The Los Angeles Times editorial board calls for the resignations of Cheney and Rumsfeld. Right-wing fire-breather, Fred Barnes, likewise calls for Cheney’s head. David Gergen thinks Bush waited too long to make staff changes that might have saved his Presidency. Tom Friedman is now more trustful of Iranian mullahs with nuclear weapons than he is of empowering Bu$hCo. to do anything to try to stop them. Collectively, these new developments display a kind of common wisdom within the foreign policy establishment that the Bush presidency is fatally flawed and must not be allowed to finish out its term in its present form. The revolt of the generals is another piece, coming from the Pentagon, while Tyler Drumheller, Mary McCarthy, the NSA leakers and others are taking on this administration from the within the intelligence community. We are witnessing a slow-motion coup…a kind of assassination by a thousand cuts. But, it is not really coordinated. And no one is quite sure how to proceed, or what steps to take. Some think Bush can survive by shit-canning Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rove. Others think such actions will just precipitate his demise. The Establishment is like an alcoholic suffering through the early stages of recovery. Collectively, they are midway through the process (between steps three and four):
Stage 1: Awareness and Early Acknowledgment
This is really a pre-recovery stage that paves the way for recovery, and begins with a growing awareness that there is a problem with George W. Bush, his closest advisors, and his policies. During this stage the Establishment is still engaging in addictive behaviors and, in fact, is pushed into the stage by the concerns of family or friends, or for reasons of health, finance, work, or legal problems (or the immeasurable damage being done to the country). The end of this stage is marked by an acknowledgment that action is needed to address the issues. The tasks involve a shifting of perspective from outright denial to a willingness to consider the possibility of Congressional investigations, independent counsels, impeachment or forced resignations.
Stage 2: Consideration and Incubation
This stage is still a precursor to actual recovery, but is the first concrete step towards recovery, characterized by a willingness to further explore ideas about Congressional investigations, independent counsels, impeachment or forced resignations. The primary movement during this stage involves increasing knowledge about the realities of Iraq, Katrina, torture, corruption, and extrajudicial domestic surveillance, and the impact it’s having on the country’s citizens and on the citizens of other countries.
Stage 3: Exploring Recovery and Early Activity
This is the first clear stage of recovery. Beyond denial now, this stage unfolds with a clear resolution to end this Presidency. Tasks involve exploring ideas and activities of investigation, exposure, and constitutional law and succession; during this stage, people actively move towards overthrowing the government and beginning a coup of some kind.
Stage 4: Early Recovery and Rehabituation
Recovery involves a change in perspective, attitude, values, and leadership. Stage 4 marks the entry into full, but early, recovery. Although still fragile, this is the stage which most solidifies recovery and during which a new life is built. During this stage, a nation learns the skills, develop the behaviors, adopt the habits, and build the relationships needed to maintain a government that can defend the constitution and evenly apply the law.
Stage 5: Active Recovery and Maintenance
This is recovery proper. For many this is a stage without an end, for whom recovery is a lifetime process. It certainly is difficult to mark an end to the stage as it really “unfolds” into the life a nation will live for many years to come. By the time a nation enters Stage 5, it is actively monitoring the government, its policies, behaviors, activities, and relationships. Here, a nation is living out all it has learned as it ensures that each new day is a day free of George W. Bush and the abuse of power and evil influence of his neo-conservative advisors.