There is something about a certain slant of light, that casts images in a different context from how one usually sees them.
It occurred to me as I read Tommywonk’s Declaration of Independence in very familiar territory, that ominous parallels existed between then and now….. Perhaps by not straining my eyes deciphering 18th Century handwriting i was assisted in the revelation, but in any regards, I decided to post how Bush/Cheney would have been eternally represented had Jefferson fast forward through time into today.
Keep in mind, just three years earlier, 1773, had their been an election, King George would have still had a plurality of support as well.
He has refused his Assent to Laws
No contest there. If he doesn’t like the law, he ignores it. Add one to the + column.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance
No, this is a negative. Although in Minner’s case some would argue that he should have…
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people
Another negative. I can see no way of even stretching this to apply.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant
Three negatives in a row. As for distant, when was the last time he entered the Capitol building? As for uncomfortable, it would be appropriate to convene both Legislatures in the Capitol toilets. After all, if shit stinks…..
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly
Not looking good for the revolutionaries. In fact, his presence is the cause an unprecedented number of sessions since during Congressional breaks, every 36 hours someone gavels in and out a session….
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected
Relies on the previous one. A negative.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners
Whereas his party plays primarily the obstructionist’s role on this issue, he tends to differ from them on this issue. Again another negative…..
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice
One word. Gonzales. Ok, no contest. One for the + column.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone
The “jury” is still out. There are arguments that several may be… Logic and objectivity would certainly point that way. But until evidence turn up.. Negative.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices,
A positive. Just the embassy in Baghdad qualifies him for this one…..
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies
Iraq; and pure fact that Congress never did declare a war. So by Constitutional law, this is a positive.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution
Let’s see, eminent domain and Kelo. Um, unlimited wiretapping with no court oversight. Torture and sexual abuse of Guantanamo detainees. Not what I swore to uphold and defend….. a positive.
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us
If you can count Blackwater. another positive.
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders
How about preventing any trial at all? Another positive. Revolutionaries are gaining ground…..
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world
If you count how Phil Gramm (McCain’s financial adviser) singlehandedly created the collapse of Bear Sterns, which led to the collapse of our dollar, and then take into account that the subsequent fall of the dollar has cut back on the large amounts we, as a nation had previously bought globally; the argument can be made that this policy and its repercussions……essentially cut off our Trade. A split decision…..leaning….positive.
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
By imposing the tax of “cutting taxes”, Bush has given every American man, women, and unborn child, a debt of $30,000 dollars that must be someday be repaid. Before Bush policies went into effect, our nation had a yearly surplus. I didn’t consent to $30,000, did you? Again this goes into the + column.
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury
I believe there are over 400 cases of this being processed nationwide. A positive.
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
Way too easy. Positive.
For abolishing the free System of English Laws
Habeas Corpus and the Magna Carta. That’s two. Another positive.
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws
See the above……another positive…. Revolutionaries, dig out those uniforms.
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever
Isn’t that what the anthrax scare did? (lol) But that is not enough to push this into positive territory, Another negative.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us
Possible, but it solely depends upon one’s interpretation of the meaning of “war”. Taking the literal interpretation, that would be a no…. One for the negative column.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people
Even though there are 6 months and fourteen days left where this could happen, currently, it stands as a “no”. One for the negative column.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny
Even though most of Blackwater”s troops hail from the South, were one a northern Yankee, perhaps these mey seem like they are foreign…… But because of that adjective, even with other similarities, this would have to go as a “no“. So close…..
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country
No, again, but he has pissed some off so much that they have volunteered……
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us
Just his inauguration was one of the most contentious in history…… But we are not yet on the scale of Kent State or Chicago 68. This will have to go in the negative column.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms
We have done so repeatedly but head-in-the-butt Republicans within the Senate have shut them down each time….. Universally Americans expressed their disapproval by voting in a Democratic Congress, and voting out Republicans in every special election since…. this is one for the + column, even though the topic doesn’t regard the President.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren.
Back to the easy ones: “no” This is one for the negative column.
But if one continues with the paragraph, after seperating the line blaming the Brit’s….
We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
Sounds like the normal Republican rant against Big Government, doesn’t it? So if you add to it the voice of Democrats, and those of Libertarians, one could say this adequately represents the voice of bloggers beseeching their Government, ie consisting of both Houses, and the executive branch, I think it would not be a stretch to say that this….” IS WHAT THE BLOGGERS ARE TALKING ABOUT…..” ( I should add, regardless of party.)
Thereby end the grievances. The original document ends with a rousing conclusion and several infamous signatures…..
So what is the score card?
I give the revolutionaries willing to fight for the United States of America as envisioned by one Thomas Jefferson just 232 years ago, a rousing volley of 15 hits….. Round of applause for the Jeffersonians…
Thank you. Thank you very much….
