Sounding the alarm

Here's another example of an American sounding the alarm and having, sadly, essentially no effect. The article is entitled, "The end of 'unalienable rights'" and it's by Robert Parry. Here's how it gets started:

Every American school child is taught that in the United States, people have "unalienable rights," heralded by the Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Supposedly, these liberties can't be taken away, but they are now gone.

Today, Americans have rights only at George W. Bush's forbearance. Under new legal theories - propounded by Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito and other right-wing jurists - Bush effectively holds all power over all Americans.

He can spy on anyone he wants without a court order; he can throw anyone into jail without due process; he can order torture or other degrading treatment regardless of a new law enacted a month ago; he can launch wars without congressional approval; he can assassinate people whom he deems to be the enemy even if he knows that innocent people, including children, will die, too.

Under the new theories, Bush can act both domestically and internationally. His powers know no bounds and no boundaries.

Bush has made this radical change in the American political system by combining what his legal advisers call the "plenary" - or unlimited - powers of the Commander in Chief with the concept of a "unitary executive" in control of all laws and regulations.

Yet, maybe because Bush's assertion of power is so extraordinary, almost no one dares connect the dots. After a 230-year run, the "unalienable rights" - as enunciated by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the Founding Fathers - are history.

Later in the article, Parry reminds us of this reality:

Another example of Bush's assertion of his supremacy over laws enacted by Congress came in December 2005 when he signed Sen. John McCain's amendment barring cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees in U.S. custody.

Bush then issued a so-called "signing statement" that reserved his right to ignore the law."

The Executive Branch shall construe [the torture ban] in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary Executive Branch and as Commander in Chief and consistent with the constitutional limitations on the judicial power," the signing statement read.

In other words, since Bush considers his commander-in-chief authority boundless, he can waive the torture ban whenever he wants, making it virtually meaningless.

And still later says this:

So far, the major U.S. news media and leading Democrats have closed their eyes to the totality of Bush's claims to unprecedented Executive power. Senate Democrats have even shied away from threatening to filibuster Bush's Supreme Court nomination of Samuel Alito, one of the legal architects of the Imperial Presidency.

One of the few political leaders who has sounded the alarm is former Vice President Al Gore, who addressed the issue in a speech on Jan. 16, the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr."

An Executive who arrogates to himself the power to ignore the legitimate legislative directives of the Congress or to act free of the check of the judiciary becomes the central threat that the Founders sought to nullify in the Constitution - an all-powerful Executive too reminiscent of the King from whom they had broken free," Gore said.

A few days ago an acquaintance of mine said that earlier he had thought I was wrong about George Bush. These days this person is horrified by what Bush is doing. Now, he says, he wants a bumper sticker that says, "Impeach King George!"

Now we just need more people to change their minds.