We’ve seen a majority party grow weary of a President and impeach them twice (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton). History will judge those actions as frivolous and spiteful. But we have another history, too. A history of failed military enterprises. The first failure was the failure to avoid the secession of the Confederacy. That led Lincoln to run on a National Unity ticket with the aforementioned Andrew Johnson. The next crisis came with the stalemate of the Korean War. Harry S Truman did not seek re-election. The nation chose a truly unifying personality in Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Vietnam and waning health kept LBJ from seeking re-election, and the defeat in Vietnam provided an essential backdrop to the downfall of Richard Milhous Nixon.
It is written into the fabric of our history as a nation that administrations (and their parties) that land us in unprofitable armed conflict do not get to remain on in power. We’ve dealt with the aftermath in different ways. After the Civil and Korean Wars we turned to the victorious generals, Grant and Eisenhower. After Vietnam we turned to the sunny optimism of Ronald Reagan. The country, for the most part, seemed satisfied to go back to sleep. Now we have another point in our history where momentous decisions will have to be made. What shall we do with our President and Vice-President?
Can we piece together some kind of National Unity ticket? Can we preempt the need for that by installing a National Unity caretaker government that will only serve out the remainder of this administration’s term?
Is there someone available to take the unifying place held by Grant, Eisenhower, and Reagan?
It’s time for people to be grown-ups. It’s time to start considering a change in government. If we don’t do something very soon, we may get an answer to Billmon’s question.
All along, I’ve had the sneaking suspicion that the choices in Iraq would ultimately boil down to mass butchery or defeat. But, as the above post indicates, over the years I’ve become progressively less certain what the ultimate decision would be — and whether and when the American military would flinch from the implications of that choice.
Next year may be the year we find out.
And history will never forgive us if we choose butchery.
Butchery can only come from the sky.
A realistic scenario would be to tacitly seek an accord with Iran while strengthening the Kurds. Let the Iranians shoulder the burden and spread themselves thin. Tough luck for the Sunnis but not even the Saudis want to help them.
America has to look after itself after seeing its institutions, laws and civil covenant butchered by neocon plunder monkeys.
or someone to wake us up.
History will not forgive us no matter WHAT we do.
We used up out WW II credits in Vietnam and in the ongoing economic imperialist war that we have fought in the entire Third World over the last 60 years.
Covert when possible, overt when necessaray, and always…ALWAYS…”Win lose or draw, we will FUCK YOU UP while we are about our business. it. We can afford the price. Can you?”
Only suddenly…not so suddenly, really, not since Vietnam…we CANNOT “afford the price.”
But we keep running the same old game and in many places continue to get away with it on street rep alone.
We are, as that wise old military leader Mao Tse Tung pointed out OH so many years ago…a paper tiger.
Forgive?
Not for DECADES will we be “forgiven”. And only then if we make a mass mea culpa as did Germany after W.W. II.
That is why I support the impeachment idea.
If we do NOT do it, most of the rest of world will say…quite accurately… “Oh yeah. Right. Business as usual.” And then proceed in their efforts to take us down one brick at a time.
One brick at a time.
The death of a thousand hod carriers.
Impeach or die.
Bet on it.
AG
No riots in the streets.
Habeas Corpus – the right to trial – basis of the miserable leavings of appeal – gone.
Right to private communication – gone.
Domestic spying.
Protection from arrest without cause – gone.
Imprisonment without charges.
Torture.
Exempt the rich from tax.
Accountability in office. None.
Rape the treasury.
Fix elections.
Don’t worry too much about the judgment of history.
Worry about what’s next.
Iraq is only the best current demonstration of what today’s U.S. policy leads to.
our system only works properly if we have vigorous political CONFLICT, not “national unity”. WE HAVE THAT NOW; two parties that believe in economic and military imperialism and American Exceptionalism.
The LAST thing we need is some band of Great Poobahs agreeing ahead of time what is “good” for us to do.
We need to ramp up political conflict … the problem is that there hasn’t been any REAL discord, just fake shadow boxing for the cameras and fundraising letters.
and have still lost.
I had forgotten about this little jewel
http://www.the peoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2006/12/20/p13067
Impeachment papers have been served