Vote Of No Confidence in an American President
Not that I have had confidence in this president in the past but I surely have none now. If only our legislative branch could send a vote of no confidence to remove him like other nations, real democracies, where a Parliamentary system is the norm. I'm just an average American with little to be proud of in my current government or it's actions.
My schooling is in Political Science and Philosophy (Political-Philosophy "self-designed" dual-major @ Univ. of Pittsburgh) with many years experience in politics around the country from canvassing on grassroots environmental and consumer rights issues to helping write and critique legislation in NY, TX, and PA on issues from Health care to Clean Air and Water laws. So maybe I'm not that average in the social-economical spectrum since I do know where to get my news and I actually try to stay objective and see how and why things may be as someone says they are until I can't follow their logic any further. After reading many of the greatest minds works of Literature in Politics and Philosophy I hope to one day contribute some knowledge learned and perhaps teach the future as the past has taught me in forming my opinions and reasoning.
Today I find that our country is quickly going down the tubes but not due to the largest terrorist attack on US soil that occurred Sept. 11, 2001 in NY, PA and DC but due to the incompetent leadership our country has at it's reign's. No, our economy has been in trouble for 10 months before this not that that helped matters any it did make it worse in one way. It gave our president the side-step he needed to keep dodging the questions on the economy and everything else he was not interested in. Now he can focus on his other half of his overall plan, the military. The Military and Oil have obviously been his entire ticket since his staff is made up of them and his energy and environmental plans are right off their tables. What about us? The people he works for and is to represent? Corporations can't vote! ....But they can with their money....
Since election time 2000 I have had little confidence this guy could cut the mustard. His plans on the table bode bad for the country and our economy and I'm not the only business owner or investor that knew that. Our stock market took major hits every time Bush appeared to move closer to becoming president. Why? Everyone who knew the inside knew our country's investment in Oil - Coal and Military over infrastructure and job building would stagnate us in the world economy and stature. They began slowly and systematically shoring up their loose ends and looking to self preservation instead of continuing to expand and grow with new ideas and strong foundations among the workers. Did many people know this president had no clue on how to run a country? And was only a puppet for the Military and the Oil industry? I must believe yes from their actions in selling off and shoring up. Isolating ourselves further from our allies with our misguided energy policies and environmental policies and injuring the country long term by them was one of the first clues to incompetence to us. Answering to the question "Who is the president of Japan?" with "uhhh, ain't that the guy my Dad threw up on?" was one of my first.
Having past transgressions like cocaine addiction and bar top drunk dancing was a clue to me that he may be out of control. Coming from a protected family where he has had everything on a whim from Daddy, also leads me to this reasoning. Now we see his own teenage daughters are alcoholics, I'm sorry, but that is all you can call anyone who is the child of the person holding the most prestigious position in the world and who can't keep their family inherited arrogance from showing publicly before they are even legal. Knowing full well what this could cause in the way of embarrassment, to the family and nation. But also knowing they could make Daddy use his "pull" to have any charges dropped. Beyond that, if you can't control your own family through leadership then how can you possibly lead a country of people you know nothing about. You certainly know your own children better than your neighbors next door and far better than the ones in another state. Guess those are the "Family Values" we hear so much about from the GOP.
Our incident with our spy-plan crashing in China was my next and the markets next clue to this president. Instead of a prostrating apology for the accidental death of the Chinese pilot and promises not to repeat by working with the Chinese on intercept policy and procedure for the benefit of all sides involved, he responds like a bully "Cowboy" that he really is. Had that scenario been reversed we would have demanded hell freezes over before we turn over spies and killers. We certainly would have interpreted the incident as a act of crime to be spying on us and to commit a murder or accidental death to any official trying to halt your crime would require punishment of all caught. Just like any criminal case here where during pursuit or during the act of the crime and death associated with the crime can and will be charged against the accused perpetrator of the crime. Thinking this way is why I feel the least we could and should have done is a prostrated apology and pursue preventing future incidents from occurring amicably. Some example he has set for our children.
Pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol environmental standards like his father did the Earth Summit in Brazil was entirely expected by me. After all this time to still try to deny Global Warming exists and is caused by the industrial age greenhouse gases is ludicrous. I withheld judgment of him then since he commissioned seven "independent" scientist to study and report back to him if this was indeed the case. I thought the study unneeded by anyone who has watched the Discovery or Learning Channel in the last 10 years or read any scientific book in the last twenty but ok another study closer to the Millennium couldn't hurt unless the scientist were all biased which I did suspect since they seemed to be hand picked. To my and his obvious surprise the seven scientist all reported back Global warming is real and is caused by man-made pollution. Regardless of this his own study and all others around the world the incompetent choose to pull out anyway and bring it down like a card house just like his Daddy. Cutting greenhouse gases is not good for Oil and Coal his buddy's though it is for the future economy of our country. The EPA claims close to 90% of cancer is caused by pollution. The GAO reported years ago that unbridled our healthcare cost will exceed more than 20% of our GNP by 2005. So if we are contaminating our environment and incurring costs of 20% of our GNP for healthcare plus more for water and air treatment bundled with no viable technology or economy stimulus plan and exuberant military spending backed by raping social security and our hard fought for surplus it is no wonder our economy is going down the tubes with a long hard road to overcome and return from in the future.
This overall plan has the effect of crushing all risk takers (the only people that ever advance beyond their current status) in America but the few economically and socially sound already. So the rich stay richer and the poor get poorer as the old saying goes. Who'd have thought?! Didn't his father's administration, taught well by the previous one, do the same thing? Maybe the senior Bush is still running the country just telling the younger what to do and say, though he obviously has been blessed with his own "gift of the gab", or "mouthful of shit" depending on how you look at it, in making off the cuff "Cowboy" statements. Including but not limited to "I don't want to hear another question about the state of the economy!" in response to what he would do about the poor economy last summer when he returned from his 6 week vacation. Most of us didn't even get 2 weeks last year due to the poor economy and he takes six then refuses to act or answer for not acting on the economy. That's his job! To answer us and answer to us! His economy is good, what does he have to worry about? He has ensured money for his Oil investments in his family for the next 20 years and he is just getting started. He must think he is doing a great job,... for himself!
Personally I was not into the scene back in the Nixon days being only a few years old but I think this has been the most mistrustful and behind the scenes dealing President our country has ever known. He has turned his back on the American people and serves only himself and the powerful that contribute to his campaign. His policies don't make sense for "The People" only some people.
The attack on Sept. 11th 2001 was a blessing in disguise in that it has bridged the communication lapse between our Allies and us after deserting them on the environment and energy policies. Their last communication before that was "we agree to disagree" and we stand alone in our choices. Luckily now they are talking to us again, at least on some level, that we can perhaps use to regain face with them in the future. Remember WWII? Specifically Pearl Harbor, the attack that we have heard so many comparisons to after the attack on 9-11? In that attack, our British allies had foreknowledge of the plan and chose not to tell us because they knew we would then enter the war against Japan one of the Axis they needed to neutralize. Entering the war against Germany was done just as deviously in that a decommissioned military ship was sent to Britain knowing it would be sunk by U-Boats as a violation of the wartime ban on Military imports. But no, it was only meant to look like a military boat for the ruse, it was actually a humanitarian ship of merchant marines that we could no pump up to demonize the Germans and justify entering a war that did not concern us. The French got what the deserved for actions they took against Germany leading up to and including their invasion and occupation of the Rue valley (Germany's economic bread basket) during the worst depression any nation has seen in 100 years. To protect the stability of Germany's sovereignty and it's own existence it had to retake the Rue and ensure the French did not re-take it in the near future. By Britain protecting the French and remaining on their side and cutting communications with Germany locked in their fate. Bombing Berlin's population in the middle of the night also warranted like attacks against London. The Germans just do the counter attack with more effectiveness and zest! Like in WWI when the French developed poison gas and began using it against the Germans. The Teuton's quickly developed and delivered their own version with more care to wind and other geographical features resulting in devastating effectiveness. The point here is that had our Allies been talking with us before 9-11 and eagerly working with us on worldwide issues they might have tipped us off on this attack by sharing anything and everything they came across. As it was, we had turned our back on them and their children's future so why not ignore or make no effort to alert us to danger we obviously don't care about them.
