More Deception From The White House

I've made the parrallel between Bush and Nixon before but this is getting creepy. 31 years after Nixon resigned following Watergate and 25 years, to the month, after John Lennon's murder, the current president is embroiled in a scandal involving illegal wiretaps and the Pentagon is caught collecting data on anti-war peaceniks. As you may or may not remember, Nixon did some of his own secret wiretap dances and John Lennon's outspoken advocacy for peace got him his very own dossier at the FBI and no doubt a captive audience for his many telephonic performances.

Anyone who is still not convinced that this is the most secretive and ethically impaired White House since the Nixon administration is either completely divorced from reality or more dangerously, believes this administration isn't accountable to its own laws. I am relieved that a number of people from Bush's own party are at least feigning shock and awe at recent revelations of his secret "subpoena-free" and apparently illegal wiretaps on American citizens.

Apparently the courts are a burdensome impediment in the war on terror. I mean come on people we're trying to save freedom, liberty and "justice for all" here. We don't have time for silly warrants and court orders. Those are the luxuries of peacetime and in case George Bush hasn't reminded you in the last 10 minutes, we are at war you know. Besides, subpoenas are for liberal pussies like Ted Kennedy anyway.

Now having the benefit of hindsight, it appears the inferno that took down the World Trade Center was hot enough to incinerate the Constitution because, under this administration, it has become an increasingly irrelevant relic of a more naive era in American history.

So here we are. It's deja vu all over again as George W. Bush once again struggles to squirm his way free from a web of his own making. The boy who cried wolf has become president and the American public is once again subjected to more lies and deception. Bush is yet again lashing out at the media for doing its job, which includes exposing the facts of a secretive government. He justified the secrecy of his wiretap program not because it might actually be illegal but because we have to keep our methods secret from the terrorist. Does he really think we're going to buy this crap from him yet again? Bush continues operating under the influence of irresponsibility - where unfettered power and a complete departure from the fundamental checks and balances inherent in our government is the only way to "protect the American people".

George, YOU are the terrorist we need protection from.

I hope the shock emanating from republicans in Congress is genuine and that yet another investigation is launched into the comings and goings of this White House and what now appears to be an impeachable offense.

This story isn't over. Bush's many ethical fender benders have finally ended in a head-on collision. It was bound to happen. Ever since he was elected, Bush Jr. has been taking the credibility of our government on a drunken joy ride.

Torture And The Karmic Boomerang

What a surprise!

Add this to the growing list of Bush-related foreign policy blunders and deceptions.

The New York Times reports that the Bush administration based its account of a pre 9/11 link between Iraq and Al Qaeda on statements provided by an Egyptian prisoner who arrived in the land of the Nile all expenses paid via the CIA express. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess why the U.S. sent him to Egypt or what lovely vacation accomodations awaited him. I'm sure this guy was no angel - but that's beside the point. The U.S. policy of "torture by proxy" has again proved itself suspect since the prisoner later admitted (this time not under duress) that he fabricated his assertions in order to escape harsh treatment at the hands of his captors.

"The new disclosure provides the first public evidence that bad intelligence on Iraq may have resulted partly from the administration's heavy reliance on third countries to carry out interrogations of Qaeda members and others detained as part of American counterterrorism efforts."

Does all of this sound vaguely familiar? It should. As you may recall the other major reason for our invading Iraq was a specious claim of an imminent attack on the U.S. by an Iraqi dictator with huge stockplies of WMD's. Turns out this too was based on fabricated evidence in the form of phony documents from Niger's embassy that suggested Saddam was shopping for Uranium.

Karma isn't just a new-age mantra chanted by yoga-infused spiritual wanna-be's on the West Coast. It is a very real phenomenon that exists in most every religion and secular philosphy. It's called other things. The Golden Rule, vindication, judgement day, "you get what you give". Call it whatever you want, its truth has been well proven over the millenia.

You see, Curious George, what happened with your fallacious Egyptian lead is what the experts mean when they say "torture doesn't work". Beyond that however, is a little thing called morals and values. It is the other pillar you rested your argument on for the invasion of Iraq. That pillar crumbled long ago. Are all these things starting to sink in, George?

Karma is a boomerang. If there is one thing that gets me to the next day in these horrible times it is the fact that this too shall pass. That through this darkness will come the light of reason. I do believe everything (even the current evil at home and abroad) happens for a reason. Obviously this country has much to learn and can only do so through the painful process of experience. It is my fervent hope that we learn our lessons now, for the other thing I believe is this; the lessons you don't learn now are the ones you're destined to repeat, over and over, until you do. History only repeats itself because of simple human obstinance. Humility and a willingness to learn from experience on a global scale would allow us to finally make a new and better history. Unfortunately, for now that is not meant to be. And that, my friends, is Karma.