I have this friend who used to be a Democrat, but swallowed the whole "they're coming to kill us and only GWB can save us" rhetoric, and became a Republican.
He's always contended that it was no one's fault that we didn't ever find weapons of mass desctruction, that we could have never known for sure.
He STILL contends this, even in the face of facts like the Downing Street Memo and this CNN report that shows that Powell was forced/tricked into giving that UN speech about mobile biological weapons labs, and so on.
Why can't these people (my friend and oh, the other 50% of the nation that goes along with this crap) face facts: The Administration lied. They lied their asses off to commit us to going into Iraq. They did it so that American companies could glean short-term profits from it.
I'm serious when I ask this. Why? And why does this Administration still enjoy my friend's trust in the face of these facts? I really, really don't get it. And don't give me the, "aw, all politicians lie" line. This is very bad stuff. This lie has committed $300 billion of our tax dollars. This lie has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 2,000 American servicemen and countless American security contractors. And most importantly, this lie has EXACERBATED the terrorist threat, not dampened it.
He's always contended that it was no one's fault that we didn't ever find weapons of mass desctruction, that we could have never known for sure.
He STILL contends this, even in the face of facts like the Downing Street Memo and this CNN report that shows that Powell was forced/tricked into giving that UN speech about mobile biological weapons labs, and so on.
Why can't these people (my friend and oh, the other 50% of the nation that goes along with this crap) face facts: The Administration lied. They lied their asses off to commit us to going into Iraq. They did it so that American companies could glean short-term profits from it.
I'm serious when I ask this. Why? And why does this Administration still enjoy my friend's trust in the face of these facts? I really, really don't get it. And don't give me the, "aw, all politicians lie" line. This is very bad stuff. This lie has committed $300 billion of our tax dollars. This lie has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 2,000 American servicemen and countless American security contractors. And most importantly, this lie has EXACERBATED the terrorist threat, not dampened it.
Labels: Politics
posted by isaacjosephson at 7:27 PM
1 Comments:
I assume you may be referring to me, and I like that you refrain from calling me an idiot or willfully ignorant or any of that.
:-)
I've always been under the impression that this Administration is sloppy about intelligence, and that they're not above blending politics and policy to suit their needs. I don't like this much.
As far as the issue around Powell's UN presentation, I've not drawn the conclusion that he was duped. Instead, I think that Powell admirably decided that, in order for him to put his credibility on the line at the UN, he needed to hold the sourcing and the intel to a higher standard. Good for Powell. I've long been a fan. In fact, check this:
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Wilkerson and Powell spent four days and nights in a CIA conference room with then-Director George Tenet and other top officials trying to ensure the accuracy of the presentation, Wilkerson says.
"There was no way the Secretary of State was going to read off a script about serious matters of intelligence that could lead to war when the script was basically un-sourced," Wilkerson says.
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My sense is that Powell did what he's supposed to do. He pushed the Administration, he worked his ass off to see what was worthy of his attention, of the world's attention, and he went to the UN and presented the best of what was given to him. I'm under the impression that Powell, although unsatisfied with the sloppiness of the intel he received, was able to sort through it and STILL find a compelling case to be made. I've not heard Powell say he was tricked ever.
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