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Everything His President Wants to Hear
General Betray Us? Of course he has. MoveOn.org can hardly be expected to recycle its slogan from last September, when Gen. David Petraeus testified in support of escalating the U.S. war in Iraq, given the hysterical denunciations that worthy group received at the time. But it was right then-as it would be to repeat the charge now.
By undercutting the widespread support for getting out of Iraq, Petraeus did indeed betray the American public, siding with an enormously unpopular president who wants to stay the course in Iraq for personal and political reasons that run contrary to genuine national security interests. Once again, the president is passing the buck to the uniformed military to justify continuing a ludicrous imperial adventure, and the good general has dutifully performed.
So why are we surprised? Why do we expect the generals to lead us on the path to peace when that is the professional task of statesmen and not warriors? It is an abdication of civilian control of the military, the basic principle of American constitutional governance, to assign a central role to an active duty general to make the decision to end the war. It betrays the legacy warnings of our two most famous wartime generals, George Washington and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
American history offers no greater heroes, not because of their considerable success in battle but because they gained the wisdom to sound the alarm against unbridled militarism so passionately and effectively. The farewell addresses of both those departing generals-turned-president still stand as the essential bookends for what has been written about the limits on military adventure required for democracy's survival. Washington's plea to the nation "to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism" sets the standard for enlightened political discourse. A close second is Eisenhower's warning that, "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."
We have had many other examples of retired military officers asserting the need for informed and rational public decision making as to matters of war and peace. Republican presidential candidate John McCain was one of those voices when, as a senator, he led the fight, along with fellow Vietnam War veteran John Kerry, to normalize relations with the same Communist leadership in Hanoi that had once been our enemy. Does anyone, McCain included, now think we were wrong to bring the troops home from Vietnam-and just why are the dire consequences that McCain now predicts for a withdrawal from Iraq any more plausible?
McCain says we have to back the president and his generals, even though he concedes that "four years of mismanaged war had brought us almost to the point of no return." Who mismanaged that war if not Bush and the generals he picked for the task? But don't blame the generals, for as long as a president demands victory, they will pretend to deliver it. If they demur, they will be replaced, as recently occurred with the sudden retirement of Petraeus' boss, Admiral William Fallon, for his suggestion in Esquire magazine that he might favor a more restrained approach in a conflict with Iran.
No such dissension from Petraeus - his faithful testimony, at least to the president if not the truth, on Tuesday was a particularly painful performance. Civilian deaths in March were 50 percent higher than in February, and there were a score of recent American deaths, and there is no evidence of political progress to support Petraeus' stab at optimism over the "fragile" situation in Iraq. Most absurd was the suggestion that the problem would all go away if Iran would only behave, when in fact American troops are being sacrificed on the pro-Iranian side of an internal Shiite power dispute. The Shiites in charge of "our" government in Iraq are exiles trained for decades in Iran.
Not so Moqtada al-Sadr, who stayed in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, the killer of his father. Al-Sadr now opposes what he clearly labels as the U.S. occupation out of an Iraqi nationalism that is also in conflict with Iran. Now he's the bad guy, and the Sunnis, who hate us even more, are being temporarily paid off by the United States to stop killing Americans. They, too, will against us, but it will not stop Petraeus or some other general in charge from telling Congress a few months from now what the president wants them to hear.
Robert Scheer is editor of Truthdig.com and a regular columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle.
© 2008 TruthDig.com
75 Comments so far
Show AllEverything His President Wants to Hear
Except Perhaps This:
U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD: 4021
Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation: 7
Total 4028
Barack Obama said the other day in an interview that he would ask his advisers to send up the "bad news" and the true assessments of risk first and foremost, and that he would not tolerate a culture of punishments for those who do so. If Bush had done this for Shinseki, Fallon, Powell and others of the military, there might not have ever been a Petraeus in charge of a fifth-year mess (or even a war at all). This is a difference in what leadership really amounts to. It's a judgment and downward respect thing that we've been lacking now for almost 8 years.
