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Dear Howard, I'm writing to say goodbye
By Seeya, J. L. Mann
03/07/06 -- --
Howard Dean Chairman Democratic National Committee
Dear Howard,
I'm writing to say goodbye. I'm off to join the Greens or Ralph
Nader and the CUIP bunch, even the Libertarians-anybody who'll fight
what's going on. It hurts badly, but I just can't stay with you
anymore.
I thought I owed you an explanation because of our courtship during
the presidential campaign. During that time I detected in you a fair
measure of a quality that's been sadly lacking in Democrats for much
too long, that being a willingness to grapple with an opposition
that's fostering the ascendance of fascism. And wonder of wonders,
you seemed willing to combat their effort with as much vigor as
Democrats usually approach infighting among themselves. I was elated
again when you were made leader of the Party. My hopes were
rekindled, even if ever so slightly.
But at a moment in history when the separation of powers and genuine
allegiance to a living Constitution were literally on the line in
the Alito Supreme Court nomination, Senate Democrats morphed into a
collective Neville Chamberlain and chose appeasement at the cost of
personal freedom and recognition of the Constitution as a lawful
constraint on executive power.
The failure to stave off Alito's nomination will likely prove
critical in its acquiescence of real power to the executive branch,
a branch of government now dominated by elements willing to
implement policies demonstrably akin to some of the worst employed
by the enemy during WWII and the Cold War. This loss of power seems
likely to be rendered permanent under the authority of recently
confirmed Chief Justice Roberts, especially as indicated by his vote
in the Oregon Death With Dignity case.
Some of this administration's wholly self-authorized behavior
includes interrogation and imprisonment policy that was found to
constitute crimes against humanity at the Nuremburg Tribunals. And
Alito's opinions regarding the unitary executive, along with scores
of existing opinions authored and joined by Justices Scalia, Thomas
and Anthony Kennedy, can be expected to herald further instances of
the court 'legitimizing' ever more serious violations and shifts in
real power.
This isn't simply a hard turn right, either, Howard. It's a
historic, landmark departure toward a unitary executive
corporatocracy. That sounds exactly like Mussolini's Italy to me.
Among other things, there's been a systematic erosion of the
well-demarcated line that ostensibly separates the public and
private sectors. Already real political power, until recently held
exclusively by public governing bodies, is being exerted on a
routine, daily basis by private corporations- entities that exist
for the sole purpose of exacting a profit that's now become the
responsibility of taxpayers to provide. Military and police powers
embodied in the mercenary and penal operations of Blackwater
Security and Wackenhut Corporation bear this out, as do many of the
varied and highly questionable practices of Halliburton's wild
child, Kellogg Brown and Root.
How could you possibly let this happen, Howard? How can there
possibly be a debate on whether or not the president has power to
conduct warrantless clandestine NSA surveillance on American
citizens? Common Americans held in thrall by fear intentionally
propagated by administration officials and corporate media may have
some doubts, but Howard, you and I know full well that the American
Revolution was fought in very large part to remove this misuse of
power from the hands of our nation's original "unitary executive,"
formerly known as "king."
And Howard, it's not just warrantless surveillance. It's outrageous,
paranoid intrusiveness joined with secretiveness and an utter dearth
of accountability. It's Capitol Hill lobbyists composing the actual
verbiage of critical legislation directly and positively impacting
their clients. It's teetering health care stretched to its limits by
insatiable dollar demands put on it by the insurance industry- a
parasite intermediary that now dominates medical practice and
altogether too often dictates life or death dispensation of
treatment. It's corporate welfare and destruction of the middle
class and the environment. It's the weaponization of space and the
spurning of viable international treaties. It's the deterioration of
domestic infrastructure and a failing educational system. It's an
incessant pursuit of war and human exploitation.
You see what I'm getting at Howard? Simply put, it's evident that
way too many Democrats care more about their political status and
sinecures than they do the their personal honor-when it's called
into play for upholding and defending the Constitution, genuinely
serving the people of the United States and securing our freedoms.
Virtually all the serious Democratic presidential pretenders are in
favor of the Bush Doctrine of Preemptive Warfare. That's just great.
Among other things, it clearly indicates that just because Democrats
don't have a current poster boy for corruption in the same league as
Jack Abramoff, they've consciously opted to continue their
dependence on the oceans of easy special interest money to which
political survival holds them equally hostage.
So I'm out of here Howard, gone. Wish I could say it's been fun.
Starting well before Bill Clinton the Democrats had become GOP Lite.
Today the Republic is reeling toward a completely totalitarian
fascist state. In truth we've become a foreign invader seeking
conquest and empire, the mortal enemy of a peaceful Earth. So I'm
off to find political leadership that's got some true moral
integrity and courage fight left to fight with.
You were OK Howard; you had some of it personally, but most of your
friends and colleagues.Hoo boy!
Seeya, J. L. Mann
PS. I sent copies of this letter to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. I
also sent it to everyone I care about who has an email address.
John L. Mann - takedeadaim@hotmail.com
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