With Bush facing heat both inside the halls of power and from
mounting public opinion, it would be outrageous to allow his regime to
make it through this latest episode intact. Instead, people need to
seize on this opportunity and demand that Bush step down now.
Bush secretly and illegally ordered the NSA to spy on Americans. It
has just been revealed that after 9/11, the FBI began more aggressively
spying and keeping records on anti-war activists and other social
justice organizations. These draconian police state measures are reason
alone for impeachment or resignation. Add to this the war and lies
justifying it, the tearing up of the rule of law and its replacement
with executive orders and increasing moves toward theocracy, the
torture of detainees, round-ups of immigrants, and countless other
crimes.
But can anyone honestly expect that even under these circumstances, this
congress will move to impeach, or that Bush will resign of his own
accord? The only way this regime can be stopped is by millions of
people taking independent political action, refusing to compromise, or
accept or be complacent with horrors. Otherwise, the Bush regime will
manage once again to find its way through this latest scandal.
Just look at how under fire, Bush is lashing out and defending his
secret spying program, and demanding the the senate pass the Patriot
Act, more or less telling any Senators who don’t go along with this
that they are betraying America. Look at the House of Representatives,
where a bill was just passed allowing for oil drilling in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge, amidst growing and grave threats to the
environment, which will have far-reaching effects on the survival of
the planet and its people. Or look at any of Bush’s recent speeches
justifying the war, where he makes clear they will “stay the course” no
matter how much the Iraqi people oppose US occupation and how much
public opinion turns against the war. Even the McCain torture bill,
while obviously a public setback for Bush, nonetheless provides enough
loopholes for the continued use of torture and freedom from
prosecution. Besides, when they can’t get away with it in public, the
Bush regime has no qualms about carrying out its dirty work in secret.
And where are leading Democrats on any of this? Why isn’t this
latest crime Bush has committed (leaving aside the many previous ones)
immediate grounds for impeachment? The simple fact is, if there is
going to be any impeachment, resignation, or removal of Bush from
office period, it will take an upsurge of resistance from below.
Otherwise, Bush will be able to patch things up as he has before, and
his regime will continue on its disastrous course.
But the fact that Bush is facing real problems right now and has
been further exposed provides greater opportunity for a movement to
drive out the regime to take hold throughout society and succeed. It
would be a horrible mistake with consequence for potentially
generations to come if we don’t take this opportunity now.
Mobilize for the state of the union protests. Demand “Bush: step down, and take your whole program with you.”