Bush's Third Term? You're Living It

[IndianaGreen]

Published on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 by TomDispatch.com

Bush's Third Term? You're Living It

by David Swanson

It sounds like the plot for the latest summer horror movie. Imagine, for a moment, that George W. Bush had been allowed a third term as president, had run and had won or stolen it, and that we were all now living (and dying) through it. With the Democrats in control of Congress but Bush still in the Oval Office, the media would certainly be talking endlessly about a mandate for bipartisanship and the importance of taking into account the concerns of Republicans. Can't you just picture it?

There's Dubya now, still rewriting laws via signing statements. Still creating and destroying laws with executive orders. And still violating laws at his whim. Imagine Bush continuing his policy of extraordinary rendition, sending prisoners off to other countries with grim interrogation reputations to be held and tortured. I can even picture him formalizing his policy of preventive detention, sprucing it up with some "due process" even as he permanently removes habeas corpus from our culture.

I picture this demonic president still swearing he doesn't torture, still insisting that he wants to close Guantanamo, but assuring his subordinates that the commander-in-chief has the power to torture "if needed," and maintaining a prison at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan that makes Guantanamo look like summer camp. I can imagine him continuing to keep secret his warrantless spying programs while protecting the corporations and government officials involved.

If Bush were in his third term, we would already have seen him propose, yet again, the largest military budget in the history of the world. We might well have seen him pretend he was including war funding in the standard budget, and then claim that one final supplemental war budget was still needed, immediately after which he would surely announce that yet another war supplemental bill would be needed down the road. And of course, he would have held onto his Secretary of Defense from his second term, Robert Gates, to run the Pentagon, keep our ongoing wars rolling along, and oversee the better part of our public budget.

Bush would undoubtedly be following through on the agreement he signed with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for all U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011 (except where he chose not to follow through). His generals would, in the meantime, be leaking word that the United States never intended to actually leave. He'd surely be maintaining current levels of troops in Iraq, while sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan and talking about a new "surge" there. He'd probably also be escalating the campaign he launched late in his second term to use drone aircraft to illegally and repeatedly strike into Pakistan's tribal borderlands with Afghanistan.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/09/02

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Blackwater got its security contract renewed ---

by State -- unfucking believable.

The more things "change"... :(

[xiamiam]

3. unsettling....adding to a long list of disappointments...still holding hope

but blackwater...again?...this one should be easy...certainly easier than the bailout and geithner and goldman sachs...or a failed plan to stop foreclosures...or hold people accountable for torture...etc

[treestar]

11. That is only temporary

[IndianaGreen]

27. Dyncorp International is as bad as Blackwater, they ran death squads!

Dyncorp has an atrocious record that more than rivals Blackwater, and it is Dyncorp that has been slated as the permanent replacement.

[joeycola]

40. yes, very troubling indeed.

[truebrit71]

2. It's sad how true this actually is...

...plus the war against the environment and animals continues...

Did I expect a miraculous turn around after the last eight years? Of course not, but I most certainly did NOT expect the candidate of Change to CONTINUE the same policies. That, by definition, is NOT change...

[Phx_Dem]

4. Yeah, Sotomayor is the same as Roberts.

And Bush was just getting ready to reverse his stem cell position before his term ended. He was also going to sign a bill giving women a right to equal pay, and extend children's health insurance. Bush was also a huge advocate of health care reform. His term just ended before he had a chance to do any of these things.

:sarcasm:

[Jennicut]

7. Obama is different then Bush in some ways, similar in other ways

Bush never even wanted to tackle health insurance.

I do think Obama might get caught up in a losing war in Afghanistan.

[phleshdef]

8. Yea, similar. They are both male, have both served as President, both like sports...

...similarities start to end somewhere around there.

[OwnedByFerrets]

47. You obviously didnt even bother to read past the headline of the OP

[dflprincess]

84. Obama is not pushing health care reform

he's pushing health insurance reform and doing all he can to protect the insurance companies and their profits.

[robo50]

5. I love to see how people as naive and idealistic as this guy get

to be published, while all I am is an old person with a bit of appreciation about how hard it is to turn around an ocean liner, how patience is required, and how it's not very wise to make the perfect the enemy of the good. But that's just me, a realist, not a guy that needs to boost his readership with cynical commentary on the first 8 months.

I'm sure if that Swanson guy had been a published writer in this month in 1946, he would have complained that London wasn't completely rebuilt already.

He's got quite an imagination, I'll give him that, but as for wisdom, or even a sense of perspective, nah, he's only writing this to get some $ in his pocket.

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[billh58]

46. And your comments

are...? Pot, kettle, and all that.

If you will read many of the other comments on this thread, you will note that more than a few of us know the author's background, and a few "facts" about his very commercial AND Far-Left endeavors.

