The failed president, Bush, commuted the jail sentence of his lying underling, "Scooter" Libby. For his obstruction of justice, then, an obstruction that shielded the constitutionally-challenged Dick Cheney from legal scrutiny, Libby avoids the greatest humiliation, though he remains, for now, a convicted felon. He is free. But he is not exonerated.
Confucius would look on this entire sorry affair with disdain: another example of political power-holders lying and avoiding responsibility for their actions. He would not place ultimate importance on the law as a means for resolving the moral failings involved here. Rather, he would suggest that only the individual leaders themselves - Bush, Cheney, Libby - can rectify the situation. That would, of course, require an admission of wrong-doing, which, of course, will never come from any of them. But without that sort of personal rectification, their authority is diluted. Who will follow men who refuse to take responsibility for their actions? The Analects (13.6) tell us:
The Master said: "A ruler who has rectified himself never gives orders, and all goes well. A ruler who has not rectified himself, gives orders, and the people never follow them."
They are hopeless. Wake me up on January 20, 2009.
Oh, and by the way, it is relevant here to remember, since Libby was covering up the lies that led us into the disasterous Iraq quagmire:
Upright Gong?
I think you are placing a great deal more emphasis on rule of law than there ought be. Now, I think Bush is a totally corrupt leader who is absolutely devoid of self-rectification; however, loyalty does seem to be a trait he possesses in spades. If courage, without the rites, leads one to brigandage, loyalty that has not been likewise tempered leads to cronyism. Guanxi gone rotten.
Posted by: JustSomeGuy | July 03, 2007 at 01:59 PM
If you sleep until January 2009, you will wake to your own worst nightmares.
Posted by: gmoke | July 03, 2007 at 07:29 PM
Yes, you're right. We can't just give up completely. But Bush has been my worst nightmare - for six years now. And I cannot see how he can be gotten out of office. Impeachment? However valid a case might be, I do not see it happening politically. Democrats in Congress are not unified enough, and will not be unified enough over the next 1.5 years, to get that job done. I imagine some think having Bush as president actually helps them politically, which weakens the possibility that he can be forced out. So we are stuck in terms of institutional power. Maybe that leaves us with only discursive power: continue to make the case for how bad and harmful to the country he has been. I will certainly do that: Bush lost the war! But I do not believe that discursive action can trump institutional power. He is in office, he will almost certainly remain in office, he can use that office for his own political ends (See Libby commutation/future pardon), and we are generally stuck with him. A national tragedy to be sure, but with a definite end in sight. All that matters, institutionally, is that the Republicans be turned out of the executive branch. I believe the rot and corruption run much deeper in that party than just Bush. The prospects for that are good. I really don't care if it is Hilary or Obama (I do not have the netroots hatred of HRC). All that matters is winning in 08 and cleaning house, and restoring the Constitution.
Posted by: Sam | July 04, 2007 at 04:31 PM