval. It is especially frightening with regard to second-term presidents who don't even have the potential fear of facing the electorate given the constitutional bar against running for a third-term.
Apologists for the president build their arguments on actions going back to Thomas Jefferson, who believed he was acting unconstitutionally albeit wisely in fundamentally transforming the United States through the Louisiana Purchase, and other White House greats such as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt.
The late political scientist Clinton Rossiter described Lincoln as a dictator during various phases of the 1861-65 Civil War that almost destroyed the Union. And it is clear that Roosevelt played fast and loose with legal limits in some of his pre-World War II collaboration with British intelligence (as revealed in William Stevenson's book "The Man Called Intrepid").
It is probably true there are occasions when we expect what Alexander Hamilton called "energy" in an executive forced to respond to exigencies where time is of the essence and widescale consultation or recourse to Congress is impossible. Outside of national security, one might think of recent threats to the international economic order, where decisions had to be made literally overnight (by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, it turns out, rather than by President Bush).
To the extent that one of the tasks of the modern president is to make decisions of great consequence, it is important that we have ways to discipline presidents who display bad judgment. Impeachment doesn't come close to providing a proper remedy for an incompetent president inasmuch as it forces us to ask, "Is the president a criminal" -- rather than the appropriate question: Is this someone we feel confident giving unilateral authority regarding peace and war, life and death?
It would be wonderful, however unlikely, if the candidates for president would speak to the powers of the modern office and the extent to which they are aspiring to become our constitutional dictator for the next four years.
It would be even better if the rest of us asked if we are being well served by a system that will assure a four-year tenancy in the White House for a president who engages in disastrous decision making. Anyone who believes the issues posed by presidential power will vanish with the exit of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney on Jan. 20, 2009, is sadly mistaken.
25 Comments so far
Show AllThe president works for the Empire and so it really doesn't matter who gets the title. But George has been good to the empire. No more haebus corpus or Magna Carta to get in the way of the fascism that is necessary to run a dying empire. With embedded journalists reporting we don't even need a dictator.
Hoa binh
The Empire has already decided on the candidate who will become the next puppet.
George Wanker Bush and Cheesedick Cheney aren't gone yet. Bush is no doubt just waiting to get out there among the 25% of rock bottom addled-brained fellow "Murkans who think he's a Great Man and give speeches at a million a pop. But Cheney . . . Cheney . . . the American version of Pol Pot, Robert Mugabe, Lavrenti Beria . . . we still have to worry, and worry a lot, about that piece of trash and what is going on in that snake pit mind of his.
A million dollars for a speech and 60 million dollars for security. Sounds dumb but who am I to question it.
"Anyone who believes the issues posed by presidential power will vanish with the exit of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney on Jan. 20, 2009, is sadly mistaken."
Anyone who believes Cheney will exit on Jan 20, 2009 is sadly mistaken.
Of course he'll "exit" and Obama McSamaic will read the lines prepared at some anonymous think tank from the teleprompter as ordered.
Of course if Palin gets in due to McCain's death she might think she is hearing the voice of g*d and just go on a rampage for the "end times" which is even worst than the teleprompter for at least the greedy self centered globalist overlords want to make sure all their stuff isn't destroyed, I wouldn't even be confident of that with Palin at the helm.
Hearing the voice of G_d, or hearing VOICES???
Or Cheney speaking through a bullhorn?
It doesn't matter who gets in because our so called leaders are just figure heads for the corporate state. When they say my friends and fellow Americans, they mean my wealthy, elite friends and my fellow, American corporations. When they say we are bringing them freedom and democracy, they mean we are bringing the corporations the freedom to do business with a puppet government.The U.S. government is nothing but a corporatocracy run by corporate soldiers and most have little or no allegiance to the average American citizen. Vote third party.
It matters who wins.
"One might substitute the Bush presidency. The most dramatic example is the basically unilateral decision by the president to suspend recognition of limits imposed by American and international law on methods of interrogation and detention of persons -- including U.S. citizens -- declared, often by sheer fiat, to be "the worst of the worst."
It was unilateral, until congress supported it by passing the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005. While banning military interrogators from engaging in torture, it continued to allow the CIA to torture. A vote to close the loophole failed.