With this war I have to wonder if all is as the GOP would have it appear. From what I have heard there is good reason to question this. The Gulf War came down to fighting over Oil why not this one? After all that seems to be the only thing Bush is interested in. And with the meetings with the Russian's Bush had, things seem more than a little coincidental. I have heard that there was discussion in Congress Feb. 2001 about invading Afghanistan. Why would this be being considered? Maybe because of our energy crisis at that time and need for more Oil now which our relations in the Middle East are virtually useless in securing. Drilling in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico won't help immediately and Family Ties in Florida have caused another about face by Bush scrapping increased exploration near Florida that may harm their economy and their power base in that state by losing the voters selling them out for Oil. So we need an immediate fix to the energy problem. Dismantling alternative fuels funding ruined that idea for a savior anytime soon. So we are left with energy producing sources that are already being used though maybe under utilized. Oil is near the only fuel we can transport from markets worldwide back to our consumption base here. Maybe one day we'll have rechargeable high energy cells (disks/crystals) that we can interchange into devices for power including our cars and homes but not today. So back to the present sources of transportable energy. Newfound friendships with old enemies seems to be the answer. If we can get the Russian's Oil out of the landlocked Caspian Sea and Black Sea to market or even make it a viable source to market we can effect the cost of competitors in the Middle East who must take this new threat to their market serious enough to lower prices and lock in contract long term. To make this happen this Oil has to be able to make it to market worldwide. Last year this was impossible with the Italian's anti-technology policies in Afghanistan. But with their removal from power and funding of the northern alliance we can open the Pipeline through Afghanistan or other friendly countries shores to get it to market. Hmmm.... This war seems more like a good excuse to meet Bush's Oil objectives. This buys us the time to find new sources of Oil in Alaska.
Now we have a President that is not only arrogant to other Nations but to his employers, us. In refusing to make documents available to the GAO investigating Energy Chairman Cheney's talks and policies that came out of talks with energy giant ENRON. If their is nothing dishonest or illegal then why not be forth coming with the requested documents? Why obstruct a congressional investigation? Must be something to the GAO's suspicions to be that scared of turning over the evidence. Taking a "Cowboy" attitude with your employer don't cut it in the private sector and as an American I am offended that this is acceptable in the private sector where all positions are public servants and accountable for all their actions on our time and dollar. The Freedom Of Information Act requires this info be made available upon demand to the public and to Congress. Violating laws of the United States is not the right of any elected or appointed official and any and all violation need to be prosecuted and investigated to the fullest extent of the law. This is far bigger to the nation than the Whitewater realty deals made by a Governor. So I say we spend at least $50 million on this investigation if needed to bring the truth to light.
For all these reasons and many more I have chose not to expound upon here I have a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in President Bush. I think he is a puppet for the Oil and Military industry with nothing to contribute to the intellectual or genetic pool. I have held my tongue long enough and watched in shock as our once great nation has rapidly gone down the toilet. For the benefit of my fellow citizens and those that come after, I must ask these questions and charge you with always asking them in the future. Is this leader a bad example for our future and children? Is this leader serving himself or those he represents? Is this leader using his position for personal gain or kickbacks in the future? Does this leader have a history of negligence to his family and lifestyle? Is this leader trying to hide the truth from the public he serves?
If any of these are yes then we need to consider further if this is the right choice in a leader or just a good candidate for fraud, scandal and countless bad decisions. We the people elect our officials to rule as we have deemed fit not as they deem fit. America, remember you are the boss, they are the servants and these roles must never be reversed or we will live not in a Democracy but a Monarchy and we have already decided that is not the form of government we are willing to accept. America has the potential to be the greatest country ever, let's start living up to our potential and not just preach to others about it!
Michael Davis
Proud American, Philosopher, Political Scientist, Activist, Writer, Artist,
Programmer and Peacemaker.
January 29th 2002
Further Info:
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