Regime Change Needed In America!

Post-9/11 Era Forum

The feckless vote on the Bush budget this week displayed both the contempt the Bush White House holds for the Congress, and the congressional servility that invites that contempt. President Bush regally insisted that Congress vote on his budget -- with its record deficits and large top-end tax cuts -- without any estimate, much less any adjustment, for the cost of a war that has already begun and that renders the budget obsolete. The White House simply stonewalled its estimates until Republican leaders forced a vote on its tax cuts. In meekly playing their part in this farce, the craven Republican congressional leadership -- Frist, Hastert and DeLay -- despoiled the institution that they purport to lead.
The Bush administration accompanies its preemptive war doctrine with a reassertion of the imperial presidency.

This public indignity illustrates the challenge Americans will face after Iraq's defeat. The administration's attention is belatedly turning to what kind of Iraq the United States will build after the war. But for Americans, the hard question is what kind of America we will build after the war.

We can honor the sacrifice and courage of the young men and women who put their lives at risk for this country, and still recognize how preposterous the president's description of Saddam Hussein as a "threat to the world" was. Like little boys with flies, the most powerful military in the history of mankind is swatting away what's left of an Iraqi force crippled by dictatorship, demoralized by defeat and debilitated by a decade of embargo, air occupation, inspection and weapons dismantlement. The real "shock and awe" in Iraq is the radical nature of the propositions the Bush administration now trumpets.

1. The doctrine of unilateral pre-emptive war.

By launching the war without U.N. approval, the Bush administration made Iraq the test of its commitment to use military force unilaterally -- unconstrained by law, international approval or allied support -- against potential threats, in the president's words, "before they emerge." This represents a flagrant and conscious defiance for international law as defined by the U.N. charter, and a stark departure from the post-World War II bipartisan tradition of building strong alliances, supporting international institutions and paying tribute to the rule of law, even when we were trampling it. When the war ends, Americans must decide if the United States is to police the world alone or if, sobered by the real costs of this little war -- in resources, global hostility, disruption of alliances and in the perils of occupation amid civil strife -- we abandon the Bush doctrine and invest once more in international cooperation.

2. A revived imperial presidency.

"Go not abroad in search of monsters to destroy," John Quincy Adams presciently warned us over 150 years ago, or America might find herself "dictatress of the world," but not longer "the ruler of her own soul." The Bush administration accompanies its preemptive war doctrine with a reassertion of the imperial presidency. The White House disdainfully truncated the congressional debate on this "war of choice." The president made it clear that he did not believe that Congress had any choice to make; he alone could and would decide the question of war or peace. Congress was invited only to applaud -- and it supinely accepted that bit part. The "Iraq crisis" was "rolled out" for the election season last fall, with a popular post-9/11 president and loyal Republican leadership demanding congressional endorsement of a blank check for the use of force. The White House, most notably in South Dakota, showed that it was willing to assail the patriotism of any who got in the way. Too many legislators in both parties were too cowed to require hearings and a considered debate -- either before the election or after, thus depriving the American people and the legislators of any serious opportunity to probe the president's case. And now the president has blithely launched the war without seeking congressional funding to support it. The Congress will be given the bill only after the engagement of the troops has insured it will pick up the tab.
A remarkably quiescent establishment media has largely failed to expose the administration's falsehoods, challenge its secrecy or criticize its excesses.

3. The revival of the internal security state.

Days after 9/11, the administration stampeded Congress into giving it unprecedented license for political surveillance. John Ashcroft's Justice Department now asserts the right to surveil Americans without probable cause, to arrest and hold them without charges, to detain them indefinitely, to deprive them of access to counsel and to try them before military tribunals. The administration then shields its practices behind an unprecedented screen of secrecy. For this, it receives only sporadic criticism from a Congress and people shaken by real terrorist threats that the administration's wars are likely to proliferate. The chilling effect on speech is reinforced by a right-wing media claque that sets upon the mildest dissent with ravenous fury, and a remarkably quiescent establishment media that has largely failed to expose the administration's falsehoods, challenge its secrecy or criticize its excesses.

4. The triumph of military priorities.

To pursue this policy, the Bush administration calls for a core annual military budget of $400 billion and growing, a budget above that of the Cold War years when the United States faced a global adversary. And, of course, actual use of the military in the war on terrorism or Iraq costs extra. As befits a global cop, the Pentagon is assuming an ever more pre-eminent role in intelligence assessment, covert operations and assertive diplomacy. In the wake of 9/11, the administration's energy policy features not a concerted drive for energy independence, but the construction of a formidable base structure throughout the Gulf region. We devote most of our foreign aid, and most of our federal research and development to weaponry. Nations do most what they do best, and we do guns. The more we spend on the military, the more capacity we have to go places and do things. The more we go places and do things, the more the military needs. The price is paid, inevitably, by America's most vulnerable as child care and housing and health care are cut, promises on education investment are broken and college loans and grants fail to keep up with college costs. Faced with the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, states and localities raise taxes and slash budgets for police and schools. Yet the administration's "emergency supplemental" budget request seeks funds only for the wars on terrorism and Iraq.


Will we relinquish our liberties in order to secure them?

Will Americans accept that one man may rush us into wars of his choosing against countries that pose no imminent threat, contrary to the intent of the Founders, the design of the Constitution and the charter of the United Nations? Will we relinquish our liberties in order to secure them? Is there a residue of institutional pride in the Congress that would lead even some in the Republican majority to challenge a leadership that casts them as court jesters?

