Congress' hypocrisy is stunning.....

[AgentLadyBug]

They're bitching at the executive branch for the war crimes?

They're the fucking ones who *refused* to declare war, and signed a blank "war-like" check for Bush, resulting in the Geneva Convention not being formally applicable!

First they abdicate their consitutional responsibilities, then they blame the executive for the consequences of that abdication.... christ.....

(of course the exectutive, who actually perpetrated the prison crimes, bears 1st responsibility - i just wanna point out congress' essentially conspiratorial role in this)

[DrWeird]

1. Oh, I'm pretty sure the Geneva Convention still applies.

I don't think it was written so that war crimes go unpunished if the political squabbles of the agressor don't actually define it as war.

[AgentLadyBug]

2. lol - not according to rummy......

.... ymmv with that one, of course....

[denverbill]

3. I agree. Then again, when was the last time we actually declared war?

WWII??

Not Korea, not Vietnam, not Panama, not Grenada, (maybe Gulf War I???), not Gulf War II, not Afghanistan.

[kiahzero]

4. Um, they did declare war

The Resolution had a clause in it that satisfied the requirements of the War Powers Resolution.

In a legal sense, I think it would be fair to say we were in an unprosecuted war from when the IWR was passed to when Bush actually invaded. I'm not sure though - foreign policy is not my forte.

[displacedtexan]

5. Congratulation! You just repeated the latest rightwing talking point!

This is their excuse for Bush*: it's Congress' fault!

There was nothing Congress could have done to stop Bush short of impeachment.
The Prez has the power to send troops without Congressional approval. He just can't 'declare war' without consent.

When you say 'Congress,' be sure to emphasize 'Republican Controlled Congress.'

[Old and In the Way]

6. Thanks.

Poor George...he couldn't help hisself. Congress made him do it.

[AgentLadyBug]

8. are you guys serious?

lol - i guess i'll have to quote myself (which, in literary circles, is generally considered insulting....)

I said:

"(of course the exectutive, who actually perpetrated the prison crimes, bears 1st responsibility - i just wanna point out congress' essentially conspiratorial role in this)"

I dunno how much clearer the irrelevancy of the two remarks in this thread can be....

I'll say it in other words (why not?). Everybody is running around yelling at various levels of the executive branch for the craphole called iraq - and rightly so.

My post simply pointed out that congress' role in this has not, to my knowledge been mentioned in the least, whereas they should be considered as being complicit in the crimes. The executive drove the car, but Congress rode fucking shotgun.

sheesh

[Malva Zebrina]

7. for the first time today, I wondered why I vote at all

seriously that is a delemma.

Why am I voting for people who refuse to stick up for the people of this country-- for the rights of the people or for the defense of the Constitution of America?

None seem to care--and that includes members of both parties.

Why should I just not take what little money I do have managed to accumulate, buy a few acres, farm it or use it to feed myself and live a simple life, not dependant upon any corporate food industry, nor any corporate drug industry nor any corporate industry at all.

Why should I just not farm my few acres, plant it, grow a few chickens, a cow, a few sheep and a few goats and be happy in my own kingdom away from all the superficial little attachments of the bread and circus corporate world who would have us think that unless we use their particular shampoo, we will not be beautiful and accepted or loved by anyone on the planet?

Why should I bother to vote for any one of them when they all have been nothing but a disappointment?
Especially within the past three and a half years?

Obviously few are concerned about this country or the common man they represent. Most are concerned, imo, about themself and their corporate sponsers. It is obvious. They are comfy in that role , cowtowing to corporations, because they perceive it as their bread winner . It only has to last a few years to insure a lifetime of living in relative comfort.

Those of us without the thousands of dollars to contribute are being left out in the cold

by both parties.