Constitution in Crisis by Eva Knapp

The Bush administration’s abuse of power has reached epic proportions. For six years, they’ve foisted their rapacious policies on the country, launched savage attacks on their opposition, and “classified” everything that could shed light. They are hardliners who regard the Constitution irrelevant - their secrecy is downright creepy - and the more we learn the worse it gets.

9/11 provided the smokescreen for their will to power and their “new world order” policies. The neo-cons’ 2000 ‘global Pax Americana’ blueprint called first for dominance in the Middle East - beginning with “regime change in Iraq” (this has a familiar ring). Their moment had come, and the “WMD scam” was a perfect fit.

Whipping up a miasma of fear and anxiety, we were admonished to buy duct tape and report “suspicious behavior.” The media lent accompaniment with their war extravaganza, and we were transformed into xenophobic shoppers.

What a difference four years make. The palpable truth is upon us. Unspeakable death and mayhem have been unleashed on the people of a country that posed no threat to us. The Bill of Rights has been systematically subverted - we’re less safe, less free - and we’ve been lied to every step of the way.

Their malfeasance is staggering: pre-emptive war, rejection of habeas corpus, illegal searches, secret wiretapping, human rights violations, secret military tribunals, torture, violations of treaties and international law. We’ve lost our respect and legitimacy in the world - reviled as a hypocritical, lawless bully.

A PEW survey says, “…Anti-Americanism is deeper and broader now than at any time in modern history…On matters of international security, the rest of the world has become deeply suspicious of US motives and openly skeptical of its word.” This is not the people’s America. This is a military/corporate empire gone amuck.

Our Constitution – the undisputed world standard for equality and justice under the law - has been routinely compromised and with little debate. Consider the provision tucked inside the 2006 defense budget giving the president power to declare martial law in response to: natural disaster, disease outbreak, terrorist attack, or “any other condition.” Add this power grab to The Patriot Act (which has little to do with terrorism and everything to do with overreaching executive power) and the nightmare is more ominous.

We’re now in dark uncertain waters – so much lost, so much spent. But, worst of all, the fear mongering and the siege mentality that brought us here were calculated constructs of the Bush administration.

After 9/11, there was world-wide expression of sympathy and good will. One million people in the streets of Tehran marched in support of our country. With wise and diligent governance, this horrific event could have brought global solidarity against extremism and terrorism. But the Bush administration seized a different opportunity – one of hubris and power. With unmitigated swagger, they opened Pandora’s Box.

It couldn’t be clearer. The nation is at a crossroads, and the voice of the people has never been more needed. If the argument of power silences us, our country, as we know it, will be gone.

Congress should be served notice. “We’re awake now - and we demand this administration be held accountable.” It’s our patriotic duty, indeed, our sacred duty, to redress their egregious deeds and give the world reason to respect and trust us again.

Seneca 2 sponsored award-winning investigative reporter Dave Lindorff who spoke on his latest book, authored with Barbara Olshansky, The Case for Impeachment: Legal Arguments for Removing President George W. Bush from Office (St. Martin’s Press, 2006) on June 4th.

Lindorff, a two-time Fulbright Scholar, is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and received a B.A. in Chinese from Wesleyan University. He’s authored four books, is a regular columnist for CounterPunch and writes for Extra, Salon, The Nation, among others. In the mid-90’s, he was a correspondent in Hong Kong and China for Businessweek.

His lecture was free and open to the public. Many concerned people attended.