Published at OpedNews.
Joe Giambrone
Every time the word “bipartisan” makes it to print the world suffers. When the two rival political syndicates line up in a row in favor of something, it’s because their masters feel so strongly about the issue that all other concerns are bulldozed away. The American people are not those “masters,” not by any stretch of fantasy.
Bipartisan deals brought us the Iraq War resolution, the Patriot Act, the continuation of Guantanamo Gulag and infinite drone warfare, the naked aggression and support for terrorists in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and elsewhere, as well as the permission to spy on, disappear and/or execute American citizens without due process. Bipartisan handshakes erased the right to peaceably assemble and had the Occupy protests beaten, sprayed and hauled off into oblivion. Bipartisan backroom conversations arranged untold trillions of dollars to banksters, all with the promise of future payments by America’s grandchildren and their grandchildren too.
In 2006 the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) told us that, “Impeachment is off the table.” This low point in the modern history of that criminal protection racket known as the US Congress sent a clear message to the world: presidential crimes are okay in this new America 2.0. It didn’t matter if the list of criminal charges from Representative Kucinich were true or not. The Democratic leadership, in an obvious deal to ignore violations of the Constitution in violation of their own oaths of office, gave a free pass to the Bush regime to continue its policies unmolested, no matter how illegal or immoral they happened to be.
That was bipartisanship.
It was next arranged that the top Democratic contender for the presidency would share this view of presidential power, the protection of war criminals and the cover-up and classification of state crimes. Enter Barack Obama, a bipartisan wet dream for four years. Barack told us how he would “look forward” rather than back at the torture, unlawful surveillance and wars of aggression launched by his predecessor. Barack’s Justice (sic) Department wasn’t so blinkered and narrowed in scope when it came to crucial whistleblowers, however. For those leaking the evidence of state crimes, like John Kriakou (CIA), William Binney (NSA) and of course Private Bradley Manning (US ARMY), Mr. Obama has easily made exceptions to his “forward” looking posture. Documentarian Robert Greenwald is currently exposing Obama’s War on Whistleblowers.
Mr. Obama’s forward-looking zealotry applies only when it suits his imperial expansion agenda. And lo and behold, that imperial project has always been the ultimate US bipartisan endeavor. Even in the era of Harry Truman (D), we have “policy planning” at the US State Department that is clear, unequivocal and patently immoral and at odds with the lofty rhetoric of politicians at podiums.
“[The US Government] should stop putting ourselves in the position of being our brothers’ keeper and refrain from offering moral and ideological advice. We should cease to talk about vague and—for the Far East—unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better.
We should recognize that our influence in the Far Eastern area in the coming period is going to be primarily military and economic. We should make a careful study to see what parts of the Pacific and Far Eastern world are absolutely vital to our security, and we should concentrate our policy on seeing to it that those areas remain in hands which we can control or rely on.”
–Memo PPS23, George Kennan, Head of the US State Department Policy Planning Staff. Written February 28, 1948, (emphasis added)
America is not a democratic republic, and is blatantly not a champion of democracy around the globe, as children are indoctrinated to believe. America is a brutal, global military empire that has steadily expanded its reach and “action capabilities” since World War 2. Many millions of casualties across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South and Central America have piled up in the post WW2 period, thanks in large part to US taxpayers. With the creation of the “National Security State” in 1948 the US set out on a path of securing its insatiable roster of “interests” in every corner of the globe. Using its secretive covert capabilities, such as the CIA, Special Forces, SEAL teams and contracted mercenaries, this centuries-long project was, and remains, a clearly “bipartisan” affair.
So is Congressional Gridlock the Only Hope?
Imperial control strategy, which dates back to at least the Roman Empire, posits a divide and conquer method (“Divide et impera”). Keeping the enemies fighting amongst themselves weakens them and allows the controlling interest to strengthen. This idea may have some relevance to the current situation with the US Congress.
As complex as modern politics can be, the two sided beast can be set on itself, with resulting self-immolation. This may be the only chance the population has in the short term, as it seeks to oust the corrupt from high offices, presuming enough of the population is actually interested in doing so.
I’ve smiled more than once these past few days, now that Obama no longer gets a free pass in the media. After turning his unlawful powers on the Associated Press, he instantly alienated and struck fear into the hearts of the formerly cowed, compliant stenography corps that had ignored so much criminality for so long. If the crimes of Barack are fair game, then the world gets a reprieve. If impeachment moves forward, the spectacle will distract these Mafiosos for at least a year.
It seems the more damage these Congress Clowns can inflict on each other, the less they can harm the common people like you and I. They can only accomplish so much at a time. We may be spared the Trans Pacific Partnership, more internet censorship, more “free trade” job export deals, more bankster bailouts, more armored troop carriers in the streets and more wars of criminal aggression, at least for a little while.
If the tipping point is reached and lying becomes an impeachable offense again, as with William J. Clinton, then the gloves may come off. Each side may seek to bloody the other in an ever escalating tit for tat that leads to a flood of resignations, criminal charges and perhaps even a glimpse of that mythical Unicorn called “justice.”
No, I’m not that naïve. But it is nice to dream.
Joe Giambrone publishes Politcal Film Blog (@polfilmblog), and here’s a Hell of a Deal.
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