The New Hitler

I truly wish Mr. Bush wouldn't make himself such an easy target for rampant bashing and discord.

He's apparently been busy of late, trying to find a way to quickly, effectively, and quietly stop all this anti-war sentiment that is present in every corner of America. (Note: A recently conducted Associated Press poll found that a full two-thirds of all Americans want all troops pulled out of Iraq by spring 2008.) So George, being George, opted to not let the country decide. His judgement is, as far as he is concerned, more important than those of the elected representatives. So what shall we do? he wondered. These pesky voters won't shut up! They keep pressuring me! They're yelling at me! They're calling me mean names! Daddy, what can I do?? (Those aren't quotes, by the way, that's just how I imagine him reacting) And the result? "President" Bush issued a sweeping order outlawing all forms of protest against the Iraq war. It's called "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq." This information does not come from CNN, or some random internet news source, it comes from Dubya himself. You can find it here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-3.html

The following summary of the order I stole from a newspaper reporter named Sergio, and I find it to best encapsulate the main idea:
"The order states that the government may, without warning, deprive you of all property if it deems that you MAY at any point in the future, commit acts of violence, or support or donate to, ANY organization, that MIGHT support or commit actions that HINDER the PROGRESS towards the GOAL of STABILITY in Iraq. So, here's the problem. All the capitalized words above are open to interpretation. Many of them specifically allow one man, the Secretary of the Treasury, to make predictions about possible future actions and act on them (he doesn't have to get a court order, or ask anyone else, he can just order his Secret Service agents to act and that's that). Others words in the order that are used to refer to those who might "hinder" progress could be stretched to include protesters, the Red Cross, Amnesty International or anyone who donates to a Senator or Representative who votes against funding the war."

I have several problems with this, as I'm sure many Americans do as well.

First of all, it's an order. Not a bill that required several levels of debate, revision and approval, but an order from the President himself, unquestionable, inarguable, based on what HE thought he would subject people to.

Secondly, while the overall notion is a good idea in theory (if you read the order in it's entirety, it's main objective is to stop terrorist funding), the underlying intent of the order, with it's broad language and open interpretation, flushes the fifth amendment down the crapper and basically allows the government to do what it wants to it's citizens.

Third, and perhaps saddest of all, we are being inundated with images of Lindsay Lohan's mugshot, while this Bush business goes unreported.

This seems to me to be a convenient way to shut up the anti-war, anti-Bush folks, under the guise of a "stop terrorist funding" platform. While I don't think every hippie with a "bring our troops home" sign will be locked in solitary confinement, and while many reports of this order and it's implications will surely be dramaticized and exaggerated, there is a valid fear of government interference and control that should be recognized with the issuance of this order.
How can it be that GWB is sailing along for another 18-or-so-months without a glimmer of recourse in sight? America had no trouble impeaching Clinton (as well they should have), but not Bush? I think lying to the people about a midnight rendezvous with a chubby brunette is one thing, but lying to a country about a war and daily becoming more reckless with your power in an attempt to stifle your opponents? That's something else.