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As is likely the case for most adults is the recalled admonition from a mother or a father or both that the real danger of telling a lie is “If you lie to me this time, how will I ever be able to believe anything you tell me?” Not only Americans, especially concerning matters of national and international security, it is absolutely essential all of us be able to believe what our nationally elected and appointed officials tell us. I’ve spoken with a or read the opinions of a number of folks who pooh-pooh the recently released independent study that via attributions and cross-checks every American can check for him- or herself the very top Bush officials, including the President, deliberately and repeatedly misled the nation concerning Iraq-Hussein-al Qaida. At least 935 times. They deliberately lied to the entire world 935 times, and the exquisitely direct result has been the death of nearly 4,000 American military, the physical mutilation of at least 60,000 more, the emotional and/or psychological devastation of more than the Department of Defense can now, or is willing to, estimate, the evisceration of our treasury up to and beyond $2 TRILLION, the emasculation of our military to the point it can no longer be relied upon to fulfill its first obligation, the death and mutilation and dispossession of more than a million innocent Iraqi civilians, the swallowing of horrendous shame by Americans and those who previously stood by us for egregious acts no one would heretofore have suspected the United States was even capable of parsing for legality, a pan-global circumstance wherein nothing a US official might utter is believable, and the pan-global enmity in which the United States is now regarded. “Oh, we already know all that stuff,” as if somehow strongly suspecting, or even knowing without the shard of any doubt, the administration was guilty of what at any other time in the country’s history would be deemed “high crimes and misdemeanors” warranting impeachment, is tediously exculpatory. It’s stale, so it’s okay is a sharp stick in the eye of the line of justice that asserts homicide has no statute of limitations. But it is not okay. It is not old news, just because it is. On that note, I made a brief Internet survey of newspapers, to see whether and to what extent the release yesterday of the independent study that proved beyond a reasonable doubt how the administration had lied was reported. By and large, it wasn’t. What was all over the place were details concerning the tragic death of actor Heath Ledger; as if anyone on earth beyond those directly connected to the young man should really care about something that at best is titillating distraction. Not so much on the referenced study, however. To add an underline to the reason the story retains urgent currency, yesterday, Vice-president Cheney said, “It’s a fact…” He was speaking on behalf of an expansion of the FISA laws concerning warrantless eavesdropping on our communications. I’m not invoking the yea or nay on either the propriety or constitutionality of FISA here. What I’m positing is that, as it is absolutely critical that Americans and everyone around the world be able to believe those occupying our highest offices when it comes to national and international security, when, as a consequence of previous behaviors, none of us can believe anything said by the administration, all of us, including any sense of faith in government itself, are in peril. What follows is a link to Dan Froomkin’s post in this morning’s Washington Post. Within the story are connecting links to the study and to the fully searchable database references that all can check for him- or herself. Do not accept a thing I say. Even more important, do NOT believe anything anyone in the current administration says. Finally, be certain you do not let any of your friends or associates utter the first note in support of an administration entitled only to the strongest public disdain. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2008/01/23/BL2008012301758_pf.html And to the end of responsible governance and the success of the American experiment in self governance, while I strongly identify with the philosophy that girds the Democratic Party, in contrast to that espoused by the GOP, I cannot more virulently disagree with the bumbling, effete dissembling on this issue by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. As much as has the administration, they heap shame on all of us. — Ed Tubbs
An "Old Army Vet" and liberal, qua liberal, with a passion for open inquiry in a neverending quest for truth unpoisoned by religious superstitions. Per Voltaire: "He who can lead you to believe an absurdity can lead you to commit an atrocity."
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