The consequences of not pursuing justice

[MadHound]

Back in 1974 there was finally a movement going on, a movement to pursue justice no matter what. The Nixon administration had gone way over the boundaries, and both Democrats and Republicans were screaming that he be brought to justice. A special prosecutor was appointed, Congressional hearings were televised, heads started to roll. There was truly a sense that corruption would be cleared out of our government, once and for all, top to bottom.

Then Nixon resigned. There were calls for the prosecution to continue, but then Ford stepped in and pardoned Nixon. This effectively shut down the various investigations, leaving behind the "small fry" the guys who we didn't know at the time, yet these were the ones who did the dirty work. These guys were let off the hook, free to continue with their lives. And boy did they ever. One, Dick Cheney, went on to commit massive atrocities, crimes that he still needs to answer for. Rumsfeld, well we're still cleaning up his mess'

So jump ahead to today. We've gotten rid of Bush, Cheney and the rest, but we're not bringing them to justice. Nor does it look like we'll be bringing any of the "small fry" the CIA guys who actually did the dirty work to justice either. Instead we're going to continue to let these crimes fester and rot within the body of our government, allowing these small timers grow in power and influence until thirty years from now, who knows where they'll be or what they'll be doing. Perhaps they'll be the next Cheneyesque "Dark Lord", perhaps they'll be the next director of the CIA who advocates for even more torture. We simply don't know.

But what we do know, what we should have learned from the past is that leaving the rotten fruit in place to continue to decay simply means that the entire barrel will eventually spoil along with it. That's what happened after Watergate, that's what will happen with these torture cases, that's why we need to fully prosecute these people now. No excuses.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Let me add Iran Contra to the list

of missed oportunities

[PDJane]

2. beat me to the punch. eom

[stillcool]

3. Why would our government behave..

any differently than it has for generations? I think it is so ironic that the Nuremberg Trials keep on being brought up, when the Bush patriarch got his start to amassing great wealth through his ties with the Nazi's.

[MadHound]

4. All the more reason our government needs to be cleaned out

If Bush the Elder had to face justice concerning Iran Contra, we wouldn't have had his son reach the White House. If the investigation into the Nixon administration had followed through and continued, we wouldn't have had Cheney or Rumsfeld to kick us around and get us into an illegal, immoral war.

[stillcool]

5. And if there had been no....

Morgans, Rothchilds, Rockefellers, DuPont's, Harrimans, Browns...to ensure that there would be no prosecutions..oh what a world it would be.

[MadHound]

6. So, what's your alternative?

Simply let justice go by the board, let this country sink under ever increasing waves of corruption and lawlessness in our government? We have to start somewhere, and here, with the issue of torture, seems like as good as place as any, actually better than most since it is so clear cut.

If we don't do anything, we might as well kiss the US as we knew and loved it goodbye.

[stillcool]

7. Justice? What kind of justice..

do the people of this country deserve? The illusion of justice meant to soothe any discomfort about the role our government has played in the death and destruction to the people of the world for generations? We will get that soothing delusional justice. And we will continue to be exactly what we are. A self-righteous, arrogant, psychotic, sick society, that incarcerates more people than any other place on the globe, and does it with zeal. How's that for justice? A country sub-standard in every way, but militarily. Rah, Rah, Rah!! Our government represents industry. Our military protects industry. Our intelligence agencies act on behalf of industry. And yet, somehow prosecution of some low-level administration flunkies will bring about 'justice'. God forbid anyone attempt to seek incremental change in how our government policies affect us.