[OwnedByFerrets]

48. So, rendition is a cruise ship that is hard to turn around?

[Laelth]

9. k&r for the truth, however ugly and depressing. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[dionysus]

30. he's done some stuff that is disappointing, but to equate him with bush is absurd hyperbole.

[Laelth]

34. It is definitely not a perfect 1:1 comparison.

But the author didn't say that it was, did he? Perhaps he implied it with his hyperbolic headline.

All the same, the author points to a long list of things that have not changed, but could have and should have. About that, at least, Swanson speaks the ugly truth.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Romulox]

10. Don't forget Bernanke and the blank check for Wall Street! nt

[TZ]

12. Yep just like Bush

He's invaded how many countries? And Bush he was really big on diplomacy and talking to allies. Yep. Just like Bush. He's gonna ban abortions too! Yep. Just like Bush. He's told all the scientists to shut up. Just like Bush yup. He's repeated that global warming is a myth. Just like Bush yep. He's advocating teaching creationism in school. Yep. Just like Bush. He's cut taxes for the wealthiest 5% just like Bush. Yup. He's written numerous signing statements without consulting congress. Yep. Just like Bush. Yep HE's A BUSH CLONE OH NOES!!!:sarcasm:. The short memory of the left is really idiotic sometimes. He has centrist policies yes. BUT THESE WERE ALL POLICIES HE MADE CLEAR HE WAS GOING TO SUPPORT BEFORE THE ELECTION.
Our international friends must laugh their assess off when they read stupid shit like this.

[robo50]

22. Excellent ! n/t

[scheming daemons]

32. +10

[billh58]

45. The Far-Left

camp will never be satisfied with ANY politician, or method of governance. Their only contribution to the world is forming "anti-(fill-in-the-blank)" groups and movements. The Far-Left is "for" absolutely nothing, but make their living (literally) by being against almost everything.

[Union Yes]

65. LIke War and defense spending, Union Busting, "Free"Trade, Deficit spending, Inequality for LGBT..

Damn skimpy I'm against those topics.

If Obama doesn't change his stances on those hot button issues, then Nov '10 and '12 aren't going to be pretty for the Dem party.

The left stands for fighting for the little people.

What do you stand for?

[OwnedByFerrets]

49. Answer the complaints in the OP, not ones that YOU bring up.

Like rendition

[merh]

60. Would the opinion of the Human Rights Watch help you come to terms with the truth?

"Under limited circumstances, there is a legitimate place" for renditions, said Tom Malinowski, the Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. "What I heard loud and clear from the president's order was that they want to design a system that doesn't result in people being sent to foreign dungeons to be tortured. But that designing that system is going to take some time."

Malinowski said that he had urged the Obama administration to require that prisoners be transferred to other countries only when they would be guaranteed a public hearing in an official court. "Producing a prisoner before a real court is a key safeguard against torture, abuse and disappearance," Malinowski said.

(snip)

In his executive order on lawful interrogations, Obama created a task force to reexamine renditions to make sure that they "do not result in the transfer of individuals to other nations to face torture," or otherwise circumvent human rights laws and treaties.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/01/nation/na-rendition1?pg=1

[OwnedByFerrets]

78. I have a question for you. IF they have nothing to hide,

WHY THE FUCK DO THEY NEED TO BE RENDERED TO ANOTHER FUCKING COUNTRY? And yes, I raised my voice. That line you quoted is nothing more than bullshit coverup, I dont care if god himself uttered it.

[merh]

80. Because the other fucking country wants to press charges

and give them a hearing or public trial?

Have you read the executive order? Do you even know what it provides?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/EnsuringLawfulInterrogations/

Go read it, it specifically provides that torture is not allowed.

(ii) to study and evaluate the practices of transferring individuals to other nations in order to ensure that such practices comply with the domestic laws, international obligations, and policies of the United States and do not result in the transfer of individuals to other nations to face torture or otherwise for the purpose, or with the effect, of undermining or circumventing the commitments or obligations of the United States to ensure the humane treatment of individuals in its custody or control.

(f) Administration. The Special Task Force shall be established for administrative purposes within the Department of Justice and the Department of Justice shall, to
the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations, provide administrative support and funding for the Special Task Force.

(g) Recommendations. The Special Task Force shall provide a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Counsel to the President, on the matters set forth in subsection (d) within 180 days of the date of this order, unless the Chair determines that an extension is necessary.

(h) Termination. The Chair shall terminate the Special Task Force upon the completion of its duties.


