Where's the Outrage?

I read a bumper sticker today that said, “If you’re not outraged then you’re not paying attention”. How fitting for the times, huh?

It made me think about the last few years, what occurred under the last Administration -and Dick Cheney in particular. You know, the first VP who became President the day after 9/11. Oh, I thought of George Bush too but it appears now that after almost 9 years what we have learned about the former Vice President is that he was the central power source for sacrificing so much of our nations ideals, values -and Constitution. How could so much happen in such a short period of time- right under our noses? I started wondering why is it that Americans don’t seem to get outraged any more.

And I’m not talking about rage as seen all over the cable networks… There is a clear distinction. I’m talking about good old - fashioned outrage at injustice, wrongdoing and the abuse of power and principles by our elected officials.

Dick Cheney. Here’s a guy who it appears actually committed crimes from the Office of the Vice President-and was just recently out in full force making the lecture and talk show circuits fiercely defending his disastrous policies and bellowing ominous warnings of the current administrations foreign policy. So unclassy.

It’s obvious the former VP has no intention of slipping quietly into a nice post “serving my country at its highest level” retirement but instead over the last 10 months, has chosen to keep his mug in the news. Just today there was a quick sound bite on the mainstream media- news about another misdeed he engaged in whilst reigning over America. Something about newly revealed torture photos at Guantanamo… sigh.

He is a constant reminder of how things went very, very badly for our country and I for one hope he sticks around.

Disturbingly, he has groomed and unleashed his daughter Liz, an adorable chip off Papa’s block, out on to the national stage to further his defense and policies. The word on the street is she was seen meeting with a Political Consulting Firm last weekend and –this week she and fellow war hawk and editor of the Weekly Standard, Bill Kristol unveiled a new non-profit, “Keep America Safe.” A front organization with a snazzy patriotic sounding name for the failed Neo Con, pro-war, pro-torture policies of her father-and what a handy public launching of her political career too.

Dick Cheney’s been called all sorts of unflattering names... and I'm much too polite to mention most of them here. But the most popular nickname by far that seems to have adhered amongst his un supporters in the vast blogoshere and print media is that of the Dark Lord of the Sith, “Darth Vader”. Cheney himself even joked affectionately about his new surname and said, “It’s one of the nicer names I’ve been called.” Can’t argue with that Dick…but it’s been way overused.

Maybe it’s because I was never much of a Star Wars fan but I don't agree that this is the best characterization for the former Veep. I get the evil dark hooded analogy and all… but he reminds me more of the loathsome and classic villain, Henry F. Potter in Frank Capra's, It's a Wonderful Life.

I know. I’m drawing on movies again but one cannot help notice the remarkable similarities between Cheney and Potter.

I’m not the only person to see the striking physical resemblance either. The web is full of photos comparing Cheney at Obama's Inauguration (remember when an disabled Cheney was wheeled out in a wheelchair, cane in one hand and wearing a Fedora) and old Potter in his wheelchair in the end of the film. He truly resembles Lionel Barrymore who portrayed Potter (beak like nose, liver spots and menacing scowl) and you have to admit each is indeed heartless, cold, apathetic and downright EVIL. The clincher though -like the ruthless banker of Bedford Falls who steals money and shatters George Bailey's life, Dick Cheney also never receives justice for his crimes.

Frank Capra Jr. and his wife lived here in Santa Barbara years ago. His daughter was a friend of my twin girls and they had many play dates in grade school. Apparently, Frank Capra Jr.’s father was besieged with complaints after the release of his film about the fact that Potter never got his comeuppance. I agree. Though the movie was wonderfully heartwarming, what is true redemption in the "movie world" if justice isn't served to the villain?

So, fast forward from Capra’s Bedford Falls to the post 9/11 world. Admittedly, Cheney's crimes are certainly darker and indeed more dangerous in nature as compared to those of the fictional character Potter. And perhaps the movie villain Potter may be more likable than Cheney. But I can’t help wonder why Americans aren’t outraged and don't seem to want to see justice served to the man who became President the day after 9/11.

I suppose a small thing like leading our country dishonestly to war in Iraq wasn't enough to spark outrage from the masses. And for the first time in our modern history, “we really did it”, the US went to war preemptively.

Let us not forget this important factoid about our government- under the Constitution, Congress, and only Congress has the authority to declare war. I imagine since the Founders who were smart fellows must have thought it was a pretty good idea to have a collective consensus as opposed to giving just one guy all that power.

According to Webster’s, the definition of preemptive: designed or having to deter or prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence, or done to prevent something from happening. Wow.
It’s understandable how “preemptive” might be a shrewd strategy in business or dare I say, relationships but …war? Yes, it is indeed a big bad world we live in and the anticipation of anything (bad) happening is just around the corner. Preventing something …from happening? Something? Perhaps like making “something” up –as in the existence of “weapons of mass destruction”.

The horrific events of 9/11 changed the American Psych forever it is true. But the Neo Con philosophy embraced by a few powerful men, including Cheney led them to make decisions that were unprecedented in our nations history. The critical shift in foreign policy, one of consensus, multilateralism and a forged nato after the Cold War for over four decades to what we have presently with the Bush Doctrine- giving the President of the Unites States not only the authorization to declare war, but to do so unilaterally, without consensus and- preemptively based on a “perceived” threat- is shaky at best.

Wouldn’t it follow that if the US held this policy of “preventing an anticipated situation or occurrence” that other nations would adopt the same? The world may not like us but they could always count on the fact that we would never launch a preemptive strike. Now- not so much.

