Presidential Tools of the Trade - Power and Deception

by Jim Moore

02/14/2003

"We're on their trail. We're smoking 'em out, we got 'em on the run, we're hunting them down one by one, all over the world."

Those aren't the words of some politician talking about a rebel band running amok in his country. Or even some hyped-up kid with his head buried in a "Kill for Kicks" computer game.

Those were the words of the President of the United States. Not rallying a posse to go after the varmints who were stealing horses, but addressing about 8,000 mostly young enlisted sailors standing on a pier in Jacksonville, Florida.

I'm sorry to have to say this, but Bush's words reveal a troubling, presidential mindset of shady manipulation and subtle opportunism that not only Bush, but many presidents before him, have taken advantage of. The advantage of using two pernicious forces: one unconstitutional, the other malevolent.

I refer to Power and Deception. A lethal combination. 

Understanding the predisposition of human beings for error of every kind, and also knowing the temptation of politicians to abuse their power, our founding fathers were adamant about preventing both.

Thomas Jefferson said: "…bind them down from mischief with the chains of the Constitution." And: "It is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he then be trusted with the government of others?"

Presidents have gradually usurped the powers of Congress and assumed that power for themselves, with executive orders and illusive maneuverings, until American citizens become sheep led by a shepherd who takes them into world conflicts, unsanctioned by Congress; even sans a legitimate rationale.

As Libertarian, Harry Browne points out, "We will always be in fear of being dragged into war as long as American Presidents have the power to do what they want. That power has been abused by Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush. And it will be abused by the next president as well." 

By sidestepping Congressional debate and making a personal decision to "declare war" on another sovereign nation, President Bush is guilty of a Constitutional abuse of power of the first magnitude, and should be held accountable for it

But if President Bush is deceiving us in any way about the need to go to war, we can be assured of one thing: he is not the first president to do so. It seems to come with the territory.

In 1939, President Roosevelt assured Churchill that America would join England in its war with Germany---even as he was telling the American public that their sons would never fight and die in a foreign war. He not only lied about that, but was guilty of formulating a plan to get Japan to attack Pearl Harbor so he would have reason to declare war on the combined "Axis" powers. 

Roosevelt's deceit is a matter of record.

In August, 1964, while covertly aiding South Vietnamese troops making raids in North Vietnam, one of our destroyers reported being attacked by a North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. As revealed later, the attack never happened. It was part of President Johnson's plan to get Congressional approval to "widen" the war, which his administration wanted to do anyway.

Johnson's deceit is also a matter of record.

On September 11, 2001, the tragedy of the Twin Towers took place. President Bush was determined to avenge this terrorist strike, and Osama bin Laden became the designated target. Most Americans were willing to go along with anything Bush wanted. But after nearly two years and no bin Laden, Americans are questioning why not?, and also are skeptical about why the target had suddenly gone from bin Laden to Saddam Hussein 

And the questions keep coming

Why is Bush determined to fight Iraq? Is he bent on finishing a job his father left undone? Why does he turn a deaf ear to those who don't agree with his war stance? Why does he refuse to heed honest dissent, even from members of his own party? Why is Bush in such staunch agreement with the hawks in his administration? Why is he not satisfied with letting U.N. inspectors complete their inspections? Why does he consider Iraq more of a threat than North Korea who probably has a nuclear missile that can reach our west coast?

These are questions we need answers to before we can declare Bush free of the deception that seems to dog the steps of every president.

As for power, we must take it away from the president and give it back to the Congress where it belongs

Maybe then, just maybe, there will be no need for deception.


Jim Moore
Jmoore1819@aol.com