So, after four long years of war, torture, and domestic spying, we're finally here: the last day of Bush. In a little over seventeen hours, George Walker Bush will formally leave office and become former President Bush. The madness of King George will finally be over.
The change is welcome, and even if Obama fails to live up to the hype and is only as bad as Clinton, he'll still be a vast improvement on the Bush Administration. But the big question is what happens next. Because the Bush Administration has unquestionably committed crimes against both US and international law. It has repeatedly admitted it, sought to justify it, been proud of it. If the US truly is a nation of "laws, not men", then the policymakers, lawyers and officials responsible for those crimes - including the (soon-to-be former) President, Vice-President, Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence, as well as the torturers themselves - must be publicly held to account. They must be investigated, prosecuted, and if convicted, sentenced to appropriately long jail terms.
While there is always the chance of a last-minute pardon, a final "fuck you" to the world, it is looking unlikely (and will simply shift the burden of prosecution to international courts while confirming guilt). So, the question for Obama is how will he deal with this: will he stand up for American values and American law, confirm that the law applies even to kings presidents, and ensure that these crimes are properly investigated and prosecuted? Or will he play the usual Washington political game of sweeping it all under the carpet in the name of "unity" (and having your own indiscretions similarly ignored in future)? That, ultimately, is what I will be judging the new President on. And I am hoping that he will not screw it up.
