Elliot D. Cohen: Would A Dictator Graciously Relinquish Power?

On 11/9/06 retiring Secretary Rumsfeld said, in answer to a question, "We need context." What he meant was that the story he and other neocons had told, about Iraq and the GWOT was too old and frayed to work anymore, hence the outcome of the election.

But Democrats need a new story at least as badly.They need a story they can agree upon. Everyone knows now that Iraq is not about "winning," which apparently meant "transforming the Middle East" into American-style "democracies."

Democrats need a story that explains what has happened, both in Iraq and in this country. So, what would the new story consist of? First of all, it should be based on the findings of the various investigations that are sure to begin in January, once the new Democratic Congress is in session.

However, I have a suggestion to begin to make sense, not only of the war, and why it took place, but also an explanation for most Bush Administration policies. The explanation also includes an implied strategy for combating them, now that the US electorate has finally gotten the message that these guys in Washington were not working for them.

The invasion of Iraq (as with the tax cuts, the wiretapping, media monopoly, etc.) sprung from the over-weening dominance of an isolated, greedy and purposely blinded cabal, a narrow ruling class much like the one that drove the Roman Empire to destruction in 476.

If you look at Republican policies through this lens, it will all come together: what their "context" really provided was expansive opportunities for a very small class of people to rip off more and more of both US and world resources for their own enrichment. The election hinged on Iraq and corruption, but the two are really interchangeable.

If "the people" can be made aware of this, then even the tax cuts (now still supported by a majority) will be seen for what they are.

Here is my point: without a new story, Democrats will not be able to legislate a program that will make much difference, and their majority will be ephemeral. We'll go back to Greed is Good, imperialism is good, dictatorship (as in the powers provided in the Military Commissions Act) is good. And we'll continue to march towards 476, a process I detail on my website.

Douglas
http://www.roman-empire-america-now.com

Vigilance is the order of the day.

I sincerely hope that new generations of Americans, whether born here or naturalized, have learned the lesson of 1776.

Democracy cannot be simply set on automatic pilot, while we are all busy with our rabid productivity or waiting for the next big Hollywood breakup to be aired as "Breaking News."

If the thugs in the White House have done half of what we all know damned well they have done, does anyone really think they are going to stand still for what's coming?

I don't think it would be wise to believe that for one minute.

Look what it has taken to win an election. According to Greg Palast, who blew the whistle on the 2000 election theft, over 4 million votes were washed out before the first vote was ever cast and the Dems still took the majority. Imagine what a landslide it would have been otherwise.

Nevertheless, all of that hard work can be brought to naught in we return to our own little worlds. Besides, what have we accomplished so far, swapping the NeoCons (aka. "fucking crazies") for the "Iran/Contra/Central Americn death squads" thugs.

This election is only the first step of a very long journey back from the abyss.

Could Shrub and the Gang be so foolish? If so, how long before the military has had enough and takes things into their own hands? Dubya maybe dumb as a post, but his puppet masters aren't. They know well enough what happens when that pendulum swings to far in such a direction, and ultimately whose necks will be noosed as a result.

In that light, enjoy this entertaining live tune by Todd Snider about our esteemed Decider-in-Chief.

F*ck George Bush Like His Dad Did (mp3)

Enjoy...and good luck!

I totally agree. I do think they tried to steal this election but somehow it didn't work. I also wonder why we were allowed to win. WHen I look back over my adult life I wonder just how many republicans were really our presidents? I think our new speaker was right to take impeachment off the table. Not that I don't want to see him impeached but he is very dangerous. when I look at the anger when anyone crosses king george, uncle Dickie, Condi and their little henchmen I am afraid. I am more afraid of them then terrorists. My question is why do they hate us so much?

Whew! It's over. Lots now to be done.
But think of the money spent and the
lies told. Double whew! Maybe a moment
to lighten up would be a help? Here is
my contribution to relieving the stress.

MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES AFTER AN ELECTION

Hey diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The donkey jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed,
To see such sport,
And Haliburton ran away with all the silverware!

Baa, baa, black box,
Have you any votes?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three big totes.
One for the Master,
And one for the Dame,
And none for the little twerp
Who lives down the lane.

