Time for Another Rant

Boy, I really ought to get into the prediction business. I make comments on my ’blog, and the next day the Post writes the same thing (in much more polite terms, of course). I believe this is the second time that’s happened. The article, by Dana Milbank, makes a couple of points that I’d neglected to mention (okay, I didn’t even really think about them). First, the administration’s been very careful to avoid having little George himself make any predictions about the duration of the war: The predictions have come from the “hawk” team — Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz, the architect of the new “preemptive strike” doctrine — that have been manipulating this thing since well before Bush was even a presidential candidate; Bush has kept “plausible deniability.” Of course, I’ve always felt that the fact that he’s a certifiable idiot gives him the ultimate in deniability — it’s easy to believe that he has absolutely no idea what’s really going on. Second was an event I remember noting at the time, but had completely forgotten about. I’ll quote from the article: “Rumsfeld also contradicted the Army chief of staff, who told the Senate that ‘several hundred thousand’ troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. ‘Far off the mark,’ Rumsfeld said.” Pretty much proves the point I made in my last post: The military planners know damn well what they’re doing, but the administration won’t let that message come out.

In other news, I’ve made good on my decision to start listening to WAMU over WTOP. And sure enough, this morning they had a segment on the role of ’blogs in providing unfiltered coverage of the war. Geoff Long noted one of the sites they covered in his ’blog a while back, but I’ll go ahead and mention it here (and put a direct link to it at the left). It’s called Where Is Raed?, and it’s the account of someone in Baghdad, watching these events unfold firsthand (there haven’t been any posts since Monday, though). The other one the news segment covered was Back to Iraq, which chronicles the efforts of reporter Christopher Allbritton to return to Iraq to continue the reporting he began in Kurdistan last year (he’s in Turkey at present).

Finally, I’ll close with a couple of quotes that I feel are particularly relevant given the world situation. The first was called to my attention by Geoff Long (who makes an unprecedented two appearances in today’s ’blog), and the second is an old favorite of mine.

“To announce that there be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but morally treasonable to the American people.” — Theodore Roosevelt, 1918

“The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes, & they believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of god, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1800

Jefferson was speaking specifically about a group of clergymen, who were advising their followers not to allow Jefferson to become president, because he wasn’t a Christian (bet you didn’t know that one, did you?). But I believe the same sentiment could be applied to the current administration’s attempts to manipulate public thought through deception and outright fabrication.

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Geoffrey · Mon, Mar 31st 2003, at 6:09PM

I'd just like to say that I'm honored to accept this unprecedented honor. I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents, Blogger, the annoying people who live next door, the cat I had when I was a kid that didn't get hit on the road, the lovely people over at Movable Type, and most of all the good Mr. Coughlan, who has stood by me and been the most patient of souls even when my projects hit huge potholes. Thank you everyone. God bless, and good night.