Iraq - A Stepping Stone
As most of you know I’m agnostic. I was never much for confessing, even when younger.
My family who by history is Roman Catholic never made me participate in confession prior to first communion - though I believe it is now required, it was not back then.
There is something to say for confessors though. If we had more of them maybe we would have less people confessing, or clarifying as some might want to call it, in books. Books which clog up the prominent displays, making it damn hard to find “War and Peace”.
So Scott McClellan writes a book. The media goes nutso.
When you knew all along the kid down the road was part of the street gang that stole your bicycle, and your school lunch sandwiches, you really don’t want to see him make a boat load of money admitting to the fact years later.
Especially when you’ve known it all along.
McClellan writes that Bush and his team sold the Iraq war by means of a “political propaganda campaign” in which contradictory evidence was ignored or discarded, caveats or qualifications to arguments were downplayed or dropped and “a dubious al-Qaida connection to Iraq was played up.
What, we are now going to pay to read things we have known to be the case all along?
Once a paid deceiver, now a potentially much wealthier former paid deceiver?
Wonder where they’re shelving “The Prince” these days.
Two posts in one day, school is out for summer. ha
So true. I’m sure people will flock to it in droves.
I’d have chosen the Minor Threat version of stepping stone, but that’s just me.
i didn’t think that would go over well here. ;)
Minor Threat, that is.
I think the media is only making a big deal about this because of the cries of “betrayal” (neocons with hurt feelings) and about-face angle … a former Bush Kool-Aid drinker suddenly snapping out of the trance. Or maybe they’re genuinely surprised a presidential PR guy would spin things (no snickering). The story of the Iraq war propagandizing is pretty well documented at this point, and the media and too many Americans don’t seem to care. I’m not holding my breath for any real investigative journalism into the myriad constitutional crimes perpetrated by this administration.
Yes, it’s not like anyone has a desire to do anything about it, at this point everyone is culpable.
Is this not rich? I can remember seeing this man stand in front of us and know that he was lying, yet present it with a straight face. I certainly realize that was his job, but was his soul a casualty thereof.
As with any of these “tell alls” that reveal nothing new, I shall not be purchasing this book, reading elongated excerpts, or watching the multitude of interviews that are about to ensue.
Jimminey Crickets!
Making it all so pointless.
The transition from peddling obvious lies to peddling obvious truths. Ah, this is an American redemption.
We for sure need redemption.
I always thought it strange too hearing about all those criminals who write sensational books about the murders they’ve committed, the atrocities they’ve orchestrated, and the injustices they’ve gotten away with. In fact, I think there’s some kind of law which prevents criminals from profiting from their crimes in any way.
Maybe the sentiment should be shifted over to government no-no’s as well, huh?
Now there’s an idea.
Yeah, there’s nothing new, and I am not going to buy the book, but there is a part of me that is happy he said it, rather than say nothing at all.
I hope that weight is on his chest slammed onto his big toe when it fell off.
I’m sitting in a teachers lounge, this is the topic of choice this morning/afternoon.
It’s a forty-sixty split on the significance of this book, more leaning toward “not so much”.
Call me uncool, but I like The Monkees version of that song.
Right on point.
“We’ll have to order “The Prince” and other Machiavelli writings, I think we can call another store and get you a copy of “War and Peace” but “The South Beach Diet Supercharged”, and “The Hollow” is right up front here.”
I haven’t thought of Minor Threat in years.
Thank god “Six Feet Under” brought back that song.
We might have gone forever into the night not realizing the potential of five words.
I loved that show.
I sympathize with bookstore clogging. Personally, I go to the library.
But every day that this is a story is a good day. Every parroted response by current and former administration officials, every response to those criticisms McClellan offers, and every response to those responses reminds the voters that McCain was swept up in and contributed to a propaganda campaign to send our servicemen and women off to die. I hope it gets brought up in the debates.
McClellan gets no medals from me,. but I’ll gladly accept the book
That appears to be the general consensus.
Good points, EW.
And I will add: this book (which I purchased earlier today but have not yet opened) should provide more fuel to the pyre which is consuming gw’s desire to be viewed favorably by history. Fact is, we knew gw lied despite his denials.
But as more people leave his administration, it becomes very clear and undeniable that he and his puppet masters, dickless cheney chief among them, embraced the corruption of power to the detriment of this country and her peoples.
Joe Wilson told us the claims that saddam was a threat to us was a bunch of malarky but we really did not listen. A few others have come forward and again we did not listen.
Let’s hope lots and lots of people are listening now. And let’s hope those same people remember come the November election day. Time for us to move away from the jackasses who’ve put us into the days of $4 gasoline, high bread prices and more dead soldiers in Iraq than any person of intelligence and compassion wants to consider ever possible.
I have never understood the concept of confessing and being absolved for sins. If life were that simple….
I’m sick of hearing about this book but if it impacts people who for some reason still believe in the administration or the Republican party then it’s worth it
Those who still believe will always believe. I mean with everything already out there if they were still on board prior to the book I can’t imagine them changing their minds.
Yesterday they were all over it, today they are saying the exact thing you’ve already stated.
If it convinces those who still hold fast to their illusions, so much the better, otherwise I’m with ya.
The Prince had a sex change & is still getting familiarized with his new female parts. He yearns to be a Princess & everntually write a book about it. Although I think it’ll mostly be comic formatting with little footnotes on interesting cooking recipes on new taco ideas. Go figure?
Should be inspirational coffee table reading I suppose.
I agree with the idiot writing the book about the crap with Iraq for which we have already known all too well.
He stopped whoring the President so now he wants to cash in on whoring us…It’s the American dream through & through. You gotta love it.
your comment on my blog:
cooper said…
It seems you have become a deep thinker while not blogging.
I am not much of a believer in parallel universe, but we should live for the day while at the same time remembering what we do affects those who come after us. We learn from history, me make the future and it does not always have to be based on what went before.
Much will always remain unknown.
Bennet said…
Cooper -It’s a shame that you don’t believe in parallel universe. It’s not science fiction, or ghost stories. It’s a basic academic scientific understanding of how atoms float,& are held in place by parallel anti-matter.
Yes, cause & effect; how we treat others, learning from the past.
But those are things we know.
I’m interested in the unknown. Those mysterious things our brains teach us in dreams. Those things we somehow know, but have yet to understand about. Those elements of matter than bind all life that we cannot see, or hear…but know that it’s there….
The great unknown is right n front of us.
That is where I’m at right now.
If there were more confessors, the media, the news, celebrities, and myspace would all go out of business. Dirty laundry is the number one commodity sometimes.
And that is sad.