Today John Edwards was indited for suspicion of misuse of campaign funds relating to an attempt to cover up an extra marital affair bla bla bla. Politics, sex and money are so much more important than violations to UN treaties, the US Constitution, federal laws, military codes and regulations needless to say ethical conduct. That the US Department of Justice has not taken any actions regarding blatant criminal acts and behaviours on the part of the George Bush administration borders on treason in many peoples eyes. Torture, water boarding, rendition, lies to ensure war in Iraq and devious premeditated propaganda designed to insight war are just a few of the acts deserving of investigation and charges.
If the Justice system does not take effective action against whatever criminal acts were committed they will be committed again by future governments. In fact, the failure to indite and the failure to act provides a precedent for future criminal behaviours while increasing the divide between who can and who can not break the law legally. As it stands now politicians once elected or appointed to the highest governing positions are exempt from the law. A regular tax paying citizen however can be arrested and tried and sentenced to fines and or jail time for crimes that are minute in comparison. Is it a question of priorities, class distinctions, financial considerations or are people made untouchable once they reach the pinnacle positions in the US government?
We are all equal under the law yet it appears as though some are more equal than others. Lady Justice with her scales is a symbol of that ideal equality but, she has been insulted and the ideal has become laughable. Whatever happened to holding elected officials to a higher standard? Curiosity and conspiracy aside, why have there been no arrests or indictments against Cheney, Bush, Rove, Rice and others including the lawyers who twisted and misrepresented the law to sanction the crimes. As for the government representatives and the contractors who carried out the crimes of torture and water boarding did they 'just follow orders' and are not responsible for their actions? That excuse was not acceptable at Nuremberg, at the Hague, in military trials or in any other legal venue. So, what is the reason some citizens are exempt from the law and others are not?
The inconsistencies in the application of the law are an abuse of the judicial system and an affront to anyone who has experienced the legal system as a defendant charged with petty or irrelevant acts against the law.The America of wars past was the one country the enemy wanted to be caught by because America was governed by principles, decency and codes of military conduct. Under Bush II America became an inquisitor, America broke many international treaties and laws and violated many standing US laws. It is remarkable that the Justice Department takes the time, energy and resources necessary to proceed on the John Edwards case but, ignores thecrimes committed by Wall Street and the Bush II administration.
That the Congress and the Senate have failed to proceed on the crimes committee by and during the Bush administration is also shocking. America entered a war, attacked Iraq because of manipulated and bogus information, exaggeration and lies told by those who were elected and appointed to represent. The fact their behaviours resulted in war crimes as well as other crimes makes them susceptible to Justice Department investigation and charges. History repeats itself and unless America takes action these crimes will be committed again by future administrations.
The priorities of the Justice Department do not appear to be in America's best interest because, sex, money and political crimes do not normally affect an entire country in the same way as war, torture and the violations committed by that government did. By doing nothing the Department of Justice ignores its responsibilities and is assisting in the commission of the same crimes again by future administrations. This is another example supporting the comment 'the law is an ass'. The Justice Department and the whole justice system is deteriorating before us and are too busy investigating and prosecuting crimes involving sex, politics, drugs, tax matters and terrorism.
It was a shared hope among many Americans that Barak Obama would be really different and he would make the changes necessary to ensure the apparent illegal behaviours of the Bush II administration could not happen again in the United States of America. To all of the politicians especially those on the right who think it is ok to torture, lie to the people, deliberately attack a country without provocation and to 'out' an undercover CIA agent you are just as guilty. The founding fathers lived, fought and died to make sure America would never act like the Crown. During the Bush II administration America turned into a country ruled by an administration that not only broke laws they admitted it and reacted with great indignation at the mere thought it was wrong.
The truth has already been admitted, the legal cases are virtually made and the Justice Department does nothing. If a citizen gets caught driving without a licence, or is caught speeding or smoking in non-smoking areas or caught smoking marijuana they are charged and if convicted they suffer the consequences. On the scale of things the crimes that are ignored are the worst because they were committed by government employees. The admitted and known crimes committed by the Bush II administration are much more harmful to the people and the country than many of the crimes concentrated upon by the Justice Department and most of the judicial system. When politicians working in and for the government do not have to be accountable or responsible for breaking the law it is a sad commentary on the direction America is taking into the future.
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