Sunday, March 25, 2007
Poor George!
Pity George W. Bush. He can’t seem to get away with anything. Lately he tried to replace a few federal district attorneys – attorneys he had appointed at the beginning of his term of office – with others who were more enthusiastic about carrying out the Bush Agenda. The Bush Agenda starts with the need to increase Republican support for Bush in Congress. One of the replaced attorneys had convicted one California Republican Congressman of taking bribes and had sent him to do time in prison. This attorney was about to go after another corrupt California Republican Congressman. Just in time, she was replaced by someone more loyal to Bush and his Agenda. Other federal district attorneys – there were eight in all who were replaced – were let go for similar reasons. One was replaced by a protégé of Karl Rove. Another was replaced for standing up to Republican Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico, who wanted to know when indictments against some Democratic political operatives were to be unsealed, and please, could it be before the election last November? As a matter of law, the President has the power to hire and fire federal district attorneys. (The hiring has to be approved by the Senate.)
Also, as a matter of law, the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States. He can order them to go anywhere in the world. He can order them to attack a presumed enemy of the United States. The President’s father, former President George H. W. Bush, had sent American forces to attack Iraq to free the Emirate of Kuwait from Iraq occupation. Father Bush had an army of half a million men in his enterprise, including support from many nations. Several Arab nations supported Father Bush’s war to free Kuwait. Father Bush was criticized for stopping at the border between Kuwait and Iraq. The critics said he should have continued the advance, after defeating the Iraq Army, all the way to Baghdad. There he should have removed Saddam Hussein from power and replaced him with a ruler friendly to the United States and its interests.
Son George resolved to complete the unfinished work of the father. He used intelligence of dubious quality to persuade Congress to give him the authority to use force against Iraq. He then assembled an army of about one-third the size of his father’s army and a coalition with fewer members than his father’s and proceeded to invade Iraq. His advisors convinced him that the attack would be over in short order. The coalition forces would occupy Baghdad, depose Saddam Hussein, install a friendly government, and depart. The people of Iraq would greet their American and coalition liberators with flowers. Any damage to Iraq would be paid for out of the oil revenues from that country. After Baghdad was occupied and Saddam Hussein had fled, son George arranged a celebration on an aircraft carrier. The theme of the celebration was “Mission Accomplished.” The war was over, the new government would soon be in place, American oil companies would take control of the oil from Iraq, and the armies would return home.
But, George couldn’t get away with it. When Saddam Hussein fled, the entire government collapsed, including the local police. Thieves looted the Baghdad Museum. Thieves stole the copper wires that supplied electrical power to the city. The Iraqi Army had been disbanded and there was no organization to maintain peace and order in the country. The coalition force was woefully inadequate to the task of occupying and policing Iraq. Worse still, some of George’s excuses for the war were exposed as false. There were no Weapons of Mass Destruction. The UN inspectors had found and disposed of them after the father’s war to save Kuwait. The people of Iraq did not welcome the occupying army with flowers, but with home-made explosive devices. The country fell into a civil war between two factions of Islam, the Sunni and the Shi’a.
Poor George!
Also, as a matter of law, the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States. He can order them to go anywhere in the world. He can order them to attack a presumed enemy of the United States. The President’s father, former President George H. W. Bush, had sent American forces to attack Iraq to free the Emirate of Kuwait from Iraq occupation. Father Bush had an army of half a million men in his enterprise, including support from many nations. Several Arab nations supported Father Bush’s war to free Kuwait. Father Bush was criticized for stopping at the border between Kuwait and Iraq. The critics said he should have continued the advance, after defeating the Iraq Army, all the way to Baghdad. There he should have removed Saddam Hussein from power and replaced him with a ruler friendly to the United States and its interests.
Son George resolved to complete the unfinished work of the father. He used intelligence of dubious quality to persuade Congress to give him the authority to use force against Iraq. He then assembled an army of about one-third the size of his father’s army and a coalition with fewer members than his father’s and proceeded to invade Iraq. His advisors convinced him that the attack would be over in short order. The coalition forces would occupy Baghdad, depose Saddam Hussein, install a friendly government, and depart. The people of Iraq would greet their American and coalition liberators with flowers. Any damage to Iraq would be paid for out of the oil revenues from that country. After Baghdad was occupied and Saddam Hussein had fled, son George arranged a celebration on an aircraft carrier. The theme of the celebration was “Mission Accomplished.” The war was over, the new government would soon be in place, American oil companies would take control of the oil from Iraq, and the armies would return home.