Petraeus reminds me of two other generals who told their commander-in-chief what he wanted to hear: Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl.
Washington is actually a poor choice to point to when it comes to the MIC and peace. George after all wiped out a peaceful delegation of French troops and then claimed it was an 'invasion force' so that the colonies could wage war against the French to gain land in the Ohio valley. George Washington as a result was the largest landowner in America at the time of his death. Having said that, who would know better than George Washington the perils of military misadventures?
Petraeus continued to give the impression that violence stems from Al-Qaeda (which is nothing but a small splinter group that arose out of the U.S. invasion) and some Iranian sponsored "special groups" (which refers to the majority of Shiites) in Iraq while avoiding the obvious... that all Iraqis hate the U.S. and all of them want an immediate and complete withdrawal.
He also fails to mention that the recent uprising by Sadr is directly related to the suppression of Sadr's political candidates who oppose the proposed oil legislation that will give the U.S. control of the wells and distribution.
Finally is was disturbing to see that Petraeus is supporting the War Party's efforts to demonize the Iranians in what could be a lead up to yet another oil grab to the East of Iraq.
The solution is quite simple. Just a pledge from the president of the U.S. for an immediate and complete withdrawal of U.S. military personnel including no intention of establishing ANY military bases, would result in an Iraqi national day of celebration.
The funniest part I heard was when Bush's Pet-raeus refused to say that "reasonable" people could hold different opinions about what the U.S. should do in Iraq.
With all due respect, I am sick to hell of hearing about 4000 or so dead american soldiers when over a million iraqi's have been killed! What is it with you people who keep ignoring that little fact? A human being is a human being regardless of where they live, and an american life is NOT worth more than some other person's life who is not american. I was born and raised in the usa and to me it is obscene and morally corrupt to focus on american lives lost while ignoring other lives lost. Next time someone quotes the number killed in Bush's war, please think about that.
Petraeus works for Bush not the public.
As a career-oriented man, and he's not the only one, he's just doing part of his job.
The part of his job he's not doing relates to his military oath, which he took and which states he has the solemn oath to protect the country against all enemies to the Constitution, "foreign and domestic."
Since the Executive Branch is currently doing violence to our system of government by breaking numerous laws, abandoning treaties, suspending habeus corpus, violating citizen privacy, bypassing the legislative branch by refusing to comply with hearing requests, etc -- that's where the betrayal lies.
But, Petraues's failure pales in comparison to the dominant Party in Congress that has refused to press impeachment for selfish political reasons to the catastrophic detriment of the nation at large.
Robert, it's worse than that!
The title of the article should really be:
"Everything His 'corporatist Empire' (hiding behind the facade of this two-party 'Vichy' government) Wants to Hear"
My analysis of the 'show' and 'circus' by the imperial general, from the imperial green-zone-city, in the imperial oil-territories, reporting to the imperial Senate, in the imperial city of Washington, was much more dark and grave than your's, Robert:
The presentation and questioning of Gen. Petraeus in the US Senate was so clearly an example of an empire's territorial general coming back to the capital of the empire to report before the empire's Senate ---- whether that empire be Rome or the global 'corporatist Empire' which hides behind the façade of this 'Vichy' government and calls Washington its nominal headquarters.
Just as the "Imperial City" of the Green Zone in Baghdad is often the target of 81mm mortar rounds fired-off by angry imperial subjects in their own land, so the capital 'imperial city' of this corporatist Empire in Washington was the subject of many rounds of verbal mortar fire as a dissident protester within the belly of this empire shouted, "BRING THEM HOME. BRING THEM HOME. ….", repeatedly.
Yes, the imperial 'green zone' in Baghdad was recently breached in a Tet-like assault by territorials who hate empire, and if there were not such exceptionally tight security in the empire's capital 'imperial city' Senate chamber, there would be an internal American 'Tet' launched by the 81% of American citizens who know that their country is on a 'wrong track', and know from their Vice Emperor Cheney that, "quite frankly, Charlotte, we don't give a damn" ---- and thus know that they no longer live in a real democracy, but in this 'Vichy' faux-democracy of Empire.
