Enabling Evil

[Triana]

...

The situation in America today is quite different from wartime Germany. There is still a free press even though it is a toady corporate press without heart or courage. There is an opposition party even thought it is a toady opposition. Bush is not a dictator even though a toady Congress has permitted Bush to accumulate power in the executive branch at the expense of both civil liberties and the separation of powers established by the Constitution. Americans have an abundance of hard facts available to them from a world press via the Internet. Americans have the weapons inspectors’ reports, expert testimony, and now top-secret British government documents leaked to the Sunday Times (London). The documents reveal that the British government regarded Bush’s premeditated invasion of Iraq as illegal and had concerns that Prime Minister Blair and cabinet ministers could be brought up on war crime charges for participating in naked aggression. The documents reveal that Bush’s decision to invade Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with the reasons he gave the US Congress and the American people and that the "intelligence" he cited to justify his invasion was concocted and fabricated.

If Germans were complicit, as Goldhagen claims, how can Americans avoid the charge of complicity in Bush’s crimes against Iraq when Americans are in possession of such damning facts and have the power of impeachment? Why do Americans tolerate a liar and a war criminal as their president?

Why has Congress voted still more money for an illegal war launched in deception?

Why does the US military permit its human and physical resources to be squandered in a pointless war that has no strategy for victory and no timetable for withdrawal?

How can America be so dominated by a lame-duck president that it loses all sense of itself, its honor, and its purpose?

...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts107.html

[H2O Man]

1. Very interesting post.

I will "nominate" it once I finish this response. I think you raise extremely important points. Althought there is not the balance in the three federal branches as intended by the Founding Fathers, we are still armed with the Bill of Rights. We need to exercise those rights in order to build up their strength.

Very often, he who bemoans the lack of opportunity overlooks the fact that small doors often open up large rooms. The "main stream media" is indeed a corporate tool of the ruling class .... yet we havbe the "free press" available to us.

Other countries are watching the US closely, wondering why there isn't a stronger anti-war movement here. We need to step it up.

[babylonsister]

2. Great article; thanks and nominated. nt

[Karenina]

3. American citizens have

up to now, been cut a lot of slack as "victims" of an "illegitimate" government. That "benefit of the doubt" is rapidly turning to contempt.

[KharmaTrain]

4. This Is More Like Banana Republic

I agree with those who say that the use of Nazi references toward this regime is now overdone. Yes, we've seen fascist actions, but that label tends to stain the person who uses it as much as the person it's aimed at. Look at how we ridicule Santorum for his remarks (outrage, I tell ya), but do look the other way when our own invokes a similar metaphor.

When I debate the wingnuts, I try a different tact...explaining that I feel we live in a third world banana republic....run by a bunch of corrupt tin-horn dictators. The government is so top heavy and dominated by the Executive to the point of making the other branches not just subordinate, but fully ineffective. No difference to this than the kleptocracies that ran Central and South America.

Things have changed in the 75 years since the initial rise of fascism...the tactics are far more stealth now and the way to point it out has to be as well.

Cheers!

[ElectroPrincess]

5. I would respectfully submit that neither the press nor the congress

are "free" ... there is a STRONG undercurrent of manipulation and both Democrats and Republicans are involved in both the cover-up and investments in the War Machine.

Make no mistake, just because you cannot see "the knives" doesn't make the press and congress more free.

Let's just say they've DEMONSTRATED a very effective smear machine using the USA corporate media. You step out of line, even JC would be made to look like an killer.

No, we are oppressed and it will take "masses of people" to turn this situation around. Thank God for the Internet, otherwise their plans would be fully realized.

Keep working folks, there's always hope. :-)

[Triana]

8. The internet...

...will be the next thing they will attempt to wrest control of. Esp. since the groundswell behind the DSM caused such a ruckus. A well-informed public is the enemy of the plutocracy/kleptocracy, and any means the public has of getting other than gov't approved propaganda will be thwarted and/or shut down.

This is yet another battle we've got to fight - at least until we can get our gov't back into some semblance of balance, if that's even possible.

I don't want to be one of the 'complicit' Americans, meanwhile, as I'm sure no one on DU does, either.

[emanymton]

6. USA Is Different. Rules Do Not Apply. Guilt ...

require conscience.

You ask, "If Germans were complicit, as Goldhagen claims, how can Americans avoid the charge of complicity in Bush’s crimes against Iraq when Americans are in possession of such damning facts and have the power of impeachment?"

The answer is, "They can't!" The people of USA are complicit. But so what? Who cares? I got my IPOD and besides 'they are only ragheads being killed.'

You ask, "Why do Americans tolerate a liar and a war criminal as their president?" Answer, "My kids aren't being maimed and killed. It is other people's kids."


Bush Lied. People Died. Media Cheered.

[Monkie]

7. i'm from Europe and for me the benefit of doubt ended nov. 2004

when "the people" didnt rise up and revolt after the 2nd fixed election.
I even "blame" the Democrats ,more than the Bush cartel, for being the enablers of this fascist farce.
Democrats need to take this to the streets and american blood will have to flow liberally because the alternatives the rest of the world have to intervene are severely limited due to American WMD arsenals.
to paraphrase bush..
you are either an enabler of the Bush Cartel or you are cleaning house NOW
and i mean you! not you waiting for someone to do it for you,waiting while some rich white man "has your back" and talk and talks and nothing happens!

i'm a pacifist and i feel terrible if i accidentally crush a bug, "you" should be worried i'm thinking like this...

