Lean Left

« Previous | Next »

The Dictator Vs. The President
Posted by Kevin

Recently, George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, did not want a bill passed that limited his ability to order the torture of detainess in the custody of the United States. Congress passed such a ban. This is how the President reacted:

When President Bush last week signed the bill outlawing the torture of detainees, he quietly reserved the right to bypass the law under his powers as commander in chief.

After approving the bill last Friday, Bush issued a ‘’signing statement” — an official document in which a president lays out his interpretation of a new law — declaring that he will view the interrogation limits in the context of his broader powers to protect national security. This means Bush believes he can waive the restrictions, the White House and legal specialists said.

‘’The executive branch shall construe [the law] in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President . . . as Commander in Chief,” Bush wrote, adding that this approach ‘’will assist in achieving the shared objective of the Congress and the President . . . of protecting the American people from further terrorist attacks.”

Some legal specialists said yesterday that the president’s signing statement, which was posted on the White House website but had gone unnoticed over the New Year’s weekend, raises serious questions about whether he intends to follow the law.

A senior administration official, who spoke to a Globe reporter about the statement on condition of anonymity because he is not an official spokesman, said the president intended to reserve the right to use harsher methods in special situations involving national security.

Recently, Hugo Chavez, a man reviled as a the worst of dictators by those on the right, fought for a set of changes to the Constitution, some of which would have extended the power of his office greatly, even dangerously, and made it possible for him to run for that office as often as he liked. The referendum failed. This is how the dictator reacted:

Almost immediately after the results were broadcast on state television, Mr. Chávez conceded defeat, describing the results as a “photo finish.”

“I congratulate my adversaries for this victory,” he said. “For now, we could not do it.”

I would be the last to claim that Hugo Chavez is a saint, or even a politician worth emulating. But I do find it interesting that when faced with the will of the people, Bush ignored that will and Chavez bowed to it. One we are told, is a vile threat to the freedom of his nation becasue of his incessant power grabs and disdain for democratic process. The other is a great leader of men, fully committed to democracy in his home country and abroad. If I hadn’t attached names to this story, could you tell which was supposed to be which?

December 3rd, 2007 General | 4 comments