Integrity, principle, and decency
Those three words are among the traits sadly lacking in the Bush White House; today's New York Times editorial holds nothing back in speaking the truth so many Americans refuse to hear:
There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators by destroying videotapes of their sickening behavior. It was impossible to see the founding principles of the greatest democracy in the contempt these men and their bosses showed for the Constitution, the rule of law and human decency.
After a litany of the Bush administration's crimes, including warrantless wiretapping, torture, rendition, discarding the Geneva Conventions, the murder of Iraqi civilians by thugs under the employ of the US government, and the obscenity that is Guantanamo Bay, this fiery editorial ends with these words:
These are not the only shocking abuses of President Bush’s two terms in office, made in the name of fighting terrorism. There is much more — so much that the next president will have a full agenda simply discovering all the wrongs that have been done and then righting them.
We can only hope that this time, unlike 2004, American voters will have the wisdom to grant the awesome powers of the presidency to someone who has the integrity, principle and decency to use them honorably. Then when we look in the mirror as a nation, we will see, once again, the reflection of the United States of America.
I have that same hope, of course, but it will take much longer than one presidential term to fix the ruinous damage done by the Bush presidency over its eight dark years. Our international reputation stands in tatters. Our country is less safe because of this president's policies, which have created thousands of new terrorists out of people who previously would not have been inclined to hate us. Our government's separated powers are no longer separated, having been replaced by an imperium labeling itself the "unitary executive." Our rights as free individuals have been abrogated by this corrupt presidency more than at any time in our nation's history.
This damage cannot be repaired in four or even eight years. Generations from now, we'll still be dealing with the consequences of Bush's disastrous presidency. The sooner we start correcting our national mistake, the sooner we'll be back on track toward regaining our freedoms and our former status in the world.
In the 2008 election, we stand to lose the last shreds of our tattered democracy if we choose the wrong path. None of the leading Republican candidates seem to see any problem with Bush's legacy; their stance of agreement toward Bush's policies should be a show-stopper for any rational, thinking person. As the new year approaches, we should reflect somberly on the choice we have to make at the ballot box.
Choose wisely. And may it be a happy New Year for all of us.