And to the royalists, those who feel comfortable being stroked by the hands of King George…, I count the number in the negative column to be……drum roll please…………………………………….
Those in the negative column……and unbeatable…..fourteen.
By laws of this country under its current leadership, the negatives have a plurality. They win.
There is not enough evidence against the Bush/Cheney regime to start a revolution…..
Sorry revolutionaries, but their may still be grounds for impeachment At least it appears so under the charter of the Declaration of Independence.
Kind of scary, just how close the two are, huh?
kavips 
6 comments
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July 6, 2008 at 11:18 am
anon
wow. Thanks to you and Tommy, I have decided upload a web cam of the Old North Church Tower in Boston as my screen saver… Just waiting for those lanterns to come out…..
July 6, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Brian Shields
I was thinking of doing this, but you performed the task much better than i would have been able to. Great job.
When I posted the Declaration last Thursday, I noticed a bunch of similarities.
I will say this, for any sitting president to be able to be accused of any of these offenses is a major major problem. He should have been impeached years ago.
July 7, 2008 at 2:33 am
kavips
Once again, that old adage has been proven true.
Great minds DO think alike…….
July 7, 2008 at 7:43 pm
William C. Walters
Plato said that when we are functioning at the level of opinion we are operating at the lowest level of thinking possible. Opinions are not facts. Facts are facts. Here are some facts for you McCain (McSame) supporters.
FACTS:
George Bush’s (John McSame) policies have resulted in:
* Distorted facts and misinformation used to sell America and the world on going to war with Iraq. Bush’s former press secretary Scott McClellan confesses that the Bush White House was “Washington’s Culture of Deception.” He said that both President Bush and Vice President Cheney discussed the CIA identity of Valerie Plame prior to leaks to the press as part of their efforts to discredit criticism of their administration by her husband, Joe Wilson, and to continue to mislead the American public about the necessity of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Ambassador Wilson was sent to Africa to find out if the Africans were sending Uranium to Iraq. He said they were not. Bush didn’t like that report and despite the facts lied to the world and said that the Africans were sending uranium to Iraq. Ambassador Wilson corrected him publicly and said that Bush was not telling the truth. Bush then committed a felony and reveled the name of Wilson’s wife Valerie Plame as a CIA agent blowing her cover.
Bush’s (McSame) lies have resulted in:
180,000 Iraqi dead with over four million displaced civilians.
4,500+ service personnel dead
30,00 to 100,000+ wounded young American men and women.
50% plus suffering from brain, emotional and psychological damage.
Thousands of homeless vets due to brain, emotional and psychological damage.
Bush’s war has the highest suicide rate of any past military conflict. A 05/15/08,
CBS news report headline reads: “Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans.” Hundreds of Vets commit suicide after they leave the battlefield and return home.
Thousands of divorces, bankruptcies, and broken careers of our veterans.
Hundreds of GI’s suffer lost limbs, hearing, memory, sight & disfiguring burns.
Time magazine 06/16/08 headlines: “The secret weapon of the Military is PROZAC”. PROZAC is an anti depressant that contributes to the suicide rate.
A VA Hospital bulletin reads: “Help Our Veterans
TBI Screenings
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the “signature injury” of the Iraq/Afghanistan Wars. 63-80% of hospitalized combat-injured veterans suffer brain injury.
A VA Hospital nurse told me that the VA was not prepared to handle such large numbers of mentally and emotionally damaged veterans.
Bush and his following’s policies have:
Ruined our economy. Some experts predict a 1929 type DEPRESSION.
Your great grand children will pay for the catastrophic cost of the Iraq war. The war has cost American tax payers over 528 BILLION DOLLARS, and is increasing daily by 341.4 million dollars. The current cost for every US citizen is $4,681. The national debt is 5.75 TRILLION DOLLARS growing at the rate of $120 million daily. The Iraq war costs 341.4 million per day over twice the daily increase of our national debt. Bush charged you $4,681 for his war to enrich himself and friends and gave you back a mere $300/$600, that he borrowed from China, for his economic stimulus package. Thanks George. Average tax payers will pay for Bush’s excesses not the very rich who pay taxes at a much smaller percent of their income than the rest of us and Bush insists on giving them another tax break
Reversed many environmental protection gains.
Created hatred and disrespect of the United States in the eyes of the world.
Failed economic policies resulted a devalued dollar, contributing to increased oil prices.
Afghanistan not Iraq was a terrorist haven before Bush’s war. Afghanistan was
secured, then neglected so now both Iraq and Afghanistan are terrorist havens.
