The frustrations of those of us who never fell for Bush’s propagandizing destructions of rhetoric and common sense have been manifold. The Bushites’ overwhelming number of manipulations of process and loopholes have been nearly impossible to track, thanks to their penchant for secrecy. Just as there’s a procession of steps in grieving, I’ve found that there’s a progression in progressive angst following the discovery of a new Bush outrage. The total time required for processing has become less and less as I’ve gotten used to expecting the worst. And that scares me.
Anyway. Step one is utter rage at the hubris. I find my face flushing as the blood pressure rises. How could Bush, this pecan-brained nimrod, wreak such havoc upon the hallowed traditions of our Constitution? Doesn’t he know that it takes but a moment to undo what took years and blood and sweat to realize?
Step two is minimization. Oh well, surely they won’t really do what they just gave themselves the right to do. Surely they can’t be that bad.
Step three is acceptance of the prosaic reality. Oh yes, they will do that, and probably more. The record of amorality is clear: Torture? No problem. Eavesdropping? Who cares if it’s illegal? We could all go on ad nauseum adding to the list.
Step four is projection. Well, first they’ll have to do it. No problem there. Then they’ll have to be taken to court once it’s discovered they did it. Then they’ll have to be ruled against, which will then be appealed. Then the Supreme Court, loaded with conservatives, will have to rule against them. Then we’ll have to trust that Bush will, unlike Andrew Jackson, actually respect the decision of the Supreme Court.
Step five is smoldering despair. Yep, our republic is doomed until the day some Democratic president undoes all this, which ought to take many, many years. If it ever happens. And now that Bush has set the precedent for ignoring the Constitution he swore to protect and defend (nice job on that one, George), what’s to stop this mad march from happening again, if it ever stops?
Step six is numbness. I wish I knew what could reverse this horrible slow bleeding of our hard-won democracy. But I don’t.
It’s slightly better today to have the cycle start–there’s a sliver of hope that the congressional Democrats will have some success in at least bringing these abuses into the light of day.
The latest thing to prompt the cycle? In case you haven’t heard, now, courtesy of another signing statement that reverses law, Bush is reading your mail if "exigent circumstances" make it necessary.
