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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Michael Harold
Published Letters: 498 Editor's Choice: 3
I knew the war was both a war of choice and a war of aggression from the start. There was sufficient information from credible sources during the buildup to war to question the administration's premises and motives for invading Iraq. Nevertheless, it was obvious that the US was going to invade.
I knew Iraq was screwed when the US failed to secure the nation's most valuable assets. Not its oil. Its culture and its citizens. Iraq is a treasure to the world. Its early history is the early history of civilization itself. And the occupying forces failed completely to safeguard that heritage. The day I knew Iraq was screwed was the day I learned that the Iraqi National Museum had been looted. It was equivalent to looting the Louvre.
And then we failed to make sure that the infrastructure was maintained. We should have put whatever resources were necessary on the ground to restore the quality of life for Iraq's citizens as quickly as possible. That would have meant putting money into Iraq companies' and Iraq workers' pockets. That would have meant putting Iraq's military to work. Instead, we funneled US money into the no bid pockets of George Bush's and Dick Cheney's friends.
At that point, the writing was on the wall. Anyone who didn't see that the catastrophe was already in play was not paying attention.
These pundits and "analysts" who talk about the surge and turning Iraq around and staying the course are liars. Deliberately so.
Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, [ed. or the Middle East] but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha...
From The Princess Bride
I've been in big-time show biz advertising for almost 30 years, and I'm in awe.
I would be in awe if it were not so blatantly transparent. To me it comes across as collusion, plain and simple. When I see this kind of coordinated behavior between the government, the "think tanks" and the MSM, it nearly convinces me that we have already made the turn from a democracy into a fascist corporatist state. What we are witnessing is a classic propaganda campaign as can only be implemented in a fascist or near-totalitarian government.
I know a lot of people think of German National Socialism when they hear the word fascist, but at present we more closely resemble the Italian fascist government of the late 20s and early 30s. Their fascism was primarily corporatist (a form of capitalism designed to form and maintain monopolies and cartels) and, unlike Germany, did not single out a particular group for scorn, at least not in the initial stages. Italian fascism was essentially non-racist. Italian fascism was also somewhat "progressive" and "liberal" in its initial stages, inclusive of ideas from marxism, socialism, syndicalism and catholicism.
It was very appealing to many US capitalists at the time, because it promoted the rule of the many by the few for all the Right reasons: order, stability, security and growth. In my opinion, it was similar in its politics to what we are currently experiencing in the US under our current administration.
Propaganda is a tool of the ruling class and our MSM is almost completely in the service of the ruling class at present. In other words, I don't really know if we can regain (much less retain) the most important characteristics of our democracy. We are already a corporatist society. It remains to be seen if we will finally convert to a 21st century version of Fascism with a Happy Face.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