Asking Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker about the nature of the imperialist oil-war in Iraq is as senseless as asking two Privates about the torture in Abu Ghraib. Yes, they were there, but they are not issuing the orders, they are but paid-help of the Empire, and they are not in any position to influence, explain, or even whisper about the real the foreign oil-war strategy of this 'corporatist Empire'.
"Move on" and the "dailykos" are nothing but vile people spewing hate and discontent.
Where's this long line of people waiting for an exit visa?
Why aren't you in it? You haven't got the guts to leave, that's why.
France will take you, but don't expect a big group of Frenchmen to greet you.....just like Omaha Beach, June 1944. Couldn't find any Frenchmen around then and there either. Go figure
Put your pants on, stop whining and offer some help, some real help.
Oh I so hope the Iraqis continue to rebel and beat us to kingdom come. We deserve it
"We're succeeding. I don't care what anybody says." John McCain, talking about the illegal occupation of Iraq.
"The progress made since last spring is fragile and reversible," Army Gen. David Petraeus said."
"Success is within reach in Iraq," countered Sen. McCain.
"I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude. That's the problem here in America. They wonder whether or not there is a gratitude level that's significant enough in Iraq," Bush said just before he began an American troop escalation Karl Rove told him to name "the surge."
baruch, it's the same with numbers of Palestinians and Israelis dead. Front page news might be 3 Israelis died, while the unimportant part about 30 Palestinians dying either isn't told or stuck somewhere on page 10. Seems that one Israeli life is worth more than all of Palestine. Same thing with American lives.
Hey Banjo"girl" Your pretty stupid writing about vile and spewing hate. Pull on your panties and run down and enlist. You go to Iraq. Let our men and women come home. Little man betray us all needs mindless whimps like yourself to step on in order to appear tall himself.
Oh, goody, Banjoman.
Now lets go off and invade Poland, shall we?
That's about as relevant as comparing this fiasco to Omaha Beach.We were the invader in this case, not the invadee.
The Afghan Taliban helped the Al Quaida operation, the Afghans and the Saudis.
Course, we could go off and invade Saudi Arabia -- that would be fun, too.
Find out what happened before throwing insults, please.
Real help? Now? Apologise for screwing everything up, and get out. That's the best help we can offer now.
"Oh I so hope the Iraqis continue to rebel and beat us to kingdom come. We deserve it"
"Petraeus reminds me of two other generals who told their commander-in-chief what he wanted to hear: Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl."
"Your pretty stupid writing about vile and spewing hate. Pull on your panties and run down and enlist. "
Left wing wackos say the DARNEDEST things!" - Art Linkletter
When Petraeus runs for the Republican nomination for president in 2012 or 2016, we'll still be in Iraq.
Any Republican who is not already wealthy or assured of great wealth in the future is a moron.
banjo and soc and anyone else on here who fits that bill should understand that about themselves -- that their political affiliation combined with their economic position translates to an alarming deficit of capacity for rational thought
Democratic senators blew every opportunity yesterday to confront the general and the ambassador. Boxer chose drama asking why Iran's pres gets kisses and ours has to sneak into Iraq. Clinton looked depressed, and she was vague (this is her venue of experience remember). Obama could have nailed a question or two, but his own wordiness confused the ambassador. Wow. Today Pelosi responds to the testimony saying that the Iraq gov. is not worthy of (ready?) OUR sacrifice.
I want to know 1) when we will get out and 2) how we will ever make 17 years of destruction up to the Iraqi people. Seems the strategy of kick the can involves blaming the Iraq gov. that we put in (this is what, the 3rd or 4th of how many yet to come), and of course stop those Iranians. Maliki's support comes from whom again? Oh yeah, Iranians!
