Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Why politics sucks

The big news of yesterday was that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby (Ironic, isn't it, that such a high-ranking conservative is nicknamed for a vehicle that, through its efficiency, threatens the big-oil interests of our government? And the kind of vehicle that mostly only smelly hippies and "look at me" college kids ride?) was sentenced to 30 months in prison for perjury and obstructing justice in the Valerie Plame identity leak case. And of course, he's already trying to delay his prison sentence, hoping that his super-croney Dubya will pardon him toward the end of term #2 (fair-and-square term #1, if you're keeping track).
There are many reasons that Libby should not be pardoned for what he did. Sure, he was just following orders; but somebody's got to pay for his crimes, and I can guaran-goddamn-tee you that it isn't going to be the person (or persons) who is actually responsible; we'd have to install a new Vice President, and that would take a lot more hassle than just replacing his aide, which of course has already been done. No, what is more important in this case is this. This administration somehow got itself into power on the premise that the "Democrat" party could not handle the national security of America. Isn't leaking the identity of secret CIA operatives' identities the very definition of compromising national security? Isn't this pretty much treason? I understand that he has only been sentenced for perjury, but shouldn't he also be tried for the actual identity outing as well?
I say treason. Treason for them all.

Also, there was a very interesting program on Democracy Now yesterday. Amy Goodman interviewed John Perkins, an insider in the secretive world of the worldwide American economic empire, regime overthrowing, etc. Give it a listen, read, or watch here.

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