From: Hank Roth <odin@halcyon.halcyon.com>
Subject: BUSH Pardons his own
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 23:44:23 GMT

<<< via P_news/p.news >>>
{From THE WORKERS' ADVOCATE, the theoretical-political newspaper 
of the Marxist-Leninist Party, USA, P.O. Box 8706, Emeryville, Ca 
94662}
 
LAWS DON'T APPLY TO IMPERIALISTS
 
On December 24, Bush pardoned six former Reagan administration 
officials involved in the Iran-contra scandal. Thus Reagan's 
Secretary of Defense, Casper Weinberger, and the CIA's Duane R. 
Clarridge were saved from facing trial on charges related to 
their lies to Congress. The four others pardoned had already been 
tried and convicted although the punishment they faced amounted 
to little more than a slap on the wrist. This includes ex-
Assistant Secretary of State Elliot Abrams, Reagan's National 
Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, and CIA officials Clair George 
and Alan G. Fiers, Jr.
 
REMEMBER THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR?
 
So the travesty continues. The Reagan-Bush administration 
organizes a plot to sell arms to Iran to fund a secret, illegal 
network to support the contra army in Nicaragua. At that time the 
contras are waging a war against the people of Nicaragua, seeking 
revenge on the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed 
dictator Somoza. The operation is run right out of the White 
House by Colonel Ollie North who tranples any law that gets in 
his way. 
 
When the scandal comes to light, investigations were begun by the 
White House, which cleared itself of any wrong-doing. Then there 
were more investigations by Congress, and finally by independent 
prosecutor Lawrence Walsh. Charges and trials take place. But 
although tons of evidence point in their direction, Reagan and 
Bush are left alone. North winds up having his conviction 
overturned on appeal on absurd technicalities. Others have 
charges dismissed or get sentenced to probation. Only one of the 
14 indicted on charges had yet to see a day in jail. Now Bush has 
put the crowning touch on this spectable. 
 
THE BUSH DOCTRINE: ANY CRIME IS OK FOR "PATRIOTS"
 
In explaining his pardons, Bush announced that the Iran-contra 
criminals should not be punished because "their motivation--
whether their actions were right or wrong -- was PATRIOTISM". 
In other words, Bush declared that he and his cronies should be 
able to get away with anything -- and this "anything" just 
happens to include funding arson and murder inside Nicaragua and 
printing a manual on how to commit sabotage and assassination -- 
in the name of patriotism. If the policy happens to be illegal, 
so what --- carry it out in secret. 
 
Of course, this is nothing new for the White House and the 
Pentagon. It is business as usual. But Bush's pardons expose the 
fiary tales about being "a nation of laws." Bush has declared the 
real principles that guide the ruling class. 
 
Meanwhile, Bush and his pals are crying that any charges brought 
by the special prosecutor Walsh amount to "the criminalization of 
policy differences." What twisted logic! Reagan and Bush carry 
out a policy of arming contras to kill those Nicaraguans who 
disagree with them. And then they complain of the 
"criminalization of policy differences"?
 
Of course, Bush and his pals are only referring to policy 
differences among American politicans. No one else is supposed to 
have any right to a policy of their own. But even here, the 
hypocrisy is evident. How can Bush complain that the "policy 
differences" should have been debated, rather than being the 
subject of court proceedings, when the whole point is that Reagan 
and Bush kept these dirty deals secret?
 
IS THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR A TYRANT?
 
To hear Bush and his cohorts tell it, the special prosecutor is a 
powerful tyrant bullying his helpless "patriots." Why an ordinary 
Republican like Walsh should have a vendetta against a Republican 
White house is something Bush doesn't bother to explain. 
 
For that matter, the public was told over and over that the law 
on special prosecutors was created to restore confidence in the 
government; the special prosecutors are supposed to investigate 
criminal activity in the executive branch. The special 
prosecutors date back to when the Watergate scandal concerning 
the crimes of then President Richard Nixon were fresh in 
everyone's memory. But now, during the contragate scandal, Bush's 
complaint is that the special prosecutor actually showed a bit of 
energy in going after the wrongdoers. What a devastating 
criticism. 
 
