George Bush and Lindsey Graham Push the Power of the President and Generals Over People and Troops

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/17/2583/

George Bush and Lindsey Graham Push the Power of the President and Generals Over People and Troops
by Tom Turnipseed

“How hard is it for you to conduct the war without popular support? Do you ever have trouble balancing between doing what you think is the right thing and following the will of the majority of the public, which is the essence of democracy?” asked Edwin Chen of Bloomberg.com at President Bush’s press conference on July 11th.

Bush’s answer clearly indicated that presidential power upholding the military as a critical constituency is actually above the American people. Bush sought to justify his Iraq War policy that has been conclusively repudiated by everyday citizens–in the November 2006 midterm elections, and, with increasing numbers, in public opinion polls.On Meet the Press on July 15th, Senator Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina said, ”We’re not going to let politicians deploy troops based on the polling of the moment. I’m going to listen to this general, and I’m not going to let any politician take the place of the general.”

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When Bush speaks of the military, he is not referring to ordinary soldiers or their families, who are generally no more supportive of the war in Iraq than the average American.

One of the grievances against King George III in the Declaration of Independence was: “He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power.”

Bush insisted it was impossible to “let the Gallup poll or whatever polls there are decide the fate of the country” and “I just ask the American people to understand that the commander-in-chief must rely upon the wisdom and judgment of the military thinkers and planners.”

Like Lindsey Graham , Bush declares that politicians cannot determine military policy-only generals can. Bush is a politician, and the top generals in charge of the military were chosen to carry out his policy. Bush has replaced or dismissed military officials when they disagreed with administration policy.

This thwarts the principle of civilian control of the military. According to Bush, the president is their “commander-in-chief,” in the sense that he must do what the military wants. If the president determines the military brass does not want to obey the results of an election, then there is nothing that can be done. George Bush and Lindsey Graham put the power of the president and generals over people and troops.


Tom Turnipseed is an attorney, writer and peace activist in Columbia, South Carolina www.turnipseed.net

[zabet]

1. Chimpy cares for nothing but himself and his cronies...

the war will go on unless some drastic efforts by Congress are successful
because they are making too much money and have
gained too much dictatorial power.