George Bush definitely believes in freedoms. But his concepts of freedom are flexible and uniquely suited to his larger agenda. Never are Bush’ freedoms congruent with the common English understanding of the word in its broad understanding, nor are Bush’ freedoms congruent with the constitutional freedoms understood and (formerly) expected by the American people.
For instance, Bush’ freedoms include freedom of the U.S. government to bypass international laws and treaties. This can mean freedom to torture innocent civilians in wartime in order to attempt to siphon information from them. This can mean freedom to indefinitely detain both citizens of the U.S. or non-citizens residing in the U.S. or to enact indefinite detainment of any citizen of any nation of the world, without any criminal charges whatsoever, without conviction of any crime, for the entire lifetime of that individual if the U.S. government determines to do so.
George Bush’ concept of freedom is his freedom as President to declare any person in the world to be a terrorist or to ignore terrorist activities of any citizen or national government of the world. No proof is necessary — Bush believes he is free to create terrorists by declaration.
Bush believes that Iraqi freedom is extensive, including freedom to be occupied indefinitely by the U.S. military, freedom of Iraqis to have their economies privatized by U.S. corporate interests, and freedom of Iraqis to accept rule by a constitution, government, and economy organized and supported by and for American interests. Iraqis, according to Bush, have freedom to work without unions, to live without electricity or clean water, and freedom to endure life’s difficulties without complaining.
Bush believes that as President under Patriot Act II, he has freedom to remove citizenship of any American who makes the mistake of expressing himself/herself as though the Constitutional freedoms are still in effect. Bush has reserved the freedom to search, seize, deport, detain, and torture anyone who believes in "old-fashioned" freedom.
American citizens may soon understand first-hand the "freedoms" that Iraqis now experience (as described above). Americans may soon understand what they have voluntarily relinquished in the name of security. Americans may soon learn that giving up freedom to obtain security quickly means the loss of both freedom and security. George W. Bush is comfortable with such a notion, because the only freedom he REALLY cares about is his own freedom to enrich the wealthy, to provide succor to the plutocracy, to enhance profits of the investor class, and to use adequate force to accomplish his mission of freedom.
What American REALLY needs is freedom FROM George W. Bush and his ugly cabal. George W. Bush’ exercise of freedom is directly counterproductive to the realizations of freedom that Americans have formerly taken for granted.
