When Defending the Law Weakens It

by paradox

There have been precious few episodes of human behavior to remember fondly in our Age of Terror, but one of my favorites will always be the DC national press corps reaction to the news that of course Karl Rove is a felon lying about Valerie Plame. Somehow they instantly underwent this righteous metamorphosis into snarling Dobermans lunging for truth, goddamnit, this is ridiculous, of them huffed like a puffed rooster of rage. Then right on a dime days later they magically became what they always were, droning corporate enablers who look too good, hey now, the truth can hurt profits so why should we keep causing trouble with it?

It really was precious, that little twit dance of DC indignation. We can do it, we can be journalists! Yeah guys, we believed you.

I’m saddened that the episode is remembered in a negative way this morning as another amazing past week of Executive felony was revealed to the nation: the President rankly and horribly lied trying to take the nation into war against Iran, while simultaneously it was revealed the CIA had destroyed potential criminal evidence by shredding videotapes with sickening, nauseous content that utterly betrays core American values. It really is hard to see how the Worst President Ever could inflict more harm upon himself and the country in just seven days, but there is still a long way to go, unfortunately, we shall see.

Senators and Representatives burst into action, toy soldiers of truth suddenly springing appropriately into life this holiday season with thundering indignation on the Senate floor and Daily Kos diaries, there will be investigations, there will be subpoenas, there will be speeches and hearings, we have a country here, do you understand? In the end, the grim ugly end in a deadly battle of truth with few left standing, American citizens, we will proudly show all that no, we are not merely decorations of democracy this Christmas, not at all, for on that glorious battlefield of Congressional truth there will be…a probe.

Hey Ted, no disrespect, all right, but who the fuck you think you’re talking to? Seven years into it it’s screamingly obvious Bush and Cheney are vicious, calculating killers of unbelievable cruelty and resolve. They have committed treason, smashed the Bill of Rights, lied continually, and disgraced us for eternity to all our fellow men and women on the planet. They came into very existence in a vast crime of theft in the stolen election, how could this ungodly horrifying Nightmare of Bush be anything else but endless crimes?

Just now the rule of law is somehow so important? Just now it’s time to become enraged for the 756th time about what Bush has done? Somehow after all the effort and speeches and work the nation will get deliverance from this hell with some probe? Yeah, we believe you.

The only answer that will relieve the nation from the pack of unholy animals that is the Bush administration is impeachment, of course it’s the only thing those ceaseless criminals would fear and respect. Since it was so stupidly decided to Use The Clock without impeachment and wait Bush’s term out don’t insult the intelligence of the American people, for Christ’s sake, with this yap about the law and probes, it demeans us all.

I understand, Ted, like I said no disrespect, in this case I think much of the behavior is heartfelt and sincere, but the net effect is still the same. Until Congress gets serious about impeachment just shut the fuck up, please, no one takes it seriously, have some scotch and some squeeze, it’s Christmastime, you yourself greatly helped make Congress irrelevant, many more children are now left behind, remember, brother?

American political junkies have always worried about our appalling voter participation rate, rightly so. Most of us, Naomi Wolf among them in her recent book, have always blithely assumed those who don’t vote are indifferent, in a state of citizenship laziness. If we are sincere political scientists honest with ourselves as proud members of the reality society looking at this objectively, we have to ask: is laziness and indifference really the cause of all that non-participation?

What if members of our society see our political process as a contemptible game, as something so riddled with dishonesty and hypocrisy they don’t want to be soiled with it? Who don’t want to be suckered by it? It has to be a fair question. I think it’s an extremely dangerous wrong mental position to take, but some of our citizens must be in that place. Not many, but some.

Who could blame them, really? When we get to the point where a senior Democratic Senator only weakens the law by trying to defend it and lawyers are organizing to march in the streets for it American political reality has just gotten utterly of hand. Impeachment is the only remedy that will work for the Worst President Ever, all else is a belittlement to the values and intelligence of the American people.