Looking at things from the UK side of the Pond, I feel that Americans, blessed with the most powerful-by-far military in the world, tend to expect the generals and admirals to sort things out for them when the politicians screw up. It is buck-passing, of course, and the pols themselves are first to call for it, but the people themselves are close behind - just think back to all those calls for Wesley Clark to stand for office. As another commenter here posted, look out in time for calls for Petraeus to stand.
Here in the UK, there are no such calls, at least partly because the relationship between the politicians and the generals is rather different. Less powerful than the US armed forces, both in absolute terms and in their political influence, the British forces - usually underequipped and understrength - go where they are directed, and then the generals say to the pols, "OK, we're here, now what is it exactly that you expect us to achieve?"
Maybe a less powerful US military would actually be more fit for purpose.
You're a bird, all right.....less powerful? ....gimme a break....some might refer to you as a weenie..as for me..I don't call names....be glad you're not speaking German..
All the unsavory and supremely flawed characters that we have read about down through history have been reproduced for us here and now. In any population, at any time, they are ready to spring up and make the same mistakes and cause the same evil consequences all over again. Nothing changes. It's all so depressing.
The military appears so powerful because Bush himself knows he has no credibility whatsoever. Whatever puffery he achieved has long since shriveled away into querulousness and weak giggling. He has to shove Petraeus out there to get anyone to pay attention.
Hi Banjoman,
I'm a bird, all right…..less powerful? ….givya a break….some might refer to me as a weenie..as for you..you don't call names….be glad I'm not speaking German..
And your point is?
banjoman -
The French weren't at Normandy because they were busy fighting the Nazis as partisans and guerillas. Your comment in that regard was not only insulting, it was ignorant and demonstrated your stupidity.
Your comment to secretarybird demonstrates the same qualities and attributes.
Perhaps you could explain why it is you are so supportive of the war, and yet here you sit on your brains at home instead of humping your dumb ass over there to fight. From the adolescent tone of your remarks and the ignorance demonstrated in them, it's unlikely that you are too old to join the military. You may be too young, possibly about twelve or thirteen from the sound of it. Or perhaps you are in the military already, and have absolutely no clue about what the military is about and what is their overarching mission. Or perhaps you're disabled and have decided to revel in your own stupidity and insult people who are more thoughtful, more informed, and more committed to finding understanding and a solution than you are capable of.
But that's probably all a bit too complicated for you. Let me sum it up:
Piss off, you dumb little twit.
Many great comments here. baruch, I especially appreciated your comment. You're the only one who made that point.
It's a fact that Bush has pretty much purged the upper echelons of the military of everyone with the integrity and courage to tell the truth. Talking about "listening to his generals" would be laughable if it weren't so tragic.
What was laughable is a right wing troll (socflww) quoting a right wing wacko with "Left wing wackos say the DARNEDEST things!" - Art Linkletter. I usually find trolls annoying, but sometimes they give me something to laugh at - that being - them.
I agree with Daniel David that Obama would listen to the "experts" on the ground because I believe he wants to solve problems, not create them.
No wonder Hillary looked depressed. The press is discussing just how competent an administrator she is considering how inept she is at running a campaign, and comparing it most unfavorably to how Obama is running his campaign - a point I've been bringing up for some time now. I'm more concerned about what her real goals are, since Bill Clinton ran for the Presidency saying one thing and doing quite another when in office. She's been caught in so many lies the majority of the electorate is rightly feeling distrustful of her.
kathyodat
ricg, don't assume about banjoman's age. Some people never grow up, they just grow rigid.
I have to laugh about banjoman asserting he doesn't call names, and then saying "You're a bird, all right". No problems with contradictions when cognitive dissonance kicks in.
kathyodat
"Why are we surprised?" Well, we're not. I doubt anyone anywhere was surprised by General Betray Us's scripted "testimony." If Bush says we're succeeding, it means he's a successful president, because his illegitimate terms in office have been about one thing: seizing Iraq by conquest and occupation for the benefit of Big Oil and extending the American empire in the mideast.
