The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.
Anatole France
The point is that even theoretically just laws can lead to de facto injustice. But how much more injustice can result from laws that are rigged to begin with? That is the topic of a post by Bob Cesca on Huffpo.
If an American citizen is caught cheating on their taxes, they’re fined and imprisoned; if an American citizen races up to a yellow light and it turns red just as they’re passing under it, they’re photographed without their permission and fined; if an American citizen talks about farting or nipples on the radio, they can be fined $325,000 by your federal government. Holy hell, it’s a federal offense to make a copy of a DVD or CD, whether you plan to sell it or not!
But the last four years have proved that it’s perfectly legal to go to war based on lies, fabricated evidence, propaganda, media manipulation; then to lie about its progress every step of the way; then to allow massive unregulated — practically encouraged — war profiteering at the taxpayer’s expense; then to ignore the international rules of warfare by permitting torture; then to ignore rational solutions for redeployment; then to cut the budget for veterans; and the list of trespasses against morality, decency, the Constitution, and the American way of life goes on and on and on.
The solution? Cesca suggests that we establish a war crimes commission to prosecute those who commit these war crimes–they are still roaming free today. Many of them are still running our government. Then Cesca comes full circle:
How about we start with a fine equal to the FCC fine for broadcast indecency? Every elected or politically appointed official found partly or mostly responsible for botching the war must pay $325,000 for each and every time they lied about the reasons for- or progress of the war. That might not seem like a lot to rich guys with rich guy pinkish-hued skin like Vice President Cheney, but it adds up, and, all idealism aside, it’s a start.
There is a reason why the Bush Administration has renounced U.S. support for the International Criminal Court (which handles war crimes tribunals): they fear being brought up on charges themselves. Read this article for more information: http://foi.missouri.edu/icc/usnowartrib.html/.
I think the truest title for your post should have been "USA Media protects Iraq invasion/occupation criminals". There is no war, and it's the corporate media who undermines the knowledge of an effectual public base in the USA.
Last spring when Israel bombed and killed over 50 civilians, most of them children, in Qana, it was actually an acceptable excuse for them to claim that they thought Hezbolloah militants were where they bombed. In civilian life for a police officer to shoot at suspecting at houses killing people would be a horrible abuse of privileged power. The striking part of it was that their excuse was accepted as legitimizing.
In similar fashion an acceptance of the Iraq invasion/occupation as only a "mistake" warrants punitive measures as well under international law. And in continuing with civilian contrasts, in the realm of "mistakes", anyone who is found to recklessly take a life can be charged with manslaughter.
There are already laws which condemn such state behaviour and offer punitive justice. Laws that are held to by commitments by ascribing countries like the Geneva Convensions are. The problem lies in the enforcement of supreme power. The overwhelming power of the USA sees it shrug off law and there-by undermine it. The examples of the abuses in the 80's on Central America offer good examples of guilty crimes ignored and pure disdain shown towards the law.
The public of the USA needs to inform each other. They need to understand the abuses performed by their government and they need to demand serious change. The public of the USA can do more to contain their government than most countries whom the USA elitists abuse can do in return. Bush even breaks internal USA law and the media does little to inform the public of it and instead accepts the white house as a faithful source.
Long time reader. First time commenter! I enjoy the thoughtful posts.