5.  WHOSE CONSTITUTION?
    by Carl Bussjaeger 
    Exclusive to TLE

It occurs to me that the Bushes are one seriously strange family.

Never mind the seemingly hereditary tendency to the sort of megalomania
that induces them to attempt to lord it over everyone else. Let's just look
at their bizarre notions on Constitutional powers and protections. Granted,
the document that made the United States a constitutional republic with
guarantees of individual freedom is quite thoroughly dead. But these folks
did take oaths to obey that Constitution.

Does everyone remember Bush Senior's Operation Just (Be)Cause? George sure
took the concept of dynamic entry to a whole new level that time. Think
about it: King George mounted a military offensive against a foreign
country. Said military forces captured a foreign national - Noriega was the
prez down there, no less - and dragged his butt to the US to stand trial in
a civilian court for actions committed outside of the US. George was pretty
clearly declaring that the jurisdiction of the US Constitution extends
everywhere to everyone.

Bush Junior's administration is perpetuating that fallacy in prosecuting a
Russian programmer for daring to write US-disapproved software in Russia.
Yet this is the same Dubya who claims that a US citizen arrested in
American by civil authorities, who never saw combat against the US, is an
"enemy combatant" not entitled to Constitutional protections
whatsoever (poor ol' Padilla, of course).

blink

So which is it, Mr. Bush? Hmm. If the boy believes that the Constitution is
only for foreigners, it would explain the total disregard Dubya and his
bumbling band of jackbooted thugs have for the Bill of Rights here in
America. But then, why are US soldiers running around in other countries
confiscating arms from peaceable civilians?

Junior doesn't have a clue.

I suppose that this total lack of comprehension of the Constitution also
explains why Dummy.... er, Dubya thinks he has declared war, and that
"enemy combatants" can be held for the duration of the war. And
why he has suspended habeas corpus for citizens.

Frankly, the idea that anyone or organization would even
want the 'right' to initiate force on a global scale is
rather sickening. But the federal government does make that claim in the
Constitution. The only problem for Bushy is that the power to declare war
isn't his; it rests solely in Congress (possibly on the theory of diluting
the guilt).

Fact is, any way you look at it, Bush has violated the Constitution.
Massively. If you want to play the game of government, you should at least
obey your own rules. Dubya cheats. And in the gov-game, that's called
treason.

Okay, you flag-wavers out there. If you believe in this Constitutional
government, then abide by that Constitution. All of it. All of the time.
Enforce it, which happens to mean sending Dubya and his buddies to prison
for their crimes. Alternately, demand that your pet politicians in DC
finally and formally - and publicly - declare that the Constitution is null
and void; that there are no rights, but only temporary privileges to be
doled out at the dissection of the political ruling class, and that power
rest with the first to use it; which is the current operating principle of
the Presidency.

Or you could recognize government for the ever-growing evil monster that it is.
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Copyright 2002 by Carl Bussjaeger. All rights reserved. Permission to
redistribute this article for noncommercial purposes is herewith granted by
the author, provided that it is reproduced unedited, in its entirety,
appropriate credit given, and that the author is informed. (It's an ego
thing; I like to know how far my work gets.)

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