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The Forum > Article Comments > The unitary King George > Comments

The unitary King George : Comments

By Marjorie Cohn, published 8/6/2007

President George W. Bush's doctrine of unfettered executive power.

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Bravo!
There is an good review in the new Oz Literary Review which covers this theme of unbridled executive power---and how many conscientious lawyers and others within the USA Justice system were/are appalled by it, and how they rigorously opposed it---and are still doing so.

Surprsingly (or perhaps not) it is a review about "Detainee 002:The Case of David Hicks" by Leigh Sales---the review is by John Birmingham
Posted by Ho Hum, Friday, 8 June 2007 11:09:07 AM
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Hmmm. No wonder America decided to cede from England: the last time a ruler of England decided to call upon Divine Right and over-ride Parliament they chopped off his head.

Gee, where's the Queen of Hearts just when we need her?
Posted by Romany, Friday, 8 June 2007 11:22:58 AM
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A mug American public has let Georgie Boy Bush graphically expose a weakness in the American Constitution.

It was following the doctrine of the English 17th century philosopher John Locke that the people had the right to protest against autocracy, that the American War of Independence came about.

It was Locke's doctrine which encouraged the planning of the 1688 Glorious Revolution, so named because as part of the early Enlightenment it was when democracy or true rulership of the people came to England.

But as many religous English people still hungered for royalty it was decided to bring William and Mary over from Holland to keep a so-called royal representative in England mainly for symbolic purposes.

Doubtless, following Locke's doctrine, the type of independence from Britain that the American settlers had first been hoping for, was probably the type that us Australians gained in 1900, and then as history tells it was George the Third of Britain who broke the ceremonial code actively ordering out the British troops against the American settlers.

The fact is that if the American people had any guts, seeing that most of them are now against the American occupation of Iraq, Bush should be impeached as Nixon was.

No doubt as proven so long ago in the Roman Empire, for democracy to survive, autocracy should be kept in its place, such includes presidents as well as kings and queens
Posted by bushbred, Friday, 8 June 2007 12:04:02 PM
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In the Curtis-Wright case of 1936 Justice Sutherland famously afforded the President full sovereign powers in the field of foreign affairs and that such powers, because they are inherited from the powers of the previous head of state of the American colonies (ie King George), are "extra-constitutional" and not restrained by Congress.
The Bush Administration is clearly using this precedent to bypass Congress on many issues. By expanding the scope of what constitutes foreign policy to include aspects of domestic policy (such domestic as security initiatives) the President can extend his autocratic powers of foreign policy into the domestic realm. It’s up to Congress to more vigorously assert its own Constitutional prerogatives to restore balence to the American political system.
Posted by My name is Dylan, Friday, 8 June 2007 12:12:16 PM
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Thank you Ms Cohen for your observations about Mr. Bush’s latest overreaching and unconstitutional power play. Unfortunately, most major American media sources have not seen fit to report GW’s latest and most worrisome Executive Order. I personally have sent emails to well over 50 newspapers in the USA with not a single reply.
Google the E.O. and see how few hits you get.
I am very pessimistic about our future here in the USA; and am beyond being shocked at how little most of my fellow citizens know or even care. In fact, on a US political BBS, I was told it was a “good thing” because then the President would not be hampered by the tiresome formalities and details to legally doing as he pleased.
Unless this country wakes up… I believe it possible the good ole’ USA could become a fascist state.
Posted by yoda, Friday, 8 June 2007 3:21:21 PM
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A friendly observation… It is not… let us say tasteful to suggest “American’s have no guts”. In some venues, it might prove to be problematic for you.
In addition, Mr. Nixon was not impeached; he resigned in disgrace. The only American Presidents impeached were Andrew Jackson & Bill Clinton; and both impeachments were politically motivated. To impeach Mr. Bush – although ample grounds exist – would take too long to do when there are so many other more important issues facing this country. In any event, he’s a “lame duck” with just 16 or so months left to be in office. (Unless he decided to invoke his latest E.O. and become George the IV.)
I would also like to point out, as bothersome as GW is at times to the rest of the world please have some compassion……….. we have to deal with him 24/7.
Posted by yoda, Friday, 8 June 2007 3:53:42 PM
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Yoda thinks "it possible the good ole’ USA could become a fascist state."

Wadda ya mean 'could become' Yoda?

Eisenhauer warned his fellow citizens (if not the rest of the world) decades ago of the awesome power and greed of the U$ industrial-military complex - which has today been expanded to include the giant pharmaceutical corporations, along with the 'players' who 'manage' (control) the global(ised) finance/banking industry and the handful of media mega-corporations.

