Onward Ho

Let's assume the Downing Street memo, the most recent hope of the left to bring down Bush, does bring down Bush. Let's imagine that Bush is impeached for lying to start a war. Then what? Cheney is president, Bush heads to Crawford to live in a bottle, and the left has sweet revenge? Or lets go even further, Bush and Cheney impeached, heads roll, resignations are submitted faster than the press can print them, a few Club Fed prison terms, and going down the line of succession we have a new CIC few Americans have heard of but a man the talking heads gush and describe as a benign and wonderful fellow.

Nothing changes other than the name and face of the puppet. The left feels vindicated and is dizzy for months, at last, a political "victory" over the hated smirking chimp. Pundits of the rightwing will write books and articles on how Bush was justified in lying to war because we needed to remove Saddam, we needed to be in control of the Middle East, we needed to push for a more democratic Arab world.

With the impeachment of Bush for "memogate" most of America's leftwing would choose to be content. Afterall, there are only 2 worn out options: Either a conspiracy nut, or be satisfied with, euphemistically, the letting of a little blueblood. The rightwing would be pissed but would "get over it." For a few months there would be bipartisan photo-op kisses to soothe the agitated masses. Both sides would agree that impeachment proves American democracy works, just like we're told. America would puff out its chest and boast to the world "see, we're free, we impeached our leader." Democracy in action. A tiny bump in the road of the republic. Both sides would say it's faulty thinking to expect any more of America. Revive old mantras of "the system may not be perfect but it's the best we have."

Impeachment is not likely, and with or without impeachment (or resignation) the depravity and criminality of US politics remain. The theft of the 2000 election to ensure the front man was in place in order to pull 9/11, which conveniently led to war, is filed in the conspiracy bin with JFK, the Gulf of Tonkin, USS Liberty, and all the others. Rather than hammering on when the disgrace began and the power behind it, American credulity would be satisfied with a high level head or two. New bumper stickers, new headlines, new evil-doers, and the old malignant crusade for "freedom" marches on, no apology to the dead.