Girlie men are now passe,
Bipartisanship, it rules the day;
But what we ask both day and night,
Is Arnie left or is he right?

All around the Dubya Bush,
The donkey chased the weasel.
The donkey thought 'twas all in fun.
Pop! goes the weasel.

Funky Frilly Foley,
Runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs,
In his nightgown,
Rapping at the window,
Crying through the lock,
"Are the pages in their beds,
For now it's ten o'clock?"

Birds of a feather flock together,
And so will pigs and swine;
Rats and mice will have their choice,
But the Elephants have begun to whine.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,
Baker's my man,
Make me a policy
As fast as you can;
Slick it and twist it,
And mark it with T,
And shove it in the Congress
For Cheney and me.

Kerry, Kerry, quite contrary,
How does your humor grow?
With slips and slops and punch-line drops,
All sitting in a row.

Boys and girls, girls and boys,
Often they make too much noise.
Boys and boys, girls and girls,
The very thought, Dubya's hair curls.

There is no defeat-ta,
That could be any sweet-ta,
Than to see Rick Santorum,
Fail to score 'em!

Georgie Bushie, puddin' and pie,
Kissed the babies and made them cry.
But then the Dems came out to play,
And Georgie Bushie ran away.

Gatesie, Gatesie, mend my war.
Get it done by half past four.
Half past four is much too late!
Get it done by half past eight.

Humpty-Dubya sat on a wall,
Humpty-Dubya had a great fall;
All of Rove's horses and all of his men,
Could not put poor Dubya back up again.

Old King Karl
Had a merry old snarl,
And a merry old snarl had he;
He called up his gripe,
And he called for his tripe,
And he called for his diddlers three.
Each diddler did a diddle,
A big fat diddle,
A very fine diddle did he;
Oh, there's none so rare,
As can compare,
With Karl and his diddlers three!

Higglety, pigglety, my red pen,
It cuts the taxes of gentlemen.
Gentlemen come here every day,
To see what my old pen will say.
Sometimes nine, and sometimes ten,
Higglety, pigglety, my red pen,

There was an old Lieberman.
Who lived in a shoe;
He had so many opponents,
He didn't know what to do;
He gave them some fluff,
Without any bread,
And whipped them all soundly,
And put them to bed.

Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!
I smell the blood of a liberal bum.
Be he 'live, or be he dead,
I'll change his vote to mine instead.

There was a crooked congressman,
Who went a crooked mile;
He found a crooked sixpence,
Against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked pollster,
Who spun a crooked tale;
And now they live together,
In a little crooked jail.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,
Catch a voter by the toe.
If he hollers let him go,
-- But not until he has voted a straight party ticket.

"The image of the Bush administration declaring Martial Law is not one any of us would care to entertain."

Agreed. I've been non-entertained by that waking nightmare -- GWB declaring martial law and anointing himself dictator -- almost since GWB took office. It all shows not only in the groundwork he and his scaly sidekicks have already laid for declaring martial law, but in the psychology of Bush, which is shared with the scalies.

GW Bush is a pathological narcissist who lives for himself, serves only himself, and considers himself above all laws. It's the psychology of a dictator. Pathological narcissists go ballistic when anyone dares criticize them. We all know by now how GWB reacts to criticism. Now he's been criticized by the citizenry of the US. I can't help but feel that the would-be and erstwhile global emperor is now plotting revenge on those -- you and me and everyone else who voted Democratic -- who dared stand up to his narcissism.

"A wild animal, cornered, is not safe to approach." -- Gandalf, referring to Saruman, in Lord of the Rings by Tolkien

If bush got on television today and said the sun would rise in the East tomorrow I would wake-up looking to the West.

The duplicity of these people has no bounds. And it scares me to no end as to what they will do if cornered. For if the American people were to become aware of a fraction of the crimes they've committed they would stand-up to a man and tear down the walls of this insidiously, corrupt criminal organization and drag them to the Hague kicking and screaming to be tried for crimes against humanity.

There is indeed much to mistrust about state power. Then again, that mistrust was the organizing principle of American governance. Jefferson thought that the best security of personal liberty was a farm and a gun. We should have kept the farms. We still have the guns. If they give tyrants pause, maybe they are worth what they cost us in blood.