…continued from Part I
State of the Union, 2007: Part II
Buffalo Forum*
Bush State of the Union
Plan for Expanded Military and Civilian Corps
It is well known and admitted by the Pentagon that U.S. military forces already stretched thin are simply losing in Iraq. Yet Bush plans to escalate war to Iran and elsewhere. To do so, he is demanding to increase the Army and Marine Corps — the occupying ground forces in any war — by 92,000 troops, over the next five years. But it is clear that this is not enough, especially given the increasing resistance among the youth to be cannon fodder for imperialist war. So Bush is also calling for a “Civilian Reserve Corps.”
According to Bush, this Civilian Corps “would function much like our military reserve. It would ease the burden on the Armed Forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them. It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time.” This is an effort to entice yet more youth into war, while claiming to do otherwise. It very likely will also be directed toward undocumented immigrant youth, with the promise of citizenship for “civilian service.” It could also be used to justify hiring “civilians with critical skills,” from other countries.
This Corps would be in addition to the existing mercenary army in Iraq, utilizing forces like Blackwater, Inc. There are an estimated 100,000 private “contractors” in Iraq, including at least 48,000 soldiers. Blackwater, with hundreds of millions in government contracts already, also provided mercenaries to occupy New Orleans after Katrina.
The government mercenaries in Iraq have been responsible for torture and other crimes. They are considered outside any law and have not been subject to any punishment for known crimes. Given this existing reality, it is very likely that such a Civilian Corps, once established, would serve to create a private army directly controlled by the President. It likely will not come under the authority of Congress, or even the military. And it could be used as a fascist force of the executive inside the country as well. It represents a significant and dangerous development in government arrangements.
Alongside the call for this Civilian Corps, Bush proposed what he called a Congressional “advisory council.” Emphasizing the power usurped by the Office of the President that reduces Congress to a consultative body, Bush said “Both parties and both branches should work in close consultation. It’s why I propose to establish a special advisory council on the war on terror, made up of leaders in Congress from both political parties. We will share ideas for how to position America to meet every challenge that confronts us. We’ll show our enemies abroad that we are united in the goal of victory.”
The proposal for an “advisory council,” if implemented, represents an effort by the president to complete new arrangements of governance whereby Congress and the Courts have only an advisory and consultative role, and all power resides with the president. Bush has continued to emphasize that he, and he alone, is the “decision-maker,” and that Congress cannot stop him. He has made the decision about sending more troops to Iraq. By implication, he will also decide about bombing Iran.
A serious clash is underway on this matter. But Bush and the ruling circles generally do not want an open constitutional fight if it can be avoided. An advisory council is a possible means to do this. It could serve to keep Congress as an elected body, but essentially eliminate any power it has. It could also eliminate the current role of Congressional committees and concentrate them in this “advisory council” of top leaders. This select few would be in on the deal making and decision-making and the rest would simply be consulted with. It is a significant proposal that bears watching, especially as the current battles over bills and resolutions on Iraq and Iran unfold.
Americans met Bush’s speech with a massive outpouring on Janurary 27, demanding an end to the war now. The action also put Congress on notice. Americans do not want a pro-war government. The failure by Congress to act, like Bush’s failure, will be met with determined resistance, including working step by step to create an anti-war government of the people themselves.
*Buffalo Forum is a local publication of the U.S. Marxist-Leninist Organization
