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I think the smirk is permanent, callista. Sadly, the fact that Bush is a

f**king moron has absolutely nothing to do with the ideology he has espoused, promoted and controlled by Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowicz, and others, then emplaced as doctrine. The increased centralization of power in the executive branch has been ongoing since Nixon, increased its popularity in the cult of Reagan, then became an actuality with Bush. Bush has been the figurehead, the salesman. He has the titular and true power, but the ideas have never been his, nor do I think he really understands the ideology. It's a belief system for him, taken on faith, just like the god that told him to invade Iraq...

posted by saul_relative on March 11, 2008 at 7:19 PM | link to this | reply

Thanks for this whole page of reads, and more for the comments,

you have stated it so much better than i ever could . What is really scary is that such a man as bush, probably going down as the least intelligent president we have ever had could pull the wool over so many american eyes. What exactly does that say about the american people. I hope to see the day when i see a picture of bush without the smirk.

posted by callista22001 on March 9, 2008 at 8:23 PM | link to this | reply

I don't see it as a conundrum, Naut. What we allow in the name of fear

is going to make us a more controlled populace. It already has. A press that holds stories, journalists being jailed, administration officials breaking the law at will and being pardoned, government officials outing intelligence officers, endangering projects and lives, people renditioned for being suspected, people illegally detained and refused due process -- the list goes on forever.

September 11 was a well-planned fluke. Bush and the bobbleheads, using fear tactics and brute force, have established themselves as a dictatorial monarchy. They've done what they want without any oversight. Refuse to cooperate because of national security or because he's commander-in-chief. Not of me or any American citizen, EXCEPT those in the military, but he uses it to justify what he does. Congress and the Supreme Court have abdicated their responsibilities of checking the executive office. That has got to be stopped and much of what he's done has to be reversed by the next president or the United States will slowly slip toward a democratic state no better than Russia or Venezuela -- a democracy in name only.

posted by saul_relative on March 9, 2008 at 10:34 AM | link to this | reply

Unfortunately, majestic, "Rendition" is a fictitious account of actual

events. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but when Dubya got the power the suspend habeas corpus (through the unPatriot Act) and label people enemy noncombatants that could be held indefinitely (a power not granted by the Constitution or Congress or the American people), then sent many of those so labeled to Europe and Guantanamo, some which are still being held, our Constitution and our way of life had taken a massive hit for which Bush should have been impeached. Then he illegally authorized the warrantless wiretapping and surveillance of American citizens (even after given broader FISA limits by Congress) and still refuses to cooperate with oversight committees on who they surveilled -- another case for impeachment. Then there's that illegal war in Iraq started because Dubya had to show the world he was tougher than his daddy. That sonofabitch and his henchmen, because of 9/11, have arrogated far too much power onto the office of the presidency and would have been booted out of office, probably even imprisoned, if it had happened in, say, the 70's.

We're allowing way too much infringement on our Constitution in the name of fear. Bush should have been impeached years ago. That he's still president is a testament to what Americans will allow. Accountability, responsibility, and ethical action has never been part of this administration.

posted by saul_relative on March 9, 2008 at 10:26 AM | link to this | reply

Indeed, sam...

posted by saul_relative on March 9, 2008 at 10:13 AM | link to this | reply

Then I'm doing something right, Kayzzaman...

posted by saul_relative on March 9, 2008 at 10:13 AM | link to this | reply

The eternal conundrum, saul...

posted by Nautikos on March 9, 2008 at 5:39 AM | link to this | reply

This soooooo reminded me of a movie I saw called "Rendition" with Reese Witherspoon. An Egyptian-born man (Omar Metwally) is sent to some un-told North African country where torture is practiced. The CIA is who approved it. They staged it as if the man had just never gotton on his plane for his original flight home. Deleted him from the airline's system etc. Politics, politics. By the way, from what I gather, the guy had a similar name to a terrorist, and in the wrong place at the wrong time!!!!