Sec. 6. Construction with Other Laws. Nothing in this order shall be construed to affect the obligations of officers, employees, and other agents of the United States Government to comply with all pertinent laws and treaties of the United States governing detention and interrogation, including but not limited to: the Fifth and Eighth Amendments to the United States Constitution; the Federal torture statute, 18 U.S.C. 2340 2340A; the War Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. 2441; the Federal assault statute, 18 U.S.C. 113; the Federal maiming statute, 18 U.S.C. 114; the Federal "stalking" statute, 18 U.S.C. 2261A; articles 93, 124, 128, and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. 893, 924, 928, and 934; section 1003 of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, 42 U.S.C. 2000dd; section 6(c) of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Public Law 109 366; the Geneva Conventions; and the Convention Against Torture. Nothing in this order shall be construed to diminish any rights that any individual may have under these or other laws and treaties. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity against the United States, its departments, agencies, or other entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.

[HamdenRice]

56. This should be an OP! I'd rec it! nt

[Spazito]

79. Well, not sure if I classify as 'international' being a Canadian and all...

but it is less laughter than it is a combination of :wow: and :wtf: upon reading the OP!

Your post is excellent! +1

[liquid diamond]

83. Thank you!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

13. I suggest you start "GreenUnderground.com"

This utter tripe should not be allowed on DU.

[zulchzulu]

15. Sorry David Swanson, but Dennis STILL didn't win...

Utterly predictable, distorted whining from David Swanson... utopian purity is fun until the alarm clock goes off and you have to face the Real World.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

18. Love the pic in your sig line. (nt)

[robo50]

21. Great comment! n/t

[scheming daemons]

33. +456

[grantcart]

38. self indulgence has risen to new heights

[Union Yes]

66. And yet the President has the power to end the Afghan war today. Instead it's become Nam2.

[karynnj]

16. While there are foreign policy things where I wish Obama were

more to the left, this is not Bush's third term. On foreign policy, that Obama would not be where many of us hoped he would be was first signaled with the choices he made on his foreign policy team - at the time it was mentioned that Obama was to the left of his entire team. Even here, Obama's outreach to the Muslim world is real - as is the increase in diplomatic efforts. He may not be where we want him, but he is not where Bush/Cheney were.

If it were Bush's third term, we would not be speaking of a major healthcare reform. The environmental changes Bush made would not have been reversed. The stimulus bill would have been designed mostly giving tax cuts, rather than helping states keep their employees and things like lengthening unemployment benefits.

[Jennicut]

25. LOL. Exactly. I think some just like to get hysterical. There would be NO mention of health care

reform if Obama was exactly like Bush. Besides, Obama can talk in complete sentences.

[Orangepeel]

19. Silly. Clinton's third term, maybe. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

20. Doesn't say much for Kucinich when he had this guy as his press secretary.

[onenote]

26. it does explain a lot though

particularly as to DK's lack of success in attracting broad support for his campaigns (or his legislative proposals)

[onenote]

23. I'm sure the economy would be turning around if only Bush (or McCain) had been elected

Presumably Swanson thinks that this not only is identical to a third chimpy term but also to a first McCain term. I guess he thinks that a repub president would have proposed steps to save the auto industry, and by extension, millions of jobs, even though virtually no repubs supported such moves.

Or maybe Swanson thinks that instead of taking measures that have largely stabilized the economy and are beginning to promote a recovery it would have been better to let the economy go off the cliff completely triggering a depression that would hve cause untold suffering for millions of more people.

[dionysus]

24. um.. yeah.. not so much IG. only a simpleton or someone dumb enough to vote for nader would

believe that
:eyes:

[stray cat]

28. Naive, melodramatic and plain wrong

[leftynyc]

31. Of course - I'm sure the first

think bush would have done with his third term was nominate Sonya Sotomayer to the court.

[FrenchieCat]

35. At least now we know why Dennis Kucinich couldn't get 1% of the vote!

Good to know. When going for this kind of hyperbole, might as well just cut the chase and say that Obama is just like Hitler and be done with it. :eyes:


Geeze, and they say that the extremes meet....guess so!

They look just alike, don't they?

[Freddie Stubbs]

36. Common Dreams? More like Collective Delusions

[robo50]

39. Good one! n/t

[Writer]

37. I have often wondered how the liberal blogophere that emerged during Bush would rage against the

machine during a Democratic presidency...

and this is how.

It's lunacy to suggest that the current administration - based on one or two decisions - has ANY resemblance to the previous administration.

A site like commondreams.org does not have a revenue stream if they don't have a target, whether that target is logical or not. This is blind idealism that only hurts the little bit Democrats have been able to erect after 30 years of Republican dominance.

[Freddie Stubbs]

41. The haters need someone to hate. And since the Republicans don't ahve any power right now,

they focus their hate toward Obama.

