RUSSIA’S POWER GRAB SHOULDN’T ALARM U.S.
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistIt’s official: Vladimir Putin’s power grab seems–by all accounts–a threat to democracy and the freedom of the press.
But before we start harping on what Russia is doing, maybe we should–instead–take a look at what we are doing to our own country:
Bush and Cheney have made it a point to disregard the powers of the Oval Office since taking the reins in 2001.
In doing so, they have usurped the power of the government, Congress, and the people–in a concentrated (and
visible) effort to build themselves an
imperial democracy that pretty much runs parallel to something you see in any of George Lucas’s movies.
The Patriot Act was created to destroy many of the protections afforded by the US Constitution. It allows the government to search and seize personal property with any of us knowing.
It also lets the government consider any one of us a
threat to the US and its fight for democracy and freedom (commonly known as the
war on terror). This in turn let’s the US seize American citizens and charge them as being an “enemy of the state”.
Holding them indefinitely without charge.
Coupled with the illegal spying, media censorship, torture of prisoners (also known in the CIA as “rendition flights”), why is Condoleezza Rice so up at arms over what Putin is doing in his own country?
After all, he pretty much has seen what
we’ve done here in the United States.
Why should he have any worry about what we say and do? After all, one only has to look into the infamous history of the Soviet Union during the Cold War–and you will easily see how the US and Russia are now kindred spirits.
A chip off the ol’ block as it were.
It just took 50 years for the U.S. to finally do what the USSR had done for that long:
Become a mirror image of its former enemy. Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: Cold War, Constitution, democracy, enemy, George Lucas, illegal detention, illegal spying, imperial presidency, power grab, Russia, Star Wars, unlimited power, US, USSR
HOW HARD IS IT TO COMPLY WITH CONGRESS ANYWAY?
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistWe’ve seen it many times over the past six years since Bush entered office:
Congress demanding that the White House and other elements of our own government turn over material which is instrumental in one common aspect of our democracy: Checks and balances.
And the White House and those various elements are saying: “We have
executive privilege, and that supersedes law and the Constitution.”
Y’know…
Nixon tried the same thing in the 70s–in face of Watergate. It took the ruling of the Supreme Court to say that no sitting President was above the law, and Congress had every constitutional right to have access to the Watergate files.
But Bush is counting on this. In his defense, he’s stacked court justices that would see him as having no
fault of his own–and thus would be able to get away with not turning over documents vital to Congress’s ongoing investigations on a number of fronts.
However, the idea behind not implicating a sitting President (especially a
Republican one), is disastrous for the party whom put them there.
Hence the stonewalling and excuses by government officials.
The sad truth is, is that it took an act of the
people to change course with both Congress and the government.
But Bush and those under him still believe that they have unchecked powers, unchecked flexibility in their roles as representatives of these United States.
Which is why they have been fighting as long as they have.
Once a group has unlimited power, it becomes very difficult to restrain them, or at the very least–reign them in.
Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: Bush, Congress, Constitution, executive privilege, Nixon, unlimited power, US government, Watergate
CONGRESS HAS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY; BUSH DOESN’T
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistRegardless of what some people think about who has what in our branches of government, our President may be Commander-in-Chief, but Congress still calls the shots on whether they should continue funding this sad debacle of a war.
By attaching language, Congress is living up to the people’s demands that this war end, and end soon:
Not by some open-ended conflict with no end in sight.
That’s what the people of the United States of America wants. That’s what Congress is delivering. What Bush wants is more money from his
rubberstamping Congress–with absolute no regards to where the money comes from–just so long as he gets what he wants without regard to Congress or the people.
Why do you think Chuck Hagel called for Bush’s impeachment if he doesn’t
listen to the wishes of the people he’s supposed to represent or Congress?
This is one of the things that our Founding Fathers implemented in the creation of our country’s Constitution:
They saw the inherent problems one person ruling over one country would present, without one or two more branches to keep him in check!
And while the Constitution does keep separate the powers of both the executive branch and Congress separate, it doesn’t give Bush unlimited power to do with what he pleases–while
completely ignoring the people and Congress all at the same time.
This is not how our democracy was built upon.
Calling Bush on this critical matter means reigning in an out-of-control President who has so far had a complete
disregard for procedure, law, and the Constitution of the United States of America.
Not to mention the 300 million people inhabiting it.
If Bush doesn’t like being called on matters of state, he shouldn’t have run for President, now should he?
Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1@yahoo.comLabels: Congress, Constitution, disregard, law, people, President Bush, unlimited power
