If you're not watching Frontline's special "Bush's War" you should be. I have been an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq since the beginning and yet I had no idea the scope of what was going on. I didn't know Wolfowitz was in bed with Chalabi. I didn't know the majority of our "intelligence" came from the INC which obviously had it's own reasons for wanting to topple Saddam Hussein. I knew Powell got screwed, but I didn't know how much of a pissing match was going on between the State Department and the Pentagon. I didn't realize just how long Dick Cheney distrusted the CIA and therefore had no problem creating his own intelligence when Tenent didn't come up with what he wanted. The first hour made me crazy. Realizing this administration as originally chosen by Bush was a bunch of whiny power hungry little boys who had no problem lying to get what they wanted. Realizing Rice and Powell were impotent the minute they were appointed. Realizing they went to a 34 year old staffer in the Justice Department who was willing to shape the law to say whatever they wanted. The second hour made me want it over. Cheney is more than a liar. He has no conscience. He's a criminal and he was the one in control of Bush. The irony of the title shouldn't be missed on anyone. This was never Bush's war. This was Cheney's war. This was Rumsfeld's war. This was Wolfowitz's war. Bush didn't have a clue what was going on. The CIA which was blamed for faulty intelligence (And rightly so. Tenent fucked up. He got too close to the President and lost sight of his job) had their eye on Afghanistan from the beginning. And because Rumsfeld was pissed off the Pentagon wasn't in control of operations there he let the CIA languish there for a month. He also pulled special ops forces too soon in order to make Iraq happen. The last hour made me sick. A year before Abu Ghraib the things this country did to prisoners? Disgusting. The way Cheney manipulated the media to sell the war? Shameful. The lack of leadership by the man this country "elected" President? Embarrassing.
And that was only part 1.
Last night ended at 11:22pm with the US bombing Baghdad. Tonight should be superfun.
I knew it was ugly. I just didn't know the particulars. And the particulars are more than depressing. This is politics. This is the way this country has operated since the beginning. And it left me wondering if this country is really worth saving. And what that all means for someone like myself who has spent the past 24 years believing democracy and the US were worth it.
So, yeah, that's what's happening here. Erin's losing her mind over something she has no control over and already was well aware was going on.
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5 comments:
I didn't watch it for two reasons.
a) I'm ashamed that I've become one of those americans that's sick of hearing about the war. I've opposed it all along, I believe things are worse than I know, and there's nothing I can do about it.
b) It was on too late. This is particularly sad because it was on an hour earlier in chicago.
I just had a meeting with the cheesemaker at Vermont's very own Jasper Hill creamery. He was a cool dude. We talked about cheese and hiking.
i am so glad i suggested we watch that
Kevin?
It's waaay worse than we thought.
And Jasper Hill cheese is da bomb.
You're gonna order that right?
hell yeah I'll order it. And if you come visit xtina and I, you can have some. They have this new washed-rind cheese bathed in lambic.
I've also recently started buying cheese from zingermans creamery in ann arbor. Can't get enough of that little dragon.
this is one of the few times i wish i had television channels. it would be tough to watch, because i don't even want to know in some ways. the more truthful the account the better, but damn is it depressing. and what are you gonna do about it once you know how much worse it was than you even thought? the only things people should lose their minds over is things they can do nothing about and are already aware of.
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