A Slow Surrender

On this Memorial Day weekend, I want to reflect on the posture of our current leadership. Their method is to instill fear, and reinforce it whenever they are challenged on a questionable policy. They say we are under threat, and therefore must allow the administration to take extraordinary action, even if it leads to erosion of our liberties.

We have even recently heard a White House spokesperson say, out loud, Congress must send bills to the President that he will sign. Anyone who knows even some history will hear the faint echo of tyranny in that statement.

And so, on a day in which we honor those who served in our armed forces, we need to reflect on the current condition of our ship of state. I wonder if my father, who fought in a war that killed 55 million people, would say about our current leadership, and the actions they have taken against our basic principles. He might ask a few questions: If a nation threatened us with invastion or harm if we did not give up our liberties, what would we say? Surely we would say no and resist with all our might. When the Soviet Union aimed 15,000 nukes at us, did we cower and shake? No, we stood proud. Then why do a few criminals who might do us some small amount of damage make our leaders act with such disregard for our principles? Their hysteria is not a good leadership quality, to say the least.

Some will say this is different because we were attacked. Yes, and after we were attacked by Japan (an expansive nation with a powerful fleet) at Pearl Harbor FDR ordered Japanese Americans interned - an action that we later regarded as shameful. Why not look to our British cousins who maintained a steely resolve during the terrible bombing of London by the Nazis, certain that invasion was near at hand. Surely, we are made of the same stuff.

Terrorists can never hope to destroy us with military force. So, if our leaders act to compromise our basic principles, those that are at the essential core of what our nation is, they have failed us and those who we honor today. And, if he were here, my father might ask why would our leaders give up so easily that which his generation fought so valiantly to preserve? I am certain he would be heartbroken.

Let us honor their memory by upholding our principles, the America that was great even before it was a great military power. This appeal to fear, and the undermining our essential character as a nation, is a shameful form of slow surrender.

Tearing the flesh from our body politic

It appears that our system of government is beginning to work. Helped along by the testimony of Deputy Attorney General Comey, it should be apparent to anyone who cares about the rule of law that our executive branch needs to be reined in. They are tearing the flesh from the body politic.

We are way past time that we need assertive action to root out those who would compromise our republican system, and trample on our principles. Now it is time to let the great machinery of checks and balances take its course, but assertively. For those who would trade our heritage for their view of government are not to underestimated.

We may finally see that our leaders understand that, truly, the interests of the nation are more important than advancing those of a party. Those who took the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution need to honor their promise.

Not better late than never

It is with mixed sentiments that I watch George Tenent interviewed on major programs. On the one hand, yet another insider affirms the ideological march to a war by administration apparatchiks that duped the world about the reasons. For anyone paying attention, this is no surprise - but it should send chills in the seat of reason.

We know by now that at the very least the war was justified by cherry-picking intelligence, at worst by intentionally misleading the Congress, the people, the world. For these acts, someone should pay a political price. Our soldiers and our national honor are certainly paying a dear price, as are ordinary Iraqis.

At the same time, what do we make of this insider who went along; who knew how flawed the whole Iraq enterprise was and still trundled forward; and yet did not resign, did not raise an alarm for all to see. At the very least, he could have gone to the Senate intelligence committee and forced the issue. Even Pat Roberts - that administration delayer - may have been stirred to action.

But, no. Another public servant who stands amid the foolhardy, the schemers, the ideologues, the party hacks, and remains silent. To whom is loyalty and duty owed? Is it the president, the party, the political apparatus, the CIA - or the people "from whom all power derives".

George, you work for us, and you let us down. Thanks for telling us how we got into this mess, and who you think got us there. But, it's a bit late - don't you think?