Petraeus is a hack for the Bush-Cheney agenda and will do what he's told. Facts on the ground are whatever fabrications he and his subordinates declare them to be. Reality doesn't matter now any more than it did in March 2003, and since we blog- and TV-addicted Americans have done nothing but type and gripe about it all these years, the master criminals continue getting away with wholesale murder and destruction by calling it "bringing stability, freedom and democracy to Iraq." Meaningless twaddle, but it's got them this far without being held accountable and will see them thru the next 10 months. Too late to impeach and it was never gonna happen anyway. Nobody stops these killers so they'll just keep on killing.
banjoboy -
The French underground fought the German occupation the whole war and provided the Allies (I must tell you that more than Americans were involved on D-Day, since you apparently don't know) with much information prior to Operation Overlord. In your case it might be better to shut up and let us believe you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
What's your plan for victory in Iraq, bright boy? And if it begins with keeping or sending troops, then get off your ass and enlist; otherwise, shut yer yap.
wcdevins, you're very funny!
And yes, banjoboy sounds like another chickenhawk.
kathyodat
Don't feed the trolls.
Petraeus doesn't sound like one of the NeoCon "True Believers". Why did a man with his brains ever accept this assignment?
Was he simply that eager to try out his West Point theories of "counterinsurgency" in the field?
Who is he really working for? Did James Baker promised him a phat job at Chevron if he can just hold onto Fort Apache long enough to get those "subprime" oil contracts signed?
The supreme insult to people who spew talking points and call names to prove thise points is to ignore them. No attention is worse than negative attention.
secretarybird (great name actually) - methinks that it is the pols who have screwed up who are 'expecting' military to guide policy (which, by the way, is unconstitutional). Sure our dumbed down public loves the pageant of this week and the daddy voice of the general. Those of us who, as adults, don't need a daddy anymore, see through it. Bush, I hear, will do a speech soon, and parrot his 4-star daddy. Search for retired general Odom's testimony to congress last week for a bas relief to the delusions of this week.
Here is a little tidbit regarding David Patraeus:
http://majikthise.typepad.com/majikthise_/2007/03/military_ethici.html
David Petraeus is trying to set himself up for a political career. His real, practical interest in the armed forces is limited. If you were to shout honor, courage, duty, etc. in his face I doubt he would give a crap. Politics is th ename of the game and he's busy greasing the skids for his future career.
Since this is all transitional for him, he's going to play ball. He'll say whatever needs to be said to further his own agenda.
Rather than get angry and say he's 'betraying us', simply accept it for what it is. It's just a power game and he can't betray you since he never was on your team anyway.
The 'other' presidential candidate, 'democracy advocate', Ralph Nader, would never have accepted the lies and dissembling that all the 'leading' candidates cowered before.
The only presidential candidate who won't drag his feet, delay, and 'slow walk' the Iraq war is Nader.
The only presidential candidate who recognizes, confronts, and will fight the 'corporatist Empire' hiding behind this 'Vichy' two-party sham of a government is Nader.
The only presidential candidate who will stop the corporatist Empire's looting of the FED and US citizens is Nader.
Stop the 'Shock Doctrine(s)' of the corporatist Empire in Iraq oil-wars and economic oppression and tyranny at home --- vote Nader.
AAAaaah, Ive been wondering when the likes of Banjoman, socflww, and Devil1 would make their appearance amongst us. Interesting to see the teenage reactions to their diatribes.
They probably enjoyed some time among the swiftboating contingent that vehemently denies the right of intelligent, thinking, caring citizens to air their views and ideas.
We should grant their views an airing and respond - not in kind- but with concern that their barely concealed rage and anger does not cause death inducing apoplexy when confronted with such alien ideas such as 'constitutional rights', 'U S war crimes', 'waterboarding is torture', 'Iraqi death totals', etc,. etc., and etc..
