A Reform to
Restore the People’s Power
By Paul Craig Roberts
07/13/07 "ICH"
-- -- The American political system has failed. The
fabled checks and balances of American politics were no
match for a neoconservative administration with a secret
agenda. The American people were deceived and tricked into
supporting two invasions that are war crimes under the
Nuremberg standard.
US aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq and the
indiscriminate slaughter of civilians have radicalized
Muslims throughout the world and swelled the ranks of
insurgents. Despite the "surge" and an additional 30,000 US
troops in Baghdad, the US is unable to protect its own
embassy. On July 10, the fortified Green Zone, which
contains the US and British embassies and the puppet Iraqi
government, came under intense mortar and rocket attack.
Within the protected Green Zone, 18 people were wounded and
3 were killed.
The US military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus
said that the US is a decade away from victory in Iraq. Gen.
Petraeus could have added another truth and acknowledged
that the US military lacks sufficient fresh troops to remain
in the conflict. Last year Colin Powell said the US Army is
"about broken." The US military is exhausted by the
insurgencies and will be driven out if not withdrawn.
Gen. Petraeus assumed command in January. Six months later,
Petraeus says "the question is how can we gradually reduce
our forces so we reduce the strain on the army."
In the US Senate, Republican support for Bush's wars is
fading as senators face a hostile public that has had enough
of Bush's pointless and lost wars based on lies and
deception. The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq never had
any valid reason. The US occupations of these countries have
failed, and no purpose has been achieved except the
enrichment of the military-security complex and the swelling
of al-Qaeda's ranks and credibility.
One trillion dollars has been totally squandered. Moreover,
Bush's wars have had to be financed by borrowing abroad. The
result has been a reduction in the dollar's value and an
erosion of the dollar's status as the world's reserve
currency. The dollar has fallen to a new low against the
Euro and has reached a 26-year low against the British
pound.
The latest comprehensive worldwide Pew poll reveals the
complete collapse of America's standing in the world.
This is a huge price to pay for Bush's childish ego, for the
enrichment of Cheney's cronies at Halliburton and merchants
of death, and for Congress' appeasement of AIPAC.
Bush's and Cheney's lies and assaults on the US Constitution
and American civil liberty, their plans to attack Iran, and
the war crimes for which they are responsible provide an
open and shut case for their impeachments. The latest polls
show that 54% of Americans support impeachment of Vice
President Cheney, with only 40% opposed. Bush hangs on by a
hair with 45% favoring his impeachment and 46% opposed. But
Democrats, like Republicans, have failed the electorate and
refuse to do their duty. Congress is a creature of special
interests and no longer represents the American people.
Obviously, some new method is needed for removing
incompetent or dictatorial presidents and vice presidents.
Constitutional reform might be next to impossible, but
before dismissing the possibility consider that according to
British news reports, Britain's new prime minister, Gordon
Brown, intends a wide-ranging program of constitutional
reform, including giving up the prime minister's power to
declare war.
The London Telegraph says: "The measures are intended to
restore trust in politics after the by-passing of Parliament
and the Cabinet, as well as the culture of spin and media
manipulation, that characterized the Blair decade."
If America is to remain a democracy, the people need
refurbished powers to hold "government of the people, by the
people, for the people" accountable. One way of doing this
would be a vote of confidence by the people. The question
can be put to a national referendum: "Shall the President
remain in office?" "Shall the Vice President remain in
office?"
The state of Florida does this for judges, including
Florida's Supreme Court, so there is precedent for allowing
the people to decide whether officials may remain in office.
As the American people can no longer rely on elected
officials to respond to public opinion, the people must do
what they can to gather power back into their hands before
they become the subjects of tyrants.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the
Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor
of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good
Intentions. He can be reached at:
PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
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