Another Downing Street Memo

In ordinary times, it would be a bombshell: A secret memo proves that our president told his people a series of lies leading to wanton and needless death and destruction. He had planned to wage his war no matter what, and was even prepared to create fake evidence to justify the invasion. It was never about unconventional weapons. The calls to disarm were bogus. It was to be war from day one. In ordinary times, he’d be impeached.

But these aren’t ordinary times. We are all so used to this sort of thing that it has almost no effect at all. It’s just another day in the Age of Bush, where we’re always winning the war and we’re always right and no mistakes are ever made. Here’s the killer line (though actually there are several):

The memo also shows that the president and the prime minister acknowledged that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq. Faced with the possibility of not finding any before the planned invasion, Mr. Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Mr. Hussein.

Now, faking scenarios in order to provoke another country into war is just what Hitler did with Poland, and is about the lowliest thing a government could do. It an act of pure deception and reveals total disrespect for the American people, playing them for fools. That he would have seriously proposed this should be major news. But I doubt it will be. We expect no better of him. And so, what would have been a death knell for Clinton will be water off a duck’s back for Bush. We’re too numb, too incredulous