How do they do it?
Barack Obama, the war criminal, and his wife, Michelle, yucking it up at the US Open tennis tournament? No charges? No arrest? No outrage? In a country that claims "no one is above the law?" It's as if Jeffery Dalmer or Hannibal Lecter were introduced and got a standing ovation. How do US war criminals do it?
For starters, the context.
US gov't officials have a long, ugly history of committing war crimes in virtually every country on the planet, regularly deploying weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) against civilian populations, including nuclear bombs in Japan, napalm in Vietnam, white phosphorous in Syria, and depleted uranium in the Balkans. Their record of cruelty, barbarism and violence is well documented. It is not in dispute.
No one questions whether George W Bush started a war with Iraq based on lies. He did.
No one questions whether Dick Cheney created a world-wide torture program. He did.
No one questions whether Condoleezza Rice lied about WMDs. She did.
No one questions whether Barack Obama murdered innocent civilians with drones. He did.
No one questions whether Hillary Clinton violated International law when she let loose the dogs of war in Libya. She did.
No one questions whether Joe Biden gave administrative cover for the illegal coup in Ukraine. He did.
The pattern of lawlessness set forth by these officials is a mystery to no one. Possessed of a romantic fixation on empire building and the pathological pleasures of spreading terror in the name of freedom, of bombing and strafing with impunity, power mad, to this day, not one has been held responsible for their bloody misdeeds. They set the world on fire and yet, even now, walk free, untouched by the law. Untouchable.
Worse, US war criminals don't fade into the black ooze from which they emerged, overcome, finally, by remorse or regret. They aren't shamed into exile by public sentiment, wholly repulsed by their wickedness. They remain distinguished public figures, propped up in carefully controlled environments, friendly talk shows and radio interviews, paid-for podcasts and slippery, feel-good visuals on the internet. They smile and preen and deliver vacuous slogans on various subjects about which they know nothing and care not a whit. They're experienced frauds and lie as easily as breathing. They are unmoved by the misery and suffering they have caused, unaffected, unaltered, impervious. They are never asked.
In the US, rehabilitation is key. Corporate elites and their stooges in the media are careful to frame every conversation in such a way as to aid the war criminals in covering up their crimes. These staged appearances convey an air of professionalism and collegiality, wrapped in multi-colored messaging that says the people who commit war crimes are not who you think they are. They're not evil. They're not heartless monsters. They're normal folks, just like you and me. They eat, they drink, they write books, they tell jokes. They just happen to have killed at lot of people.
Who cares? Bring on the colorful cartoons and stylized caricatures that transform US war criminals into respected elder statesmen. Programed, if you will. Honor the murderers. Cheer on the killers, hands waving, hats flying.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