McCain arrogantly boasts that “we will be in Iraq for one hundred years” and “I will never surrender in Iraq.” He is talking about an armed occupation. The Iraqi people do not want us in their country. The president of Iraq said. “In my opinion, at least from 40,000 to 50,000 American troops can be [withdrawn] by the end of this year.” That assessment differs dramatically from those offered by Bush. The UN Mandate ends in December of 2008, and the continued presence of coalition troops in Iraq would become, in law as in fact, an armed occupation. A 2004 survey by the Independent Institute for Administration and Civil Society Studies show that 92 percent of respondent Iraqis consider US forces to be occupiers rather than liberators or peace keepers.
George Bush and his political twin John McCain want to stay in Iraq, because, their WEALTHY CORPORATE CONSTITUENCY, Dick Chaney former CEO of Haliburton, the Oil Company’s and the “military industrial complex are making billions in profits by squeezing it out of the American economy, and the blood and suffering of Americans and Iraqis.
A vote for McCain is the same as a vote for Bush if he could run for a third term. McCain’s lifetime rating from the ACU, considered the authority on conservative rankings, is 82.3. That’s 82.3% of his votes for Bush’s policies and he is a strong supporter of the Iraq war and a long term military occupation.
Thomas Jefferson said that a democracy cannot survive unless the citizenry is educated and well informed. Please take his advice, become well informed and then offer your views based upon the facts and not the uninformed bias opinions that bounce around in your head. . Mister Bill from West Virginia
July 8, 2008 at 9:37 pm
William C. Walters
Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer, was asked by a reporter “What is the major short coming of mankind” Schweitzer’s answer was short and to the point, he said; “Man doesn’t think.”
My challenge to McCain/Bush supporters is this. THINK; The economy was in good shape when Bush came to office. We did not have a deficit, we had a $127 billion surplus. The federal deficit has skyrocketed under the Bush Administration. Goldman Sachs boosted their deficit forecast for year 2008 to $425 billion and to $440 billion in 2009.
The last year Clinton was in office the nation borrowed 18 billion dollars. The first year Bush II was in office he had to borrow 133 billion. The Congress has raised the federal debt ceiling three times in three years to increase the government’s borrowing authority by as much as $800 billion. The hike in the debt limit amounted to a grand total of more than $2 trillion during Bush’s first term. These deficits force the United States to borrow money from governments such as China and foreign investors. The more the government has to pay for interest on its debt, the less it has for health care, education and other programs. The debt is currently on track to reach the $6.5 trillion mark by 2011.
Bush Tax Cuts has created the largest deficit ever, leaving future generations to pay the bill. The first tax cut Bush pushed through a willing Republican Congress caused an upswing in government borrowing that was supposed to stimulate the economy. Two years later Bush had to push through another tax cut because it was clear that the first one did not work. In 2003, President Bush set a record for the biggest single yearly dollar increase in debt in the nation’s history with his tax cutting with no cutting in spending. He did it again in 2004, increasing the debt more than half a trillion dollars. Since 2003 total borrowing has exceeded $500,000,000,000 per year. Even Mr. Reagan never increased the debt that much in a single year; Mr. Reagan’s biggest increase was only 282 billion, half of GWB’s outrageous spending.
The Post reported that White House budget director Joshua B. Bolton attributes 23% of the nation’s deficit to the three successive Bush tax cuts. Sources: Washington Post, The “White House Foresees 5-Year Debt Increase of $1.9 Trillion” Two recently released Census Bureau reports show that median household income declined 1.1 percent in real terms from the 2001 figure to $42,409. The number of people in the US living in poverty has risen for the second year in a row to 34.6 million, an increase of nearly 3 million people since 2000. The proportion of Americans living in poverty increased to 12.1 percent in 2002 from 11.7 percent in 2001—an additional 1.7 million people in poverty. Sources: Frederick, Md. News-Post, Bush Tax Cuts Lead to Largest Deficit Ever, Leaving Future Generations to Shoulder the Burden.
Multimillionaire Bush Claims He’s Not Rich. Bush and first lady Laura Bush had income totaling $822,126 last year, and according to the Wall Street Journal, their net worth is somewhere between $7.7 and $18.9 million. Under Bush, The Rich Get Richer. The Associated Press reports that the total net worth of America’s richest people rose 10 percent to $955 billion this year from 2002.
McCain’s lifetime rating from the ACU, considered the authority on conservative rankings, is that 82.3% of McCain’s votes supported Bush’s policies. McCain/Bush is a strong supporter of the Iraq war which is a major contributor to the deficit and supports a long term military occupation of Iraq.
THINK! Do you want more of the McSame. (AKA McCain)
Mister Bill, West Virginia
July 10, 2008 at 7:53 pm
kavips
Since no one has mentioned it, (for historical purposes) I feel compelled to make note of the satire secretly embedded in my fourth paragraph from the bottom…. it’s very subtle, and may slip by the casual reader… FYI