Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Impeachment... trying Bush, hanging Saddam

David Seaton's News Links
A reader of this blog has asked me what I think about impeaching Bush. Frankly, I think it would be time consuming and a self-indulgent, feel-good, media circus. There are only two years left to his "reign". What I think would be useful, good for America's image, "healing", if you like that terminology, would be to remit Bush to the Hague to be tried for war crimes when his term is up. Political agitation for his trial by the international court, even if it wasn't successful, would be productive for progressive politics everywhere. The important thing is to clarify how and why this present situation came to be. Impeachment is a political circus whereby by politicians showboat, whereas something like the Milosevic treatment for Bush would really pull back the carpet. Trials can clarify or obscure. For example, there is a great hurry now to hang Saddam Hussein in order to keep him from talking about America's involvement with his regime in the 80s and its complicity with his use of poisonous gas. Obviously in Saddam's case the object of his trial is to silence him. DS

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