These are the challenges that must now inform the agenda of the remarkable citizen movement that spread across the nation and the globe to oppose the president's course. Now that movement faces the hard task of translating political protest into a powerful political force that can educate Americans about alternative policies and priorities that will better serve their security. And then citizens of conscience must challenge the imperial president and the craven congressional majority at the voting booth. The Bush administration's radical posture is clear. It will require a regime change in America to alter it.

Yeah what ever

I rather live in the states than live in IRAQ

We hold these truths to be self-evident...
...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.



This RIGHT here helped start the Spanish/American war. the pictures of the atrocities caused by Spanish Generals contributed as well. Many Americans believe the rights here in should apply for ALL MEN - not just America - and now these will be applied to Iraq in order to free the Iraqi people.

Dream on!

When are we going to invade...

Cuba
Rwanda
Zimbabwe ( Oh, I forgot, it's OK to deny rights to white men!)
North Korea
Belarus
China
Somalia
Liberia
Turkmenistan

the list goes on and on? You're really funny? I guess you're an idealist if you really beieve that CRAP! Find a country that has oil or is a problem for Israel and then maybe, we might "Liberate" them...what a joke!

If I believe that crap?
I just came up with part of it and yes I believe in the "Declaration of Independence."


My people were killed for years and years. they finally liberated themselves from English rule when the leader got the nerve. they made a movie about it so i'm sure you know what i'm speaking about. If we had not received help from within and from the outside - it would have never happened.

How can you say freedom is Crap?

Ok then, when are we going to invade Cuba? How about North Korea? Rwanda? Turkmenisatn has a "dictator-for-life" who I doubt allows much freedom. When will we liberate them?

i got only one thing to say to all you anti-war [wimp]s and whiners and cryers the price of freedom is high and you all seem to enjoy it, what about other people that dont have it and get murdered when they speak out for freedom and want it, who are all of you denieing these peopole that right that you enjoy.i think the real problim isnt the us attacking all above for named countrys i think its just your all miss-informed, take your freedom for granted and think you are all the only ones that desreve freedom , all you have time for is to put down the people trying to give freedom to other oppressed people.and free people and not have to worry of being tortured and killed. All your other [B.S.] is just that , your free remember all you hace to do is leave causr your free and go over to iraq, im sure they open there gates for you and give you you freedom and rights you really deserve with the remarks you have made. Saddam will set you up....with a whoile in the ground, gun at your back a peiceof bone off of his table in his many palaces. And as far as embargos on iraq less money to his military and bio/chem waepons and all of his palaces his country might not have been starveing and dieing like they are duhhhh get a grip people

There's nothing wrong with a good, bloody, [butt] kicking war [wimp]! I just don't want to fight one that's not in MY interests.

i bet the only one that would be in your intrest would be to attack Isreal

Are you people incapable of communicating without using offensive, unintelligent language? NothingSacred, please read your private messages by clicking on "user cp" button in the navigation bar at the top of the page. mtliveingtree, consider this an initial warning: please mellow your language out. It's not necessary, it causes tempers to flare, flaming and makes the conversation generally unreadable to anyone else. If you want to carry on a private battle, fine: email each other or something. It's not appropriate for a public discussion here.

Sacred,

The beauty of our system is that you can vote. Less than 18 months!

You even have time to begin your own grass roots campaign!

Nothing Sacred for PResident!

Kill the Jews!

Bla bla bla.

Seriously. You can vote!

Why is it that people protesting for peace are wimps or unpatriotic? On what assumption do people think we want or ought to live in Iraq to see what it's like there? If you don't have an answer then perhaps, just perhaps, you could kindly stop offending us with claims that we are somehow traitors or cowards. I don't consider myself either.

Oh shut up "SFT"

If you love Saddam that much than go kiss his bum. you Y2K hippie

Great we got another 10 year old child in the forum

go play with caps, bellagirldee

can we create a "playpen" or a "nursey message board" of some sort, to get rid of these immature brats

Sean Kelly is getting real tired of babysitting caps, now he has brought one of his school yard chums into the mix who relies on smiley faces, to get her message across LOL

"if you love saddam that much than go kiss his bum"

GOOD ONE!
hey well look on the bright side, your still alot smarter then george bush

Actually.. Caps has been on quite good behavior recently

Chiraq US President!!!

Where have you been hiding? We do have Regime changes in the U.S. every 4 years. It's called an ELECTION. By the PEOPLE and for the PEOPLE.

This isn't a Dictatorship or Monarchy here you know. Get real.

Just say it out loud. I hate America because...... Don't be affraid, we don't hold guns to your head so you can only say what we want you to say.

FREEDOM.... I love it.....

i say what it is needed to be said and my language isnt bad so if you dont like it, get a grip and grab a gun and stand behind our troops instead of bad mouthing them and i am free and have the right of speech to say what i want. Again my language isnt that bad and if you and your passive and uninformed information dont like it, its part of our freedom of speach , you know where to stick it and as you forget what the price of freddom is and i have been wounded in the line of duty for my country and my son is over there now so i do have a state in this war like you all do, probbly more so but there is no excuse how you all are acting towards your troops and our men and women over there in iraq. your acting like cowards hideing behind the skirts of freedom letting other people die so you have the right to protest them and back a regiem of cut throat killers who is even now in a operation of horror and murder of iraqi people, innicent men, women, and children. And you preach to me and the rest of us about unprofound information and our language.......lmao.....what language your hitting and missing in the dark and keep forgetting the real reason we are there. free the world of a tyrant and cold blooded killer that did have help in 9/11 and killed our people and still is and even to the exstent that he is now excuteing our men. Pull your ears out and put your misunderstood values and remarks on a hold and get all the facts instead if nit picking people