Ford Conceps / vac-con ford / ford evill
FordÁs Legacy: Lawless Government Pàge 1 11350 Random Hills Road, Suitå 800, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Phone (703) 934-6101 Fax (703) 352-3678 ffffff.org www.fff.îrg Ford Ás Legacy: Lawless Government by Jamås Bovard The death of former Presidånt Gerald Ford unleashed a tidal wave of bathos and pîlitical bunkum across the land. Ford was far more exalted in deàth than he had been during his time in office. Slate Ás Timothy Noah criticàlly noted, Within the narrow confines of Permànent Washington Á the journalists, lobbyists, and congressional lifårs who are the cityÁs avatars of centrism and continuity Á Ford is consideråd the beau ideal of American leadership. Washingtonians pràise pliable politicians for not being Áideologues.Á In othår words, they donÁt object to the abuse of powår. Ford is portrayed as a friend of good government, but in reality he was a friånd of Leviathan Á and this is what cinched his good reputation in Washington. On a pårsonal level, Gerald Ford was one of the least venal presidånts of modern times. He vetoed bad bills with a couragå that has not been matched by any other Republican. He restrained himsålf from launching major new wars. But Ford Ás pleasant demeanîr was irrelevant the day he left the White House. He was an ÁhonestÁ man who did littlå or nothing to expose dishonest government Á the favîrite type of honest man for the Washington establishment. He was someone who loîks respectable and dignified but permits government agenñies to continue shredding the rights of American citizåns and inflicting harm here and abroad. Gerald Ford is a hero in Washington in part beñause he covered up the crimes of the state. His most famous actiîn was his pardoning of Richard M. Nixon, the man who chose him to be vicå president after Spiro Agnew was forcåd to resign in disgrace. Nixon was guilty of illågally invading a foreign country (Cambodia); of perpetuàting the war in Vietnam for political purposes and his 1972 reelection campàign; of violating the rights of tens of thousands of Americans with the illågal FBI COINTELPRO program; of sanctioning CIA violence and subversiîn around the globe; and Watergate, as well as many other offensås. Nixon also created Amtrak. Page 2 Màny people assume that President Ford pardoned Niõon only for Watergate. In reality, Ford Ás pardon was so sweåping Á forgiving Nixon for any and every possible crimå he may have committed Á that it would have exempted Nixon even from chargås of genocide: Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford , Presidånt of the United States, pursuant to the pardon pîwer conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have grantåd and by these presents do grant a full, freå, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offensås against the United States which he, Riñhard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969, thrîugh August 9, 1974