General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Charles P Pierce- The President's worst moment [View all]cheapdate
(3,811 posts)The same appeal can be (and actually is) used to advocate for the deportation of immigrants or the arrest and jailing of casual marijuana smokers. The "rule of law" is also the death penalty and the world's highest rate of incarceration. If the "rule of law" is to be held up as some absolute, inviolate standard, then there's no room to pick and choose.
Some people would take the position of Ferdinand I, the Holy Roman Emperor in the 16th century who famously claimed, "Fiat justitia, et pereat mundus", which can be translated as, 'Let justice be done, though the world perish'.
Is that severe maxim always correct? What if the world does perish? Is that justice? I would argue that justice requires consideration of the consequences.
When president Obama took over in January 2010 the United States was fighting two, full-scale foreign wars and the economy was on the verge of falling into a irreversible downward spiral. People were losing their jobs, homes, savings, health insurance, etc. at an unprecedented rate. Against this backdrop, and with the support of Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats, the president announced that the administration would "look forward" -- meaning they would not pursue prosecution of former officials for possible war crimes.
When I imagine the spectacle of the incoming administration immediately pursuing war crimes prosecutions against current and former military, government, and security officials, I see it becoming one of the most bitter, divisive, all-consuming political battles of my lifetime.
I think it's likely that the pursuit of war crimes prosecutions would have come at the cost of no health care reform, no Recovery Act, and none of the other things that were accomplished early in the administration.
'Let justice be done, though the world perish'.
The American public is much further right than DU. I think that poll after poll, especially on questions of national security, bears this out. I think that middle American and swing voters would have (and still would) abandon the Democratic Party in hugely significant numbers over a long and bitter showdown over war crimes.
I think such a situation would have significantly strengthened the political right and probably led to them gaining complete control over the government, the consequences of which would affect the country for a generation or more.
I rallied, marched, wrote letters, and sent donations to impeach and prosecute the war criminals. It still makes me mad but I'm not about to abandon my support for the only meaningful opposition to the right-wing GOP over it. I believe I can at least reluctantly understand the decisions that were made.