Forget impeachment.

Liberals, put it behind you. George W. Bush and **** Cheney shouldn't be treated like criminals who deserve punishment. They should be treated like psychotics who need treatment.

Because they've clearly gone mad. Exhibit A: We're in the middle of a disastrous war in Iraq, the military and political situation in Afghanistan is steadily worsening, and the administration's interrogation and detention tactics have inflamed anti-Americanism and fueled extremist movements around the globe. Sane people, confronting such a situation, do their best to tamp down tensions, rebuild shattered alliances, find common ground with hostile parties and give our military a little breathing space. But crazy people? They look around and decide it's a great time to start another war.

That would be with Iran, and you'd have to be deaf not to hear the war drums. Last week, Bush remarked that "if you're interested in avoiding World War III . . . you ought to be interested in preventing [Iran] from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon." On Sunday, Cheney warned of "the Iranian regime's efforts to destabilize the Middle East and to gain hegemonic power . . . [we] cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its most aggressive ambitions." On Tuesday, Bush insisted on the need "to defend Europe against the emerging Iranian threat."

Huh? Iran is now a major threat to Europe? The Iranians are going to launch a nuclear missile (that they don't yet possess) against Europe (for reasons unknown because, as far as we know, they're not mad at anyone in Europe)? This is lunacy in action.

Writing in Newsweek on Oct. 20, Fareed Zakaria, a solid centrist and former editor of Foreign Affairs, put it best. Citing Bush's invocation of "the specter of World War III if Iran gained even the knowledge needed to make a nuclear weapon," Zakaria concluded that "the American discussion about Iran has lost all connection to reality. . . . Iran has an economy the size of Finland's. . . . It has not invaded a country since the late 18th century. The United States has a GDP that is 68 times larger and defense expenditures that are 110 times greater. Israel and every Arab country (except Syria and Iraq) are . . . allied against Iran. And yet we are to believe that Tehran is about to overturn the international system and replace it with an Islamo-fascist order? What planet are we on?"

Planet Cheney.

Zakaria may be misinterpreting the president's remark about World War III though. He saw it as a dangerously loopy Bush prediction about the future behavior of a nuclear Iran -- the idea being, presumably, that possessing "the knowledge" to make a nuclear weapon would so empower Iran's repressive leaders that they'll giddily rush out and start World War III.

But you could read Bush's remark as a madman's threat rather than a madman's prediction -- as a warning to recalcitrant states, from Germany to Russia, that don't seem to share his crazed obsession with Iran. The message: Fall into line with administration policy toward Iran or you can count on the U.S.A. to try to start World War III on its own. And when it comes to sparking global conflagration, a U.S. attack on Iran might be just the thing. Yee haw!

You'd better believe these guys would do it too. Why not? They have nothing to lose -- they're out of office in 15 months anyway. Après Bush-Cheney, le déluge! (Have fun, Hillary.)

But all this creates a conundrum. What's a constitutional democracy to do when the president and vice president lose their marbles?

The U.S. is full of ordinary people with serious forms of mental illness -- delusional people with violent fantasies who think they're the president, or who think they get instructions from the CIA through their dental fillings.

The problem with Bush is that he is the president -- and he gives instructions to the CIA and military, without having to go through his dental fillings.

Impeachment's not the solution to psychosis, no matter how flagrant. But despite their impressive foresight in other areas, the framers unaccountably neglected to include an involuntary civil commitment procedure in the Constitution.

Still, don't lose hope. By enlisting the aid of mental health professionals and the court system, Congress can act to remedy that constitutional oversight. The goal: Get Bush and Cheney committed to an appropriate inpatient facility, where they can get the treatment they so desperately need. In Washington, the appropriate statutory law is already in place: If a "court or jury finds that [a] person is mentally ill and . . . is likely to injure himself or other persons if allowed to remain at liberty, the court may order his hospitalization."

I'll even serve on the jury. When it comes to averting World War III, it's really the least I can do.

You are right, I do love it.

it's a scary thought.
but for me in craziness, but mental retardation.
now i just wonder who is more retarded bush or cheney.

i hate typos
i meant: it's not a matter of craziness, but mental retardation.
U gotta excuse the hispanic guy.

why stop with Bush and Cheney, lets 86 current members of both parties and start over...one election at a time.

Yeah basicly these days you are choosing the lesser of two evils. No one is really right for the job its just that they are a better choice than the "other guy" (or gal).

other than possibly individuals in possession of nuclear weapons, who may act irresponsably. I have never understood how the idea of mutually assured destruction doesn't apply. They aren't likely to use nuclear missles for more than a bargaining chip and leverage. The know we could, and probably would, blow them to hell and gone. We'd die too but they aren't dumb. They simply want equal footing.

So you're saying you support going to war with Iran? I'm surprised at you.

Bush and Cheney would prefer going to war against them.

Those guys in Iran are trying to keep the peace so well, only pursuing nuclear technology at breakneck speed, restricting shaped explosive charge shipments to Iragi insurgents and Afghanistani Taliban groups. Cutting way back on support to Hesbollah and Fatah by the extreme method of keeping it secret. Limiting cooperation with North Korea by only purchasing larger missiles and maybe a little additional nuclear technology and well, maybe a little more nuclear help with devices. Hardly seems like there is a problem there at all.

You should have so much more of a warm feeling to know that Russia, North Korea and Syria are in your camp. That always makes things seem so nice and neat.

Insanity is what insanity does, to misquote Forrest.

At some point you have to have a little backbone and stand up against aggressive forces bent on your destruction. If you don't do so there is the possibility they will prevail.

Hey greeneyedlady!

Curious,
There is more to it than mutual assured destruction. If Iran were to say, do this or do that or else I'll launch a nuke at you, things get a lot more complicated. Do you do whatever they say, or attack them or call their bluff? So first they might say, get all your ships out of the gulf, then they might say get the Jews out of Israel, then they might say take all your aircraft carriers all the way back to Massachusetts. Whatever they want is on the table. If the worst comes to pass and they insist on extreme terrorism, which they appear to be doing now, its better to fight them before they have nukes. Letting Iran bully you all over the world with terroristic threats would be very unpleasant. Their terroristic threats now have less teeth.

Another thing, since their bombs have been exploded in terroristic acts in Iraq, Israel, Lebanon and Afghanistan, and since they propose destruction of the US and Israel you might have a little more incentive to take proactive steps to keep things from getting worse.

So, 3what if Bush launches an attack on Iran?

Will he supply the troops with more DU munitions that are slowly killing off GIs?

Will he allow DU minitions to be discharged at the Iranians, as he does to the Iraqui? )In direct contravention of UN policy and the Geneva Conference)

What is the half life of DU?

Anyone?

WE, the people of the world, are doomed...Bush will get us all..Those he misses, Blackwater and Halliburton will cull!!

troops weere ordered at the height of the first incursion years earlier to stay away from all targets destroyed or rendered useless. Yet many come home sick as then. This is a different version of scorched earth, don't you think? Who knows, maybe they won't like us talking about this. The whole Middle East may very well become radio-active. Jeremiah 51 suggests this and it was written 2500+ years ago. So, can America escape the judgemwnt of such a prophecy by claiming to be "as it is written, so have we done" ??? I do not profess to have the answer. As far as DU goes, bibby....