September 25, 2006
I’m just along for the ride
After five-plus years of being ruled by a group that believes staying in power is more important than governing well while in power, I figure I should be pretty numb to all the half-truths and outright lies spinning their way out of Washington, but the current administration always seem to find a new way to amaze me.
Over the years Our Fine President and his homeys have personally attacked every political opponent or oppositional force in their way via a plethora of deceitful tactics including releasing clandestine information, distorting history and reducing the level of discussion to the point where every argument exists in a yes or no, true or false world where nothing is nuanced or shaded.
They’ve awarded failure with medals, slapped incompetence on the back, (with shirt-sleeves rolled up to look hardworking), passed the buck to their predecessors and fired plenty of people who’ve gotten things right. Only in disaster do they admit any wrongdoing, but then they avoid responsibility by saying, “Well shit, it’s a disaster, who could have foreseen this? I guess that’s why they’re called disasters.”
After all the incorrect predictions, wildly off-base assessments and outright untruths, no one has been held accountable. Sure Katrina put Michael Brown out of work, but after all the extra years, dollars and deaths, no one has been made to take responsibility for all the missteps in Iraq. And of course if their people can get history written as they’d like, all blame for the attacks of Sept. 11 falls on Bill Clinton’s administration.
I’ve never really gained a good understanding of the motives behind this administration’s actions. Sure, retaining power is a part of it, but if they really believe all their battle for the future of civilization boombast, they certainly set a violent and ineffective standard for our descendants to follow. They do seem set to their goals, refusing to heed any contrary advice or even acknowledge unpleasant council that might reach their ears.
All the intelligence showing the truth about Saddam Hussein’s lack of weapons was ignored and hidden from the public. Negative possibilities were ignored in the war planning as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld threatened to fire anyone who planned for contingencies. Since the hasn’t turned out liked they’d wished, Our Fine President and his friends have continually insisted that things are really OK while ever so politely leaving out mention of those pesky explosions, kidnapings and murders.
It’s no surprise that the administration is now trying to sidestep a National Intelligence Estimate that says the Iraq war has increased global terrorism instead of reducing it as we were all told it would. The report says America is not safer because of the war in Iraq, but instead of acknowledging mistakes and looking for a new direction we get more of the same about staying the course and not quitting when the slog get tough.
The Intelligence Estimate flies in the face of arguments about the Iraq War being waged to make America safer. That was the last of the pillars holding up the arguments behind starting this unprovoked conflict and now that it’s fallen I don’t see how Our Fine President can stand before the American public and defend the job he’s doing or especially the one being done by Rumsfeld. Of course no heads will roll, no one will acknowledge the failures, and as usual the politics of avoiding blame, smearing the opposition and retaining power will win out. Instead of listening to the advice of the intelligence community or the bi-partisan 9/11 Commission, this administration will continue to stay their mysterious course. The only thing that can slow their momentum will be the American public voting them and their party out of their jobs.
Despite all of the foul ups and all of the faltering, despite the daily reminders in the news and in our neighborhoods. There is still evidence that the American people just don’t, and may not be capable, of understanding the gravity of what is happening in the world.
“CHICAGO (Reuters) - A car dealership in Ohio has decided not to run a commercial proclaiming a “jihad” on the U.S. auto market, a Muslim activist group said on Monday.”
Many of you reading this may know something about Ohio, and being from there myself, I am certain this isn’t the first time and certainly won’t be the last time we hear crazy like this coming out of Columbus. Why can’t we realize that it is just this kind of insensitivity that has built up this situation to the frenzy that it is, outside the invasion and all of that.
Think people. At least he was convinced to pull the ads.