Give Up Blog

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Fear Destroys What Bin Laden Could Not

Robert Steinback has informed us that Osama Bin Laden has in fact won, but he had help.

Every once in a while it's nice to have a short little summary of what exactly has happened as a reminder of all we've lost.

If, back in 2001, anyone had told me that four years after bin Laden's attack our president would admit that he broke U.S. law against domestic spying and ignored the Constitution -- and then expect the American people to congratulate him for it -- I would have presumed the girders of our very Republic had crumbled.

Had anyone said our president would invade a country and kill 30,000 of its people claiming a threat that never, in fact, existed, then admit he would have invaded even if he had known there was no threat -- and expect America to be pleased by this -- I would have thought our nation's sensibilities and honor had been eviscerated.

If I had been informed that our nation's leaders would embrace torture as a legitimate tool of warfare, hold prisoners for years without charges and operate secret prisons overseas -- and call such procedures necessary for the nation's security -- I would have laughed at the folly of protecting human rights by destroying them.

If someone had predicted the president's staff would out a CIA agent as revenge against a critic, defy a law against domestic propaganda by bankrolling supposedly independent journalists and commentators, and ridicule a 37-year Marie Corps veteran for questioning U.S. military policy -- and that the populace would be more interested in whether Angelina is about to make Brad a daddy -- I would have called the prediction an absurd fantasy.

If you want the total and complete details and an outline of every single dishonest thing this administration has done, then I can strongly recommend Congressman Conyer's recent Judiciary Committee minority report entitled "The Constitution in Crisis; The Downing Street Minutes and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Coverups in the Iraq War." It is by far the most detailed, in-depth catalogue of all that has gone wrong in the last 5 years. Good reading to bring in the new year, or for that matter, for those Give Up Blog contributors dreading their red state holiday retreats. Rather than arguing with family, just print out the report as a stocking-stuffer. Or, read it during grace. Or even slip it under your parent's pillows like the toothfairy.

4 Comments:

Another Anonymous Poster said...

Yeah, but the red-state parents' response would be the 'stick your head in the sand' defense - "Where did you see that? Where did you get that? I didn't see it."

I shit you not. Every discussion in the last five years that challenged their outlook ended with the 'well, I didn't see that' response.

9:23 AM, December 27, 2005

Rev. Dr. said...

But hey, that's still a winner. If their only response can be to cover their ears and scream, "lalala" then you can just laugh and mock them for being obtuse. That is, if you're not worried about not being reinvited for T-day and X-mas next year (which actually might actually be a blessing). That's worst case, best case, they read a page of the document and realize that maybe the AJC isn't exactly serving their information needs.

Here's an idea, buy them a subscription to the NYT for a year for X-mas.

3:33 PM, December 27, 2005

Another Anonymous Poster said...

Yeah, but the NYT is only worthy of the trash to them. This is a group who thinks that the AJC is a liberal rag. Again, I shit you not.

6:25 PM, December 27, 2005

Rev. Dr. said...

What in the AJC could be interpreted as liberal? Stories about christmas ornaments? In depth articles on breeding dogs? A exclusive interview with pastor Rick?

11:43 AM, December 29, 2005