BuzzFlash
presents Southern Style
by Rebecca Knight
October 11, 2002
Crunch Time
Southern
Style
by Rebecca Knight
How are you feeling today about the United States House of Representatives and Senate? How did your representative and senators vote on the Bush war resolution? Are you satisfied with that vote? If not, what do you plan to do about it? What can we do about it? Do we have any voice left in this country? Has the legislative branch caved in and given up too much of its authority? What about oversight? What about balance of powers? What about Congressional authority to declare war? What would our founders be thinking of this grasp for power by the executive branch?
Questions, questions, and more questions. We have a right to ask questions and we have a responsibility to hold our elected officials accountable. That is what we must do. But how to do it is the quandary we face.
The events of the last few weeks as Bush has pounded his war drum have been indescribable. Words fail us as we try to find a rationale that would explain why officials elected to represent us, constitutionally required to represent us, have so easily handed over so many of their responsibilities to the executive branch.
Wait! Could there be a method to this madness? Could our elected officials in the Capitol have had the foresight to think that Bush would take the country to war no matter what they decided? Could they have set him up for failure? Could they possibly have decided to grant authority for him to make war, knowing that the people of this nation in the end would not accept his bullying tactics?
Surely not. Surely that approach is too cynical. Surely they would not send our men and women of the military into harms way for political advantage. Oh, but Mr. Bush would and that is what may bring about his downfall.
When Mr. Bush's war against Iraq begins, most experts believe it will have to be fought on the ground to a certain degree. To overthrow a dictator like Saddam it would have to be fought on the ground. The man apparently has as many as eight or ten doubles. In order to make sure they have gotten the real mad man out of power, it will require up close and personal fighting.
How will Americans respond to our men and women coming home in body bags? How will Americans react to the death and destruction of the people of Iraq? History indicates that it will not be accepted as easily as Mr. Bush may think. Oh, but will that deter Mr. Bush from his maddening push for war? Probably not.
Does the fact that Osama bin Laden, once the target, still eludes our forces have any bearing on Bush's war push? Of course it does. Instead of finishing the task at hand, he merely shifted the focus to Iraq, even though there is still much to be done in Afghanistan. Watch for the same pattern in Iraq, if efforts to get Saddam are as difficult as some believe they could be. Watch for another enemy to focus on. Watch for enemy after enemy to be named. Watch for war after war to be declared. Where and when will the politics of war end?
Just take a look at the resolutions passed by Congress.
HJ
Res. 114 -- http://www.cspan.org/iraq/hjres114.pdf
SJ Res. 45 -- http://www.cspan.org/Iraq/sjres45.pdf
In summary Congress finds that:
- Iraq sponsors international terrorism
- Iraq harbors terrorists
- There
is a "high risk" that Iraq is planning a "surprise attack"
against the United States - Any non-Iraqi terrorists are hereby declared to be Iraqi surrogates
- The
invasion of Iraq is, therefore, hereby found to be
(i) "defensive" and (ii) just part of the "war on terrorism" anyway - Furthermore,
the Congress hereby declares that George W. Bush has
full Constitutional authority to do whatever he pleases, militarily,
just as long as he claims he's doing it for "national security"
reasons. - Pursuant
to this, "national security" is hereby defined to include
the pursuit (by military force and invasion) of "international peace
and security", and such interests will now include the
entire "Persian Gulf region."
Notice that this states THE ENTIRE PERSIAN GULF REGION. Yes, that is the authority Bush has been given. He has been authorized to declare war as he sees fit against any country in the Persian Gulf region.
We have all used the expression: "I never thought I would live to see the day." Precisely. No other expression applies. We never thought we would live to see the day when a president would be granted such unparalleled authority to wage war. It is a disgrace. Congress may rue the day they voted approval of these monstrous resolutions.
We can take satisfaction in only one aspect of this situation. At least Congress managed to scale back what Bush originally asked for, meaning he probably got what he really wanted. That is an old tactic. Go in asking for the stars and the moon, but settle for just the moon because that was the goal all along.
We cannot afford to be disheartened. The mid term elections are only a little more than three weeks away. We have much work to do and little time to do it. We must take pride in the Democrats and Independents who stood against the Bush regime. We must acknowledge their diligence and determination. Senator Robert Byrd was a shining beacon of patriotism during the debate. He should be congratulated. Check out who voted against the resolutions and let them hear from you.
Next we should demand that the debate return to matters of domestic importance. It's the economy. Hey stupid! It's the economy. It's the failing stock market, increasing unemployment, rising prescription medicine costs, cuts in environmental policies, cuts in educational programs, cuts in programs for the needy. This war has to be paid for somehow. It will be paid for through cuts in programs that help the average hard-working American and through astronomical deficit spending and compounding national debt.
These are our issues. These issues should be pounded into the public debate in the next three weeks as never before. Start demanding that of Democrats and Independents right now!
The election we are approaching may very well be one of the most critical in our history. The Democrats need our support. The Democrats MUST keep control of the Senate and regain control of the House. Imagine what we might face should the Republicans control both houses of Congress with Bush in the White House. We already think of him as dictatorial. There would be nothing standing in his way if this election turns in favor of the Republicans.
So, as angry as we may be towards Democrats who voted for the war resolutions, we must put our anger aside and get out the vote for them.
Yes, indeed, it is crunch time!
* * *
Rebecca Knight is a native Tennessean, who grew up in Nashville, and currently resides in a small town near Nashville. Ms. Knight's political awareness evolved through the civil rights movement, the Vietnam era, the Watergate era, and the cold war. The debacle of the 2000 election increased her sense of responsibility for political activism. You may contact Rebecca Knight via e-mail at tennessee_gal655@yahoo.com.
© 2002 by Rebecca Knight