Don't let them drag you and your ideas down to their level of spiteful dialog.
Maybe someday they will realize that acting like a human being does not include killing all those - even your neighbors - who do not agree with you.
One can only hope.
"al-Qaida in Iraq"
What a joke. There was NO al-Qaida in Iraq BEFORE the U.S. attacked it, if there is indeed an "al-Qaida in Iraq.
It's blatantly obvious the war profiteers WANT to make enemies and war.
The funny part about Gen. Betray-us is that if he wants a political career, he's killed his chances IF the opinions on the American people still matter.
Some 70% of the American people want this war to end. A few of those are Republicans who might hold their nose and vote for a pro-war Republican, but most Independents and almost all Democratic voters are going to insist on at least token rhetorical opposition to the war. Even Hillary has figured out that she has to at least pretend to be against the war she's supported from its beginning if she wants to be President.
Of course, these days one can't be completely sure that money and powerful interests don't have complete control over our elections. Maybe Gen. Betray-us believes this and thus believes that his support of this war is the path to a successful political career and the presidency.
But, I think McCain will find out this year and Gen. Betray-us will eventually learn that such proud support for this war is the sure way to guarantee that they won't get much over 40% of the vote in a fair election. Which meanns Gen. Betray-us better like his military career, because he'll have a hard time being elected dog-catcher as a supporter of this war.
lillulu -- don't let those facts obscure our success of both the surge and providing democracy to willing Iragis.
Namaste
Some facts about Normandy for the uniformed.
The Normandy landings were preceded by long periods of aerial and naval bombardment. So anyone with any sense was in a cellar or a bomb shelter. Since there was a rather large town, Caen, in the invasion zone, there certainly were French there. but like any sensible person in an area where large amounts of high explosives are detonating, they were hiding and fearful for their lives.
There were however French forces in the invasion force. There were 'free French' commando units landing in the British invasion zones. These were some of the first troops ashore, and had a some key responsibilities for taking bridges and towns along the river that ran along the edge of the invasion zone. There were also Free French naval units participating in the very same naval bombardment that was causing the civilians in the area to hide for their lives. And I don't know for sure, but it was likely that there were free French air units as a part of the force providing air cover.
And yes, as mentioned above there were numerous French resistance who were providing key roles in destroying Nazi communications and transportation behind the front lines, and also in rescuing allied pilots and paratroopers who had to drop in nazi controlled areas. These same resistance units were also valuable leading up to the invasion in providing intelligence on nazi troop placements in the area.
Bottom line is there were many French who were risking their lives to make the Normandy invasions a success.
Me, I try to defend my country, and I refuse to accept the totalitarian idea that the leader of the country equates to the country. That's for dictators and kings.
In America, President Washington insisted that the proper title for the President is simply Mr. President, as he is just a citizen like anyone else.
When someone speaks of 'defending their President', they are telling me that they have absolutely no idea of what America once was. The very concept is very anti-American. The country was founded on the fundamental idea that citizens can object to and criticize their leaders.
The most fundamentally American act someone can take is telling the King to go @#%@ himself!
Banjoman is playing the wrong tune, but maybe he could go to Basra and play there.
Reminds me of someone talking to a god who believes in fleas, lung cancer, and getting crushed by a garbage truck.
Reminds me of someone talking to a god who believes in fleas, lung cancer, and getting crushed by a garbage truck.
I actually thought devil1 was being sarcastic - Mission Accomplished? Is he kidding? There are many people out there, including most of the letter writers to my daily newspaper, who will regularly insist the US has the best military, the best government, the best economy, the best president, the best court system, the best health care, the best way of life in the world, even as all of that and more crumbles around their unlistening ears. The biggest threat to America is that group of scared, duped, ignorant fools with a flag blindfold over their eyes and a ballot. They put us in this mess and they may yet keep us there.
