State of Emergency: The US in the Final Six Months of the George W. Bush Administration

[Echo In Light]

State of Emergency: The US in the Final Six Months of the George W. Bush Administration
by Lewis Seiler and Dan Hamburg

"In short, we are living in an on-going state of emergency whose exact limits are unknown, on the basis of a controversial deep event — 9/11 — that is still largely a mystery."
- UC Professor Emeritus Peter Dale Scott

Unhindered by a neutered Congress and a compliant Court, President Bush has six months remaining to pursue his agenda of expanding the war in the Middle East and ensuring the continuation of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) beyond his tenure in office.

The current administration has taken unto itself unprecedented, nearly hegemonic powers since the events of 9/11. On that day, George W. Bush issued his “Declaration of Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks” under the authority of the National Emergencies Act. This declaration, which can be rescinded by joint resolution of Congress, has instead been extended six times. In 2007, the declaration was strengthened with the issuance of National Security Presidential Directive 51 (NSPD-51) which gave the president the authority to do whatever he deems necessary in a vaguely defined “catastrophic emergency” including everything from canceling elections to suspending the Constitution to launching a nuclear attack.

Despite time constraints, there are clear signs that the president, the vice-president and their neocon collaborators are not finished. The constant saber-rattling toward Iran, with strong support from Israel, should send a chill down the spine of any peace-loving American. Military chiefs who oppose the president are “retired,” as observed most recently with the March dismissals of CENTCOM commander Admiral William Fallon and 6th Fleet commander Vice-Admiral John Stufflebeem. Public opinion counts for nothing. In a March 24 interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz, vice president Dick Cheney responded to a question about the war weariness of Americans with a languid “So?”

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/13/9596/

[newfie11]

1. I hope we can last the final 6 months

Without this idiot causing even more trouble on a grand scale.

[papapi]

2. Oil sucking vampires. Hell's denizens. Godless zombies. Filth!

So? So? So? So? So?

[burythehatchet]

3. I feel you

give 5 minutes in a room with him

[windoe]

4. OK this is THE reason impeachment must go forward- we essentially have a dictatorship n/t

Other Advantages to Impeaching while Bush is in office are:

1- Impeachment during the Bush administration will be their legacy
2- Prevent attack on Iran
3- Declare Iraq invasion illegal, prioritizing exit strategy
4- Expose Corporate ties to government
5- Assuring Obama win in November
6- Preamble to seizing illegal profits of war
a- money is needed to rebuild infrastructures of at least two countries
b- De-fund the fascist movement in the US
7- Exposing Unconstitutional laws passed under Bush
8- Republicans must restructure themselves
9- Mainstream media exposed as complicit, and Americans face reality
10-Foreign relations improve

Not listed is that it is the right thing to do, or that the whole world wants this to happen, or this murdering administration needs to be stopped in its tracks, as some people disagree with this.

Disadvantages:

1- Impeachment hearings hold up Congress,
2-
I am not clear about whether this hinders the actual prosecution of crimes, or whether Bush is still able to pardon people.

[Independent_Liberal]

6. Exactly, windoe...

If not, I fear what lies ahead of us could possibly be a horror that will make the Holocaust look like a Sunday school picnic.

[windoe]

7. People are waking up by degrees, but facing this truth

means pulling the last stickiest wool off of our eyes. The banks are getting ready to crash, natural disasters, record foreclosures and bankruptcies, overextended military overseas--before long many more people will be in survival mode. We have to wake up on time!!

This IS the chance we have to turn the tide, I know it. It is the PERFECT time!!

[truedelphi]

10. People want impeachment -- it is our fearless

Leaders that won't go there.

[ladjf]

15. MSNBC poll today showed that 89% of the people polled felt

that Bush deserved to be impeached. That's about a large as majorities get in this Country.

[Wiley50]

5. K&R Highly Probable Senario (and probably unstoppable if real)

considering the deadlock within our own party in congress

Nancy is complicit

[Echo In Light]

8. Bump

[opihimoimoi]

9. 12 tth bumps of June came the Neocons who are in their cammys

[That Is Quite Enough]

11. I've been thinking about this a lot recently...

Bush could dedicate the last couple months of his maladministration to fucking up enough so that the hands of the next president are effectively tied in regards to the Middle East.

[kentuck]

12. How terribly bad it must be....?

When the people are so fearful of their leaders? That they cannot trust their Congress to rein in a wannabe dictator? That they fear the very worst of their President in the last 6 months of his Presidency? And we hear nothing from the Senate. The least they could do is to make a public pronouncement that if the President begins hostilities against any country without the Congress's approval, impeachment proceedings will begin immediately. As if he would give a big shit, but at least, they could go on record. If there were any justice in the world, he would be turned over to the Hague for war crimes...

[onethatcares]

16. your words,

"that they fear the very worst of their pResident in the last 6 months of his pResidency" strikes to the core of what many of us feel. We are afraid our government will never cease to be this maladministration.

I have to use the lower case "p" when talking about this asshat. Peace, if not now, when?

[EFerrari]

13. K&R for Peter. n/t

[ladjf]

14. Immediate house arrest of Bush & Cheney would be helpful.