What lessons will we learn from George the Terrible?

[mwb970]

by George Trainor (Wednesday Journal Online, May 15, 2007)

In the future, what will historians write about the United States in the years following the reign of George the Terrible? Will they say it was the beginning of the end of the U.S. as a superpower? Or will they note that the country hit bottom, realized the errors of its ways, and embarked upon a remarkable national Renaissance?

On small things, I tend toward pessimism, but on large things, I'm an optimist. I predict the latter scenario. In fact, friends have been taken aback lately when I tell them George W. Bush's re-election in 2004 is the best thing that's happened to this country in decades. After the shock wears off, I explain that such a transparent trainwreck of a presidency will benefit us--if we learn the hard lessons from it. Judging by the latest polls, the clouds of denial have finally parted for most Americans, and it is now painfully clear that we have a bad president in the White House, probably the worst president in American history. That's already the consensus among professional historians in this country.

Two years ago, people weren't quite ready to admit it. Americans needed this second term to catch on. And what a term it's been. The roll call of shame is lengthy indeed: Terry Schiavo, Iraq, attempting to privatize Social Security, Iraq, Katrina, Iraq, FEMA, Iraq, Harriet Myers, Iraq, Guantanamo, unwarranted surveillance of citizens, extraordinary rendition, torture, redefining the Geneva Conventions, the U.S. attorney firings, Iraq, Alberto Gonzales, the Walter Reed V.A. scandal, Scooter Libby, duck hunting with Dick, Iraq, "outing" a CIA agent in retribution for uttering an inconvenient truth, the list goes on and on. We needed all of it in order to recognize the full extent of our electoral screw-up in 2004.

Karl Rove's Thousand Year Republican Reich lasted a mere six years--just half of Hitler's--before it sank under the weight of its own corruption, and now that most Americans are finally able to see that, it's time for the next stage: learning the hard lessons so we never have to go through such political agony again.

More at....
http://www.wednesdayjournalonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=3&ArticleID=7759&TM=50587.26

Trainor goes on to list six lessons that America should learn from the sad tragedy that is the Bush Administration. They're worth reading.

[AndyA]

1. And we all know what must be done.

and now that most Americans are finally able to see that, it's time for the next stage: learning the hard lessons so we never have to go through such political agony again.

And the first hard lesson we must learn is that George Bush and Dick Cheney must be held accountable for their actions against America and its citizens. They must be investigated, impeached, and imprisoned.

There is no other way around it.

Anything less is an indication that it's really OK to do these things.

NO PARDONS for Bush/Cheney. Put them in prison to serve time for what they've done. That will go a long way toward restoring America's reputation in the world, which they are responsible for squandering.

Impeachment and imprisonment is the only acceptable outcome.

[MotorCityMan]

4. Agreed; also, reinstate the Fairness Doctrine

and break up the media monopolies.

Since the Democrats took over Congress last year, I've been of the mind that their time will be too limited to pursue impeachment.

Since then, I've come to realize that is bullshit. There is a Constitutional remedy for incompetent, criminal leadership, and it needs to be applied. Remember "there is a cancer on the Presidency"? Now, we have an ebola virus on the Presidency!

Going hand in hand with that, we need a real media again, that reports the real news that Americans need to hear.

I am not a very vindictive man, but I want to see justice. Not just *; Rove, Cheney, Rice, Gonzales, Rumsfeld, and all the other ones, big and little, who have resigned and scurried away like cockroaches in the light.

I still remember the little piece of shit who thinks he's a man promising to bring "honor and integrity" back to the White House... Right.

Ok, end of rant, back to work.

[Demeter]

2. Twenty-Two Things We Desperately Need

A Constitutional Convention to fix the holes that the Federalist Society found or that BushCo drilled in the Constitution. Our Founding Fathers never conceived of the Big Lie, or the Faith-based bullshit, and therefore couldn't plan barriers against them.

A tamper-proof election system, from start to finish, that eliminates all voting barriers, is transparent and verifiable, and is proportional in its results. And doesn't cost the earth.

A National Truth Commission, with trials (unlike South Africa's). There will be no reconciliation with the pirates who sought to destroy our government.

An immediate cutoff of money, support, and cronies of Blackwater, fundies, etc, etc. Cancel their government contracts and get them out of the public feeding trough.

A national health care single payer system--adequately and automatically funded.

Ditto public education from daycare through college.

Worker's rights legislation including paid vacations, paid sick leave, family time, rights to organize collective bargaining, and worker ownership of company stock and voting rights.

Rebuild and redefine the National Guard so that these volunteers are never abused and mistreated and wasted again.

Rebuild and redefine the regulatory and protective agencies like FDA, EPA, OSHA, FEC, FBI, CIA so that there are NO political appointees below Cabinet level. Reinstitute the Civil Servant provisions of government employment.

Rebuild a very small US military, one that can defend the embassies, but not take over countries. If war is declared, then a draft goes in effect. And get the women soldiers away from the predators!

I'm sure there are more, but I cannot think that fast this early in the morning. Add to the list as you see fit!

[frogcycle]

3. first and foremost

for democracy to survive, the electorate MUST have more than six brain cells per person, and MUST NOT think a presidential election is an episode of American Idol.

People need to take Civics in high school, and need to actually understand how the government works.

They need to realize that "who would you rather have a beer with?" is NOT a qualifier for the most powerful position in the world.

And lastly, we need an actual free press, reporting facts, shunning "spin." Crap like the swiftboaters should not get the endless play that is does on media outlets passing themselves off as news. It can be aired on commercial outlets that identify their affiliations, sure. If the RNC wants to buy a cable outlet and pump crap out 24x7, that is their right. But it must NOT be able to be masked by R Murdoch as "news."

There is plenty more to address the remedies needed to correct the damage when the system breaks down and invader species take over, but the critical part is to prevent their getting in.

Just as the so-called democracies the US has tried to start have backfired by electing bad guys, we have allowed our own to do the same. Democracy is complicated, and fragile. Complacency is its worst enemy.