A Postscript: Choices Have Consequences

I have an addendum to my post the other day concerning Obama's announcement of his "new" Afghanistan strategy ("A Deadly Liar and Manipulator").

A short while ago, I happened to look at an essay of mine from the end of August of last year. In that post, "A Choice of War Criminals," I set out the relevant provisions of the Nuremberg Principles. I then demonstrated -- and the proof is a remarkably simple one to grasp -- how application of those Principles leads to the unavoidable conclusion that both Barack Obama and John McCain were and are war criminals. As I also pointed out, the same is true of many others in our national ruling political class.

I had forgotten the conclusion of that earlier article. Because of its relevance to news events of this week and to the continuing murderous course of American Empire, I offer the final part of my argument again:

In his speech tonight, Barack Obama said not a word about holding anyone responsible for these crimes. But as noted above, how could he? He would have to hold himself responsible, too. Besides, if Obama is elected President, it will be time for "unity," and time "to move on." Accountability? Justice? Forget it.

And that brings us precisely here:

You desperately need to understand this: the next President of the United States, no matter who it is, will enter office knowing that he or she can systematically and regularly authorize torture, order mass murder, direct the United States military to engage in one campaign of criminal conquest and genocide after another, oversee uncountable acts of inhumanity and barbarity -- and he or she will never be challenged or called to account in any manner whatsoever. It may have taken the Bush administration two terms to bring us to the point where such evils are committed and even boasted about in broad daylight, while almost no one even notices -- but this will be where the next President starts.

And for this monstrous, unforgivable fact, you can thank the Democrats and those who whore themselves for the Democrats' success in our disgustingly meaningless elections.

If you vote for the candidate of one of the two major parties, this is your choice: John McCain, war criminal -- or Barack Obama, war criminal.

In view of all this, are people still going to seriously tell me -- are they going to seriously tell me -- that it is crucial to vote for Obama, because McCain is a crazy old man? Why exactly? Are they going to tell me it is critical for Obama to be the next President so that he can systematically and regularly authorize torture, order mass murder, direct the United States military to engage in one campaign of criminal conquest and genocide after another, oversee uncountable acts of inhumanity and barbarity -- and never be challenged or called to account in any manner whatsoever? But, they will whine, Obama would never do that. They may hope he will not, and I hope they are right -- although the prospects are alarming in the extreme -- but he will have the power to do all of it.

There is only so much I can stomach, and there are limits to what I will support. I will not vote for a war criminal, especially a war criminal who has insulated himself from all accountability for his own acts. Barring unexpected developments, I refuse to vote for either of these men. They are both vile, cynical, lying, ignoble, contemptible, sickening human beings. I therefore intend to follow a very different course.

But one of these men will be the next President. May God have pity on us, and may God have pity on the world.

I was bitterly amused to see my earlier reference to the "unity" theme, one which Obama repellently took up again the other night. Tragically, the balance of my remarks are decidedly and very notably unamusing.

Choices have consequences. When people choose to support a system such as ours today, endless destruction, murder, torture, barbarity and devastation are what they will get, necessarily and inevitably. Almost no one chooses "the only honorable course." Instead, most people avail themselves of transparent rationalizations, of mindless invocation of "lesser evils," and of the full panoply of denial and avoidance.

But the suffering and the death go on. Most Americans don't care. Nor do most writers and bloggers. They don't suffer anything close to the worst of the consequences of their choices, at least not yet. As far as they're concerned, all of that is far offstage, easily ignored.

If you voted for a war criminal, you voted for murder, torture and destruction. If you expected any other result, you're a fool. And that's the kindest description that can be offered.