Presidential Veto shows that U.S. Bush administration does not believe in democracy

by Traci Lawson

The well-reported use of the Presidential Veto Power shows that the U.S. Bush administration does not substantively believe in democracy. Instead it is apparent that the U.S. Bush administration instead believes in coercing and manipulating political processes to serve his own agenda, and that of his elite neo-conservative confederates. Correspondingly, Mr. Bush and his elite confederates is committed to the spread of the oppressive context of capitalism for commercial profit and power, and not democracy

"The veto of the Iraq war funding bill demonstrates the extent of White House extremism", says Phyllis Bennis, who is affiliated to the Institute for Policy Studies.

Mr. Bush is not rejecting a "bring all the troops home and end the war" Bill but rather rejecting a basically weak compromise bill that would still provide $100 billion to continue the war, would set only a "goal" of removing some troops by March 2008, and would allow 60-80,000 troops to remain indefinitely. The Bill would also not even restrict a U.S. pre-emptive attack on Iran, and would still allow the destabilizing 100,000+ U.S.-paid mercenaries of oil interests in Iraq, to continue with only insignificant restrictions. The proposed Bill would have also still neo-colonially require Iraq to accept a new oil bill, and would allow Bush to ignore suggested requirements for adequate training, equipping and rest of U.S. troops.

"The fact that the White House would veto such a bill, containing only an advisory timetable and virtually no real restrictions on the conduct of the war, shows the dangerous extremism of this administration, " elaborates Ms. Bennis.

It is likely that the U.S. Congress will respond to the veto by going into serious negotiations aimed at what the Washington Post called "a compromise to cool the red-hot war debate."

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