The indicies are out there for anybody interested and savvy enough to observe them - today's U$A is a corporatist state set up and maintained by and in the interests of the ruling plutrocracy.

'God bless America' ... and god save the rest of us!
Posted by Sowat, Saturday, 9 June 2007 2:07:57 PM
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George Bush is a coward, but no, not in the sense those on the far left think for.

Bush is President of the most powerful nation in the history of humanity and he isn't doing anything with it. Any nation with enlightened values, as western nations have, should impose those values on the rest of our backward planet.

Sick leftists try to say all cultures are equal, but they never live in Bankstown - they live in Newtown, or the North Shore.

We see on the news every night how inferior other value systems are, we see by refugee flows (all to the civilised west) that everyone wants a piece of the western world, of our values, superior values.

Bush should bomb Iran, Syria, but especially Saudi Arabia. China should be threatened, even Bob Brown is under no illusions how vile their values are - and they are growing in strength.

Is that what you leftists really want? Bush lets you protest, they certainly won't. You won't be allowed to do anything Bush thinks you should.

Your position is unsustainable. Cultural relativist nonsense. How dare you try to tell me that the values I believe in, equality, tolerance (although not for intolerant savage cultures or intolerant religions like Islam) are on equal footing with FGM, or Indian caste culture?

Bush is a coward. He has wasted his opportunity, although I sure hope he bombs at least Iran before he leaves office.

Nth Korea can be dealt with, but Muslim fanatics don't care even about their own kids let alone yours...
Posted by Benjamin, Saturday, 9 June 2007 8:06:18 PM
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Agree with you somewhat, Benjamin, but can't agree with you about blowing Iran to bits, along with most of the Middle East, besides.

When jotting down the main points of ME history since WW1, you will find that apart from accusive rhetoric, Iran cannot be accused of starting any conflicts in the ME, or backing them, as Donald Rumsfeld helped do in Saddam's attack on Iran in 1981.

Also as a female Iranian lawyer spoke out - she hopes for Iran to take on democracy in the future, but not based on the American Way.
Posted by bushbred, Sunday, 10 June 2007 11:47:04 AM
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Excellent article which clarifies what Bush and his neo-cons have been developing since they've been in power....an elected dictatorship. If they can organise a 'crisis' just prior to the federal election, they can finalise their plans....a formalised fascist dictatorship.

It would be wise for Aussies to be aware that Howard has been using the neo-con strategy to develop an elected far right dictatorship here as well. Rather than just focusing on the USA, we need to relate this abuse of power in our own backyard as well. Checks and balances are being eroded in the USA. We don't even have the same checks and balances here. We need to wake up before it's too late.
Posted by Bobbicee, Sunday, 10 June 2007 6:49:47 PM
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bushbred, every society has rulership of the people.

only democracy is rule by the people, a different thing entirely. your ignorance in this matter is natural, almost every ozzie shares it.

many yanks live in states with citizen referendum powers, and so have practical experience with democracy. many americans do know the difference between democracy and (elective) dictatorship, these people are angry and/or frightened by the 'unitary' hypothesis, which may be a 'toe in the water' test of whether a nazi-style coup would succeed in the usa. it's worth remembering that hitler was elected in a parliamentary republic, and only then saved the state the cost of further elections by staging a 'terrorist attack' on the parliament building. some people have suggested that the wtt attack was planned or at least allowed to succeed by the bush regime to centralize power in the white house.

in any event, the ignorance of the electorate, and the total lack of participation by the people in the management of state and nation make oz a push-over for a fascist party. fortunately, pauline was too dumb, and her advisors too venal, to mount a successful challenge to the rule by the politicians guild. let's hope fat, dumb and happy continues to characterize the lucky country.
Posted by DEMOS, Monday, 11 June 2007 7:46:46 PM
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Uh, Benjamin, somehow I don't think you've been paying attention to history, or even the present.

While I may agree Saudi Arabia is indeed a more influential country in terms of fostering Islamic extremism, what do you think the reaction will be if the west was to bomb Mecca?

Name one successful effort at the US introducing democracy to the middle east. Just one.

Failures however, are plentiful. The course of action you suggest Benjamin, sounds nice, but in practice, would simply set the world aflame in a war without an end in sight.

It's that kind of thinking that has so monumentally screwed up world politics over the last few terms.
Posted by TurnRightThenLeft, Monday, 11 June 2007 8:29:53 PM
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Oh dear and so many of you want a republic.
Elect a politician and you get another power centre.

Will they never learn ?
Posted by Bazz, Tuesday, 12 June 2007 1:42:49 PM
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