“The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Article II, Section 4, U.S. Constitution
MEDIA ROOTS – Those who feel there is something terribly wrong with the influence of the federal government today must not revert to placing blame on a single party. Attention must be shifted instead to the bigger picture: the actual offices that are now predominantly owned by the corporate elite. While some individuals are occasionally elected to legitimately serve their constituents, most are obedient to only those with access to money and power. The most powerful political office on Earth is of no exception.
Twenty-Five Years of Impeachment Attempts Stop with Obama
There have consistently been attempts made by members of Congress to initiate impeachment hearings for each of the previous four presidential administrations. President Reagan’s involvement in the Iran Contra affair led to a congressional inquiry in the summer of 1987, while both Presidents George H. W. and George W. Bush unlawfully declared war with Iraq, among other charges, which resulted in separate calls for impeachment. Even President Clinton was accused of having illegally accepted campaign funds from foreign sources months before anyone heard of Monica Lewinsky.
However, today’s Commander-in-Chief does not face investigation from any legislative representative and there are no real calls to impeach from the mainstream press. To the utterly disillusioned, this could signify that America has finally elected an honest leader. But to those who are more attentive, it is apparent that something else must be protecting President Obama from public scrutiny.
It is a constitutional paradox to believe that President Obama remains fit to preside as President of the United States. After enslaving future taxpayers by endorsing corporate bailouts, continuing unlawful occupations and covert warfare in sovereign nations, and signing the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 into law which may suspend Americans’ most basic constitutional privileges, this president continues to operate unchecked in an unbalanced system. Only those who are ignorant of the Constitution, and the oath taken to defend it, continue to approve of Obama’s job performance. The impeachment of President Barack Obama is now supported by over a million petition signers online.
Why No Calls for Obama’s Impeachment?
Phillip II, King of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great, is credited with coining the phrase “divide et impera.” Literally defined as “divide and rule,” modern society has adapted the colloquialism to “divide and conquer.” All masters since Alexander the Great have understood that to maintain superiority, divisions must be fostered among the masses; increased divisions lead to increased dominion.
Race has always been a natural divider of peoples along with age and gender. Contemporary divisions also include specific political priorities to further separate individuals which might otherwise unite. In America, items such as abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research have been used by corporate media to protect a corporate government and maintain corporate control. It has become increasingly clear during the recent GOP debates that the media establishment continues to avoid discussing real issues such as those concerning the military-industrial complex.
Political partisanship might be the primary contributor for the lack of impeachment proceedings in this presidency. A recent poll revealed that the majority of Democrats continue to support the President despite his continual disregard for the Constitution. But with nine out of ten Republicans disapproving of who has been called the most polarizing president in American history, the question remains: why have there not been any attempts made to push for his removal?
An Intellectually Removed American Populace
The mainstream press, historically referred to as America’s fourth branch of government for their duty to hold the other three accountable, seems to increasingly ignore its moral compass. While individual reporters and editors may attempt to seek justice, the fact remains that nearly all major outlets are controlled by executives whom possess virtually no interest in the advancement of democracy. Profits supersede duty, resulting in an establishment that is seemingly no longer held accountable. This leaves a citizenry that is either naïve or desensitized to the criminalities of the federal government.
The conglomeration of mass media outlets by the same corporate interests that fund political campaigns might be why there have not been many journalistic investigations into the largest atrocities of this generation. Particularly during times of war, the Commander-in-Chief must be held under the microscope. Because of the revolving door between the corporate media and the federal government, American society remains splintered, uninformed, and disenfranchised.
While the impeachment of President Obama will most likely not occur before the end of this year, his re-election is of popular debate. His flagrant criminal acts are not only on par with those of President George W. Bush, his continuations and escalations of Bush-era policies are reasons why President Obama must not be re-elected.
Oskar Mosquito is a contributing writer for Media Roots and a producer for truth-march.
Photo by Flickr user Allesio85.