American Heroes Don't Last
Politics / US Politics Aug 14, 2008 - 05:07 AM GMT
Politicians use several means to hide the real problems from voters. One of their biggest partners in this deception is the media, which helps deliver messages they want the public to hear. When critical issues are discovered within the administration, this often leads to replacement of politicians who simply tried to serve the best interests of voters. For these politicians, a forced resignation is the price of loyalty to voters.
This was the fate of former Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill. But he is not alone, as there have been many others with this same fate throughout U.S. history. These are America 's true heroes because they have tried to serve the best interests of voters. Of course, President Bush has a different definition of loyalty. Only those who help him execute his agendas are viewed as loyal.
Colin Powell's apparent dissent of Bush's Iraq agenda was likely to have led to his sudden resignation. But Condelisa Rice was all too willing to assume the puppet role required by Bush (who is a puppet himself). Agreeing to agree (and in some cases lie) in order to preserve Bush's objectives is the most important characteristic he seeks from cabinet members.
Perhaps this is one reason why he likes to recruit former executives from corporate America , as they have mastered the art of deceit. By now you know about the taxpayer fraud and danger to U.S. troops Halliburton has caused while raking in hundreds of uncontested government contracts and record profits. www.halliburtonwatch.org There are many other examples. The results of this grand illusion have been fruitful, as most Americans still have no idea what is really going on. But as we have seen, Bush is not the first to deceive Americans, nor will he be the last. It just so happens he has been particularly aggressive in his methods.
President Bush's “are you with us or against us” mentality is dangerous to America . All great leaders welcome independent minds who are ready, willing and able to criticize them. This serves as the checks and balances in the White House. But we have seen the exact opposite of this under the Bush administration. In fact, Bush through the help of Cheney and his front man David Addington, now Chief of Staff (replacing Libby) have positioned the president to have the most extreme authority in the history of the United States .
I recommend you have a look at this excellent PBS feature, “Cheney's Law” showing how Cheney and Addington positioned President Bush (and all presidents thereafter) to have unprecedented, arguably unconstitutional and potentially dangerous authority through the power of executive orders.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/view/
Many have compared Bush's reign to that of a dictator and these arguments have merit. It's unfortunate the truly loyal politicians are unable to retain the authority to make positive change for the good of the people.
By Mike Stathis
http://www.apexvc.com
Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved. Mike Stathis.
Mike Stathis is the Managing Principal of Apex Venture Advisors , a business and investment intelligence firm serving the needs of venture firms, corporations and hedge funds on a variety of projects. Mike's work in the private markets includes valuation analysis, deal structuring, and business strategy. In the public markets he has assisted hedge funds with investment strategy, valuation analysis, market forecasting, risk management, and distressed securities analysis. Prior to Apex Advisors, Mike worked at UBS and Bear Stearns, focusing on asset management and merchant banking.
The accuracy of his predictions and insights detailed in the 2006 release of America's Financial Apocalypse and Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble have positioned him as one of America's most insightful and creative financial minds. These books serve as proof that he remains well ahead of the curve, as he continues to position his clients with a unique competitive advantage. His first book, The Startup Company Bible for Entrepreneurs has become required reading for high-tech entrepreneurs, and is used in several business schools as a required text for completion of the MBA program.
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