General Petreaus argues that "significant progress has been made toward stabilizing the country." Things could be better, mind you, but we're on the right track. Deaths are down, suicide bombings are down, mortar attacks are down, now up...but we can't leave no matter what and we don't know when we can leave. Aside from the Bush team's penchant for fixing facts around the policy, it seems George Bush is trying to keep his deadly house of cards (Iraq) upright until he leaves office and if the Democrats do win the presidency, and the US leaves the place, he can blame the ensuing chaos on them, --if the new President does leave and if there is, indeed, chaos.
While the politicians dawdle and try to avoid the blame game, the death and destruction continues to rise. Hasn't out presence in Iraq become rather hopeless ? Hasn't it become obvious that this country cannot repair the pottery that was once Iraq and by staying is only creating more chaos? The time is long past for us to leave.
{"But you say there is oil in them thar hills...we can't leave till we suck it dry...")
Not knocking the bravery of our troops in Normandy, but most of the German Army was bogged down fighting the Soviets. Otherwise the invasion would have been a lot harder. We owe quite a bit of our victory over Hitler to the "commies," who suffered over 20 million casualties in what they call "The Great Patriot War." Victory over fascism was a combined effort, a fact we in this country tend to forget, much to the annoyance of others who sacrificed a great deal more than we did.
In fairness to Petraeus, Juan Cole's "Informed Comment" site does note today, 9 April 2008:
"...He has done the most responsible job yet seen by an American official in Iraq in trying to end the carnage. He has made bazaars no drive zones to stop the car bombings. He has surrounded city districts with blast walls to keep out insurgents. He has reached out to the Sunnis (though alas the Shiite government has not). He has done what he could, but it hasn't been enough...."
http://www.juancole.com/
Senator John McCain is a twit, so too General David Petraeus and President George W. Bush. So too our politicians and our reporters. So too our talking heads from the ones who support the war to those who oppose it, but wish to "respectfully disagree" with people such as McCain, Petraeus or Vice-president Dick Cheney.
Civility might be appropriate to another age. These twits, however, are dominating THIS age with wilfully wrong-headed views.
Do I sound open-minded? I was. That is how I was able to reach full conviction.
As for President Bush, he has been called a fool so often that the word "twit" applied to him is practically meaning- less. Perhaps we should call him a "tufted booby" although that is an insult to birds.
The beginning of The Three-Penny Opera, English language version, is a song sung by the character Peachum, king of the beggars. This song, which has an even, rolling cadence, was taken not from Bertolt Brecht or Kurt Weill but the fourteenth century composer John Gay, founder of the original Beggar's Opera.
Its witty words, provided by twentieth century writer and poet Christopher Isherwood, go:
Wake up you old image of Gawd.
Get on with your sinful existence.
Continue to perpetrate fraud.
The Lord will reward your persistence.
Double-cross your old mother, you turd.
And sell your young wife in her bed.
You think G.O.D.'s just a word.
He'll show you as soon as you're dead.
I don't know whether the line about the "old mother" applies to Barbara Bush or to the United States or both. Everything else in the song applies to G.W. Bush and at some level to almost all Americans right now.
If people want to stop being twits, they will have to say, "We were completely wrong for futzing around with the Iraq occupation for so long, for qualifying our thoughts, for discussing the fine points of Mideast existence as if we knew something about Arabology, for thinking that Iraqis were our natural sons and daughters, and for not paying enough attention to the testimony of the Winter Soldiers."
The inception of the occupation was totally irresponsible, with its badness then multiplying exponentially ever since...through deranged American conduct.
(No, I don't like it when Hillary or anyone blames Iraqis for the lack of progress.)
What the Winter Solders seemed pretty much agreed on applies even to people not using bullets. We SELDOM IF EVER shoot the right person.
This is one of the very best arguments, among hundreds, for why we should withdraw every single American quickly and efficiently, exactly the way we did from Vietnam.
Washington was the biggest landowner in America? Boy that fits perfectly doesn't it?
GREAT POSTS: BARUCH, MAIRS (I see what you see), CURMUDGEON, & WC DEVINS.