Actually, if the pardons show anything, it is how easy it is for 
the high and mighty to turn the special prosecutor's office into 
a joke. Even when Walsh was able to overcome all the Shite 
Houes's obstructions and get a few convictions, Bush could undo 
it all with a wave of his pen. 
 
And take the ongoing refusal of Bush and Weinberger to turn over 
to Walsh those parts of their notes which reportedly refute 
Bush's lies about being "out of the loop" while the illegal acts 
were taking place. This is anohter example of hot top 
administration officials have been able to keep covering up their 
role in the scandal for years on end. 
 
WHY REAGAN AND BUSH COULD GET AWAY WITH MURDER
 
Why is it that after six years of investigations, the cover-up 
continues and top officials escape punishment?
 
Yes, Bush did his best to obstruct them. But the truth is 
Congress too didn't want the full truth revealed. The 
Congressional investigations gave the Democrats a chance to show 
their stuff. But rather than let the chips fall where they may, 
the chairman of the Senate investigation, Senator Inouye (D-
Hawaii), confessed that the committee's "first priority ws to 
make sure we didn't get into Reagan-bashing."
 
The politicans still remembered the Watergate scandal that had 
brought down then President Richard Nixon. This scandal didn't 
just bring the Republican administration of Nixon into ill-
repute, but shook many government institutions and brought out 
too much dirty linen. The politicans didn't want to go through it 
all again. So the Democrats didn't want to push things too far. 
They just wanted to use the Iran-contra hearings to put a bit of 
pressure on Reagan and Bush to work a bit more closely with 
Congress. The crimes would be all forgiven -- after all, one 
doesn't maintain a world empire without breaking a few eggs, or 
heads as the case may be --- if only Reagan and Bush would be a 
bit more diplomatic. 
 
This is why the Democrats could never find the "smoking gun" even 
while they were inspecting warehouses overflowing with hot and 
direty weapons. This is why they gave immunity right and left to 
Reagan and Bush officials, and helped obstruct Walsh's 
investigations. And this is why they weren't that upset by Bush's 
pardons, with prominent leaders like Speaker of the House Tom 
Foley approving them in advance consultation with the White 
House. 
----------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: P_news on Fidonets and p.news on Peacenet serve as  
conduits for articles from *LEFT* wing publications and other 
sources. The posting of said articles do not in any way 
[necessarily] represent the position of P_news or p.news or the 
poster, but are provided merely for informational purposes. The 
LEFT is not a monolith and various divergent views are held not 
only by individual groups but also by individual members of 
groups and independent socialists and anarchists. The 
facilitator, <Hank Roth> of these two conferences does not 
FORMALLY endorse any specific group or publication and we will 
endeavor to continue to provide other views from our conferees 
and their favorite *LEFT* wing publications. You are also 
encouraged to post articles and comments to p.news and P_news.
---------------------------------------------------------------
P_news is a conference for progressive news, articles and views 
on Fidonets. If you have access to a Fidonet BBS and want to read 
and post to P_news directly, ask your sysop to get it for you (It 
is on the zone 1 backbone). Tell your sysop P_news is available 
from his/her HUB where [s]he receives his/her regular mail 
packet. And, p.news is a parallel, but separate conference on 
Peacenet. You may subscribe to this worldwide network by calling 
Peacenet at: (415) 442-0220. 
------------------------------------------------------------- 
Provide both conferences with articles 
and news from your favorite *LEFT* wing publications or 
theoretical journals.  
--------------------------------------------------------------
Help us establish a new conference on FidoNets called W_news 
(World At Risk). This will be a SYMPOSIUM for discussion papers. 
No Flames and NO quoting. Details upon request. 
----------------------------------------------------------------
<Hank Roth> 
odin@world.std.com 
pnews@igc.apc.org. 
(On Fidonets at 151/101) 
       ################################################### 
 
 

Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive