The invasion of Iraq has increased the possibility of terrorism. Every man, woman, and child at home and abroad is now at increased risk. The ever-growing body of evidence of this increased risk comes mainly from the government itself —- Technicolor terror alerts, travel advisories, massive spending on homeland defense, the stocking of the bunkers in Washington for our leaders etc. The Bush Administration’s willingness to devalue the lives of ordinary American citizens is very troubling. If the nation’s foreign policy has resulted in a target painted on the back of every citizen, then it follows that the architects of that foreign policy must be held accountable. This is a betrayal of the American people. Some may call it Treason.
What would be the predictable Blowback to any nation which describes its Rules of Engagement as “Shock and Awe” éor even more offensively as “Shake and Bake”. What images from history are reminiscent of “Shake and Bake”?
The safety of ordinary Americans is not only compromised by threats of terrorism from outside but also from within. An Executive Order signed by George Bush authorizing assassinations has already resulted in the death of at least one American and an unknown number of others. Because our military training is so efficient at removing the taboo against killing and abuse, the reintegration of our troops into normal society can sometimes present problems. Remember the Oklahoma City bombing, Tailhook, the murders of the Fort Bragg wives, and the on-going rapes at The Air Force Academy. Will anyone ever forget the words, “é The Chick was in the wayé”, as muttered by our Marine sharpshooter after he killed an Iraqi woman? War starts a lean, mean killing machine that no one knows how to shut off.
The charging of a Commander-in-Chief with Treason would present some very interesting possibilities. Among them the conundrum é what action would be legal and appropriate for a member of the military who is already deployed? One such action might be for the soldier to lay down his/her weapon and then turn himself in to nearest chaplain and request a change in status from Combatant to Conscientious Objector. At least one such request has already been made by Marine Reservist Stephen Funk who stated,”éit isn’t moral to kill someone just because you signed a contract toé”. (NBC, April 1, 2003 7:14 am)
Every high school and college, every institute of learning indeed every home that houses informed citizens can take up this case. The entire nation can be transformed into a Moot Court. The question to be considered is, “Is the Bush Administration guilty of Treason”. Let the debate begin.
The writer contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from Bennington, VT, USA.