But, George couldn’t get away with it. When Saddam Hussein fled, the entire government collapsed, including the local police. Thieves looted the Baghdad Museum. Thieves stole the copper wires that supplied electrical power to the city. The Iraqi Army had been disbanded and there was no organization to maintain peace and order in the country. The coalition force was woefully inadequate to the task of occupying and policing Iraq. Worse still, some of George’s excuses for the war were exposed as false. There were no Weapons of Mass Destruction. The UN inspectors had found and disposed of them after the father’s war to save Kuwait. The people of Iraq did not welcome the occupying army with flowers, but with home-made explosive devices. The country fell into a civil war between two factions of Islam, the Sunni and the Shi’a.
Poor George!
Labels: firing US Attorneys, Iraq, Kuwait liberation, looting in Baghdad, President G. H. W. Bush, President G. W. Bush, UN Inspectors
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A Deficiency in my Education
When I was in High School (1936-1940) every student was required to take a course in Civics. The subject matter of the course was the American government. It included the federal constitution, elections, who is qualified to be a Representative, a Senator, or a President. It included a description of the State government (Michigan, in my case). It was a rather dull, unexciting course. I doubt that many high school graduates remembered much or thought very much about the course in Civics.
I recall that the Civics class did cover some of the difficulties of our federal system. Andrew Johnson was impeached but not convicted. Ulysses Grant was elected as a war hero but his administration was troubled by corruption. Details of the corruption were not included in the course. There was a brief mention of one of the scandals in the administration of Warren Harding. His Secretary of the Interior was sent to prison over some scandal involving oil fields. Again, there were no other details - at least none that I remember. I remember that the offending official's name was Albert Fall.
The coming investigations of the transgressions of the present Bush administration should be a treasure trove for whoever writes the next textbook for high school courses in American government.
I recall that the Civics class did cover some of the difficulties of our federal system. Andrew Johnson was impeached but not convicted. Ulysses Grant was elected as a war hero but his administration was troubled by corruption. Details of the corruption were not included in the course. There was a brief mention of one of the scandals in the administration of Warren Harding. His Secretary of the Interior was sent to prison over some scandal involving oil fields. Again, there were no other details - at least none that I remember. I remember that the offending official's name was Albert Fall.
The coming investigations of the transgressions of the present Bush administration should be a treasure trove for whoever writes the next textbook for high school courses in American government.
Labels: american government, high school, President G. W. Bush, President Grant, President Harding
A Deficiency in my Education
When I was in High School (1936-1940) every student was required to take a course in Civics. The subject matter of the course was the American government. It included the federal constitution, elections, who is qualified to be a Representative, a Senator, or a President. It included a description of the State government (Michigan, in my case). It was a rather dull, unexciting course. I doubt that many high school graduates remembered much or thought very much about the course in Civics.
I recall that the Civics class did cover some of the difficulties of our federal system. Andrew Johnson was impeached but not convicted. Ulysses Grant was elected as a war hero but his administration was troubled by corruption. Details of the corruption were not included in the course. There was a brief mention of one of the scandals in the administration of Warren Harding. His Secretary of the Interior was sent to prison over some scandal involving oil fields. Again, there were no other details - at least none that I remember. I remember that the offending official's name was Albert Fall.
The coming investigations of the transgressions of the present Bush administration should be a treasure trove for whoever writes the next textbook for high school courses in American government.
I recall that the Civics class did cover some of the difficulties of our federal system. Andrew Johnson was impeached but not convicted. Ulysses Grant was elected as a war hero but his administration was troubled by corruption. Details of the corruption were not included in the course. There was a brief mention of one of the scandals in the administration of Warren Harding. His Secretary of the Interior was sent to prison over some scandal involving oil fields. Again, there were no other details - at least none that I remember. I remember that the offending official's name was Albert Fall.
The coming investigations of the transgressions of the present Bush administration should be a treasure trove for whoever writes the next textbook for high school courses in American government.
Labels: american government, high school, President G. W. Bush, President Grant, President Harding