I guess the Russians decided to take a cue from Cheney's foreign policy because just yesterday Presidential Security Council Chief, Nikolai Patrushev, announced that Moscow now reserves the right to conduct preemptive nuclear strikes to safeguard the country against aggression. He went on to single out the US and NATO and stated that the Cold War foes still pose a potential threat. Nuclear? Gee, I feel much safer don’t you? Thank you Dick and your administration for helping to make the world a better, more- trusting place.

It’s not like the US hasn’t flirted with the option of a preemptive war before. Kennedy was but a sliver away from launching a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. He didn’t. And the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba. Some say Kennedy lost his life due to this decision. But that’s for another blog….

Dick Cheney was spawned from a previous era of corruption and deception- The Nixon years, and this fact should not escape attention. He learned from the best as a young protégé way back when as an aide in the Nixon White House…but the list of egregious things he did in office make Nixon look like a pussycat.

Among his achievements that will define President Cheney’s legacy: sold an unjust and unwarranted war to the American Public and Congress, pioneered and authorized the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" known to anyone humane as "torture", directed the CIA to hide anti terror programs from Congress, seemed to believe the office of the VP was exempt from any or all culpability because he officially presided over the Senate, participated in the Executive Branch of government manipulating the Justice Dept as if that branch answered to the Executive. Which included influencing the laws written by the Legal Dept to legitimize the holding of non -citizen “enemy combatants” for an indefinite period of time, and wire-tapping of Americans without a court order. Facilitating (and the cover up of) the leak of a CIA operative, Valerie Plame because he didn't like the criticism (or truth) he was receiving from that operative's husband, Joe Wilson. I won’t bore you with the finer points of how he and Bush systematically attempted to dismantle the Constitution and suspend Americans' writ of Habeas Corpus, um… you know, that important legal instrument we inherited from the Magna Carta and the Brits for the safeguarding of individual freedom from arbitrary “state” action”.

These things happened. And now they are recorded in the annals of history.

Outrage anyone?

I recently read that after the Kent State tragedy in 1970 1.5 million anti-Vietnam War student protesters basically shut down over 1200 college campuses across the nation. A fifth of the country’s colleges and universities! It was the most massive protest in US history. Ever.
Geesh, Nixon was quaking in his boots, and was whisked off to Camp David for safety, fearing the long -haired “bums” would start a revolution and overthrow the government. His paranoia even led him to order special White House Council to oversee Political Dissent in the US. Interesting… what is it with Republicans keeping tabs on Americans?

Nixon's infamous line says it all doesn’t it? "When the president does it, it's not illegal." Tricky Dick Cheney took a page straight from Tricky Dick Nixon’s playbook.
Cheney’s motto, which he recently expressed to Chris Wallace of Fox News: No one is above the Law except the people above the Law who shouldn’t be questioned because it is obvious that they are serving a greater good.

So where are the 1.5 million students who are now full-fledged boomers who managed to scare the pants off of Nixon? Nixon at least had to resign from office because of the Watergate Scandal. Humiliation is a powerful punishment. Cheney, whose unjust war cost 85,000 Iraqi lives and over 4000 American soldiers lives- nothing.

Yes, there were many Americans who protested the Iraq war, and there were many who saw through the deception and in the case of Cheney, the lies and knew in their gut it was wrong. Wrong in policy and wrong morally.

So, why were there not millions and millions shouting from the mountaintops about the injustice of this particular war and the actions of this particular administration? Shouldn’t Bush and Cheney have been quaking in their boots?????
And more importantly, where are they now? Demanding this administration investigate the crimes and misdeeds over the last 8 years. Weren’t their actions far more deplorable than Nixon’s?

And the final slap in the complacent face of America? Liz Cheney, a younger, feminine but no less calculating version of Pops presently keeping those same atrocious policies of alive and well. Chilling.

We know everything changed the day after 9/11 when Dick Cheney became President: policies of preemptive war, mandatory regime change, approval of torture from the top, The Patriot Act and its host of violations of the Constitution, flouting the Geneva Conventions and the Rule of Law.

Cheney and his Neo Con cronies, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfawitz and Richard Perle (both policy makers over at the Defense Dept at the time) along with David Frum exerted the greatest influence over our President at the time. A creepy Neo Conservative, pro war and pro oil, philosophy rooted in Jewish -Christian Zionism and American Exceptionalism, (translated) World Dominance now had the opportunity to be tested thanks to the events of 9/11.

I read Richard Perle’s book, An End to Evil, how to Win the War on Terror, back when the Iraq war broke out. Pearle’s book laid out the case rather convincingly just how the US should conduct a war on terror and the actions that were justifiable in doing so. This premise that the United States not only had the right but the obligation to engage in preemptive strikes and topple evil regimes in defending our country was now a necessity. Also vital to our freedom was the notion that the US had a duty to spread Democracy throughout the world with the use of our military. This was especially imperative in the Middle East.

Yes, we have a new President, elegant, smart and articulate. One who has promised change and gives us hope. But we are seeing how campaigning and governance are two very distinct operations.

Without the outrage on the part of the American people to stand up for what is right change will never happen. Without the masses making sure it does.
And when those who are elected to high office, violate our principles, commit crimes or engage in wrongdoing and they don’t receive their comeuppance, it doesn’t serve America well.

Recently I caught an old ABC interview of Cheney. He was overseas in the Middle East. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Vote2008/story?id=4481249&page=1
In the interview he’s hunched forward, classic Potter/Cheney, smirking and talking out the side of his mouth. When reminded by the interviewer that 2/3 of Americans were opposed to the Iraq War. Real life villain Cheney answers diabolically, “So?”

It reminded me of the vile Henry Potter in one of the last scenes of the movie, mocking George Bailey in his moment of darkness and anguish "Why George, you're worth more dead than alive.

Like that bumper sticker that so clearly reminds us… we must not be paying attention. We should start.