THE US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted last week to start impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton - only the third time such proceedings have been used in the history of the United States.
The decision, taken by the Republican majority, will have to be endorsed by the full House of Representatives - which also has a Republican majority.
Clinton will be charged with perjury, obstructing justice and abusing the office of President. Although Clinton is clearly guilty of those charges it is difficult to predict the outcome. Nor are the tactics of the Republicans clear. They may opt, for electoral purposes, to keep Clinton on the hook rather than complete the process arid eject him from office.
Clinton of course deserves to be thrown out of office for a series of war crimes, from Iraq to his recent bombings of Afghanistan and Sudan, as well as financial corruption and the way he has collapsed into the Republican agenda since he was elected. His motives for bombing Afghanistan and Sudan are increasingly being questioned even amongst the US establishment. Veteran American journalist Seymour Hersh revealed how Clinton by-passed both the joint Chiefs of Staff and the FBI (who were asking for more hard evidence on the targets) in order to co-ordinate his missile strikes with the Lewinsky hearing. Hersch says: "There was speculation that His the missile strikes motives for were ordered as a distraction at a bombing time when Mr Afghanistan and Clinton's grip on Sudan are being the Presidency was coming under questioned renewed assault".
Despite Clinton's crimes, however, it is clear that there is a right wing conspiracy seeking to replace him, at some stage, with a right wing Republican. US imperialism wants to establish its domination at every level of world politics, particular its ability to use military force. The conspiracy is driven by the Republican right and the religious lobby. By basing its case on the Lewinsky affair it is also having a regressive effect on American society. It is 'back to basics' writ large. This has created a dilemma for sections of American society. The black population are polling 90% against impeachment, and parts of the women s movement do not wish to defend what Clinton has done but fear the alternative.
This is not to say that the Republican right have been very clever in the way they have operated in this. Clinton has remained high in the opinion polls because a lot of people do not want to go along with what they see as a reactionary witch hunt against him On a world scale, the humiliation and impeachment of Clinton can only sap confidence Still further and add to the crisis in the stock exchanges and the money markets. But for the Republican right, the main issue is to get rid of Clinton and replace him in their own image. unable to support public works like embankments and flood control" he says " Private capital has flooded into many poor countries but it is after the quick buck. It is not interested in public works, sociat welfare or development • The SOCIALIST OUTLOOK