[dionysus]

50. excactly. i don't think that they realize the majority of peope aren't political junkies,

nor as liberal as they are. and that things can't get done with the speed or in the exact fashion they desire. realpolitick is lost on them.

[DevonRex]

42. Anybody who believes that bullshit is a moron. nt

[Splinter Cell]

74. Amen to that.

[SidneyCarton]

43. More tiresome ranting.

Ok, none of us are enlightened enough to elect Mr. Kucinich President, but if this is what he and his have to offer in the way of analysis, I can't say I'm really sorry about that, haven't we had enough delusional idealists in charge for one lifetime?

[damonm]

44. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

:spray: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Whoo...best comedy I've heard in days. Thanks!

[earth mom]

51. Hope and change was nothing more than a brilliant marketing campaign.

Let's face it, we've been played once again.

[SpartanDem]

52. A lot of bluster and hyberbole, but few facts

"There's Dubya now, still rewriting laws via signing statements. Still creating and destroying laws with executive orders"

Every President has used singing statements and EO's Bush abused them and Obama has not. Swanson seems to says that since they both used them that they're the same.

"Imagine Bush continuing his policy of extraordinary rendition, sending prisoners off to other countries with grim interrogation reputations to be held and tortured."

Except extraordinary rendtion has not been continued no one is being sent of other countries to be tortured. Now Obama continued rendtioning like the guy who was taken from some coutry in middle east to face charges here. Now, if Swanson wants to argue this wrong also fine, but there is no real comparison between the two.


We might well have seen him pretend he was including war funding in the standard budget, and then claim that one final supplemental war budget was still needed, immediately after which he would surely announce that yet another war supplemental bill would be needed down the road

It's in the standard budget there is no pretending, Obama asked for and got one more supplement he hasn't asked for another one since.


This just is a small sample it's bad enough the far right is lying about Obama, but seems the far left is getting in on the act too.

[billh58]

64. The Far-Left

has been in on the act of lying since the Primaries...

[johnaries]

53. See David Swanson on waterskiis. See David go up the ramp.

See David jumping the shark.

[emulatorloo]

54. Hyperbole and Common Dreams go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

I have never seen a more tiresome website, Unless it is a freeper one.

[HamdenRice]

55. Laughable idiotic post. Happy to unrec this train unrec! nt

[and-justice-for-all]

57. Not hardly...nt

[Better BeLIEve Bull]

58. Primary bitterness fades slowly...

[WI_DEM]

59. Idiotic, if anybody thinks what we have now is comparable to Bush.

[damonm]

61. The OP has earned this:

[mvd]

62. I don't agree, but I don't see what it has to do with Kucinich, who is a great Democrat

If Bush had a third term, you could kiss any chances of regaining the majority on the Supreme Court goodbye for a long time. There would be no meaningful health care reform. There would be little hope for the middle class and poor in the recession. And he'd probably be completing the neocon takeover of the Presidency. Among others.

[billh58]

63. Re: Kucinich

see Reply #58.

[mvd]

67. Didn't find it relevant

I still support Kucinich AND Obama.

[billh58]

69. One is a good

Representative, and the other is presidential material. But then, the American voters have already agreed with that.

[mvd]

70. I would LOVE to see Kucinich as President

Maybe someday the country will be ready.

[billh58]

71. Sorry, but

it ain't gonna happen. Dennis does a good job where he is.

[mvd]

72. Maybe sometime, if not in my lifetime

I'm keeping hope alive that if Obama does well, we'll have a more progressive nation.

[Splinter Cell]

75. I'd love to open a box of Cheerios and find a billion dollars....

...but it AIN'T gonna happen.

[mvd]

77. Never say never is my motto

Hard odds won't stop my drive.

[redqueen]

68. I can't manage more than a

:boring:

I've seen this dumbassery spewed here too many times here... it's lost its shock value.

[Kaleko]

81. Yes, it fails to even be provocative at this point,

which is what Swanson must have intended with his unhinged headline.

[CTLawGuy]

73. it's sad that this utter garbage gets posted on DU

If I want to imbibe inflammatory nonsense, I'll watch Glenn Beck. Unrec.

[Born_A_Truman]

76. No lie...

I would watch Faux News and listed to Rush too. I come to DU to get away from this crap.

[DevonRex]

87. I thought we came here to get AWAY from this bullshit. Guess not.

:shrug:

[Colobo]

82. Really?

FAIL!

[Marsala]

85. Bush's third term? More like Gore's third term

Since he and Bush were the same anyway. :sarcasm:

[Mari333]

86. knr

[MadBadger]

88. I'm confused, I thought he was Clinton's third term. Which one is it?

[lewiston]

89. Bush..

Long gone. Start worry about the future. Use your writing talent to promote single payer. Bush bashing is so yesterday.