[Triana]

9. you are either an enabler of the Bush Cartel or you are cleaning house NOW

...something to send to the wimpy Dems. I'm disgusted with Dems as well. I can't BELIEVE they stood silent in 2000 when the CBC protested chimpy's appointment. I can't believe they stood silent again as the 2004 election was stolen. I can't believe they are STILL silent in the face of the DSM and that so many of them stupidly voted to invade Iraq. WHERE is Hillary, Reid, Pelosi, Kerry? WHY are they not raising Hell like Conyers is? WHY are they not right there with him? If a 76-year old man can do as much as he does - why can't they?

THEY HAD THE SAME INTELLIGENCE *WE* have when they voted to invade. WE KNEW gwb was lying. I'm pretty certain they did too. NO EXCUSE for it. None.

As for Americans, too many of them are complacent, as well as complicit. Lazy, self-centered, slovenly, tunnel-visioned, spoon-fed gov't propaganda a la Faux Newz and nary a clue in their head and too lazy to ask a single question about anything - of the gov't, or of the media.

I can't pretend to understand them because I don't. I'm not living in a 200,000 home and don't drive an SUV, never watch teevee and don't have cable. Reality to me is somewhere else. I don't live in a can with the lid shut. Myself and my family have been BADLY affected by bu$hit's policies. Many have, but somehow they continue to live in a can and vote for or support the policies of that piss-poor excuse for a president we have squatting in OUR gov't house.

I don't get it.

[Terran1212]

10. We still have a very ubiqutious police state and secret police force

I know from the simulation I did for homeland security on thursday. If you want to read about it, just look up my topic......

[Protagoras]

11. Different in structure, same in effect.

We can get caught up in lots of quibbling over the use of words describing old institutions and political systems...but we're not off the mark if we understand that some functions remain the same even if the system is slightly evolved and adapted.

Government Press for instance...50 years ago governments thought they had to tightly and directly control the press for propaganda purposes. Today the Corporatists understand you just have to have a "BOUGHT" press...it isn't free in either case. What's the functional difference? not much on the front page necessarily...but you have bureaucrats serving the same editorial functions...they just use cash and career threats instead of bullets to get the propaganda out.

Bush isn't a Dictator...true in a strict sense...however Dictators create much more rigid opposition because they try and force 100% compliance with every whim. In stead, shoot for 80-90% and toss out some mock losses, mostly on issues you don't give a damn about...but all the while, stack the courts and use an essentially one party system to enforce all of your real whims. Is it identical? No...but it's close enough that you can still understand its function.

50 years ago that Oldsmobile had big fins, was large, and angular with big round headlights, and a wide flat dashboard. Today it's sleek, eurodesigned, has an electronic KB...but it's still a car...and still an oldsmobile...

Bush is the new boss, same as the old boss...the style has changed, but the substantial results are essentially the same...he gets rich and powerful...we work as his wage slaves.

[Jade Fox]

12. Roberts is kicking ass these days..

For those who don't know, Paul Craig Roberts is a conservative former
member of Nixon's staf,f who is writing great stuff against Bush and
actively calling for his impeachment.

[Just Me]

13. The work we do here on DU helps alleviate the my shame.

No doubt about it, I have felt devastated and ashamed of the BushCo/neoCONs' activities. They have stained our honor and our integrity.

In spite of the ridicule and demonization, we have lived consistent with our own honor and integrity by doing whatever we can to challenge the war criminals in charge. Those actions have helped to alleviate my shame as a member of a country gone astray.

[rman]

14. The press is not free as in "independent",

since it is dependent on corporations.

The situation in America today has many parallels with pre-wartime Germany. Just two that are obvious: there is the issue with "the press" (aka MSM, corporate media), and there's this merger of state and corporate power, which is fascism by Mussolini's definition.

[Karenina]

15. Be that as it may

there is no excuse for the rampant ignorance the citizens of the "world's lone superpower" display with regards to history, and COMMON DECENCY. The rules are the same on the playground.

[Burried News]

16. From Today's WaPo Editorial

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/17/AR2005061701188.html
Excerpt:
Congress should also fix the mess that the military has made of its efforts to try certain detainees for war crimes. More than three years after inmates began arriving at Guantanamo, not a single trial has taken place; most recently, the tribunals, known as commissions, have been stopped by a federal judge. A big part of the problem has been the military's insistence on jettisoning its well-established system of courts-martial and reviving, instead, a system of military justice not attempted since the World War II era. This decision has undermined fairness and produced administrative chaos.
.
.
.
Finally, Congress must establish clearer rules governing interrogation. Some of the tactics the administration has sanctioned are beyond the pale and ought to be banned by law -- and evidence obtained by such means kept out of adjudications of enemy combatant status.
End of Excerpt

[Karenina]

18. Ought to be banned by law???

Der otta bea LAW???? :DEEP SIGH: There are MANY laws. The GOOD ones are those you learned in Kindergaten.

http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm

[H2O Man]

17. Broaden your definition.

Do not allow yourself to be restricted. The mainsteam media is indeed a corporate entity, and hence not free. But you have the ability to read and write for any number of other sources. We still have the free press; it is our responsibility to exercise it to its fullest potential.

[Karenina]

19. If not us, WHOM?

If not NOW, WHEN?

"Memo" from the Hopi Elders:

You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour,
now you must go back and tell them that this is the Hour.
And there are things to be considered:
Where are you Living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and so swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold onto the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.
Know the River has its destination.
The Elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and our heads above water.
See who is in there with you and celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather Yourselves!
Banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

The Elders
Oraibi, Arizona
Hopi Nation