But I think the most glaring example of the US slipping into a dictatorship was actually when Congress abdicated it's constitutional authority to declare war, and gave it to the president (although that's nothing new or uncommon in US history).
The president in America did not become dictator overnight. He had support from both parties giving him all the toys he wanted these past 8 years. Congress had the right and power to say no but they didn't act independently and moderate. This is why Congressional approval rating is always lower than the President's these past 8 years.
And if McCain leaves this plane and Palin is put in charge, they have all these secret service MEN around her... and one day she has to take a leak, and lo and behold, not a friend of the Reich is waiting in that bathroom stall.
An intellectually limited, arrogant, autocratic, crony-rewarding, corrupt, power-abusing, self-righteous, fundamentalist, anti-scientific, vindictive president who believes occupancy of the Oval Office conveys dictatorial powers and immunity to the Constitution and laws is very dangerous, and Sarah Palin displays all of the same personality characteristics as George W Bush. I'm not religious, but McCain's election would induce me to daily pray fervently for his health.
Alex
There are those who will vote 3rd Party and elect John McCain. They fail to understand the posturing necessary for a Democrat to get elected and see Obama as the same as McCain. They made the same mistake in 2000, and got Bush selected. The United States and world has suffered though eight years of Bush, Cheney at al.
Obama gives America real hope for change and McCain will give us more of the same. If the Nader-nuts can't see the difference this time around then they will be just as responsible for the condition of country as those who have voted for Bush in the past and will vote for McCain this time around.
No third party candidate will be elected. Because of that they do not represent change because they can't get elected. Sure the cards are stacked in favor of corporate rule, but those who wish things could be different understand who bad Bush and McCain are. What a huge mistake will be made if we fail to elect Barrack Obama President.
damnliberal your comment makes me want to puke. Where the hell do you get off telling people how to vote, or even pretending to have anything but the most jejune understanding of American politics. Get a Clue!!!!!!!!!!!
"Obama gives America real hope for change"
Sigh.
I swear, some people have been so easily duped and bamboozled by this man. It's incredible. They want so hard to believe that this man is some lord and saviour and they project their own wishes onto him.
Yeah, Walk on Water Obama's recent FISA vote (which helped to shred what little remains of the US Constitution) was a sure sign of "change" all right. He has voted "yes" for all war appropriations. That's a sure sign of "change." He has talked about attacking Iran and Pakistan and putting MORE troops in Afghanistan. That's a sure sign of "change" all right. Then on a cosmetic level, he stands up there in front of a wall of flags and wearing a flag lapel pin. The setting is just like that of Bush/Cheney et al. That's a sure sign of "change."
It is true that no third party candidate will be selected by the easily-hackable electronic voting machines because most people---including yourself---won't have the intelligence to vote for Nader/Gonzalez. And those who control the e-voting machines aren't about to select Nader/Gonzalez. You'll stay in the same damn rut which helped get us to where we are today. Most people refuse to learn.
Definition of Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Like voting for Dems one "election" cycle after the other and then expecting (wishing for) positive change.
Ha!
"Definition of Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Like voting for Dems one "election" cycle after the other and then expecting (wishing for) positive change."
Well, I did vote for Nader. (And John Anderson, and Ross Perot) So if I vote for him again what does that make me?
Intelligent.
Wrong. You blame 3rd parties for the failures of the Democrats. Your party needs to look in the mirror instead of blaming other people for its own failings. Democrats do not support true left values. Should I vote against my conscience? Should I not participate in true Democracy?
You fail to acknowledge that 12% of Florida Democrats voted for George W. Bush in 2000. You fail to acknowledge that Al Gore couldn't carry his home state. You fail to acknowledge that Gore won the election in 2000, but instead of fighting for Democracy, he allowed it to be subverted by the Supreme Court.
Admit the truth! Stop blaming real progressives for the failures of your conservative, corporate party.
Thank you damnliberal!!! "Progressives" that vote for Nader are wasting their time and vote. I wish there was a viable third party, BUT THERE ISN'T! GET OVER IT! It is the Rove/McCain/Palin/Bush camp that benefits the most from people believing there is no difference between the two parties. There are HUGE differences in the party platforms. Read Stephen Zunes article, posted here on CD 9/12.
I am disgusted by the level of corporate influence in our government, but the idea of the existence a unified corporate empire is pure paranoia. Some-but-not-all corporations are totally "evil" by most standards (yes, I'm looking at you Tobacco, Oil, Pharma, & Weapons mfrs), but some-but-not-all corporations are "good" and/or progressive. They, as a class, do not agree on anything except profit and survival and are just as much at each other's throats as any species in the jungle.
Here's a metaphor I liken the current political/culture war to: Tug-of-War. Progressives, we are the anchors! Creating a new political party is a completely different game from steering the country in a new direction, and if we ditch the moderates in the tug-of-war to go round up a new team because we are afraid of getting dirty, well we can't blame the moderates when bullies run the playground. I'm sure the phony-progressive-fascist-republican plants here will have a ball with this one, but I hope my point gets through to the undecideds.
Peace
Tashi Delek
Namaste
"Freewill and proof of the existence of God cannot co-exist in the same Universe."
"All that is, is metaphor."
No vote is a wasted vote. You are completely wrong. Vote for your candidate, and I will vote for mine. That is freedom. That is Democracy.
Yes, vote for Nader and McCain at the same time. Such is American politics. This so-called Democracy, Rubbish! This is a plutocracy . . .look it up! Nader will be a problem in this election and look for Republican continuation of this American disaster. Those here, whom I like some of the time, have the idea that the good Ralph is good all the time. Ralph is an egomaniac but a good egomaniac.
Ralph is running to show us what true democracy is in a country that does not have a democracy. He knows that but casts this rubbish on the airwaves and blogs and has people believing this nonsense. This is at minimum an oligarchy. The corporate control of media determines what the guy in the street will believe. The average American intelligence is eight grade level at best, is there any wonder that we have people believing in any of the three running for the top spot and this Democratic idealist, Nader, who thinks if he were elected would be able to affect change.
If Nader were elected he would not be able to enact any meaningful legislation. Not a single bill would become law because he would not have a congress that would give him the right time. It would be a fair day in hell to get anything done. With the leadership of Nancy Pelosi’s it would be worse. Moreover, however bad Obama may be, there are no illusions that he is and must be, in the hands of the Democratic machine, but at least the platform will offer some relief for the masses.
Should Obama lose you have eight more years of the Bush/Cheney nightmare, that is just the facts so lets stop the idealistic nonsense on the star-struck silver screen and get real, this is the USA. There are too many important issues that require change to take chances. But some of you here have so much grand illusion that you feel that these past seven years, thanks to Nader, in part and Gore’s ineptitude, were worth the experiment?
The Decider is a Dictator, he's the most secretive Creature in office in the history of the USA. It's time to pray, America has been taken over by wealthy criminals. They don't care about the individual citizen. They have wired the Courts, the military, the financial institutions in their own personal favor. American is essentially run by the Oil oligarchy of the world. They don't care about anything except money and power. Global Warming huh? Economy? with 4 dollar gas who cares?? Right. They have everyone and every institution in the country held hostage. They are the ones who deserve immediate independent special prosecutor, opps, they own the supreme court too? Oh Well, I guess all Citizens of the world are up the creek with out the proverbial paddle. My suggestion, vote for change, not lipstick on a barn animal like the GOP wants to talk about. Demand discussion of the real issues. Demand immediate investigation of the Roots of the Bush administrations actions. Write and call your senator and congressman and do it now.
Apart from both Divine intervention and the implosion of the US economy (making war perhaps too expensive, particularly when the foreign loans to sustain it are cut off) the ONLY other viable way to check the negative agendas of the US government is if it becomes effectively quarantined by the political blocks posed by South America and a unity among nations there, ditto the European Union, and a 3rd force from Asia, IF enough of its nations could unify. Three is the magic number, and such a "triangle" could prove quite effective. Meanwhile, so long as these nations line up to buy our armaments and watch our violent movies and even buy some of the weirdo big pharma concoctions, the US economy has enough juice to keep on steamrolling over whichever impoverished nation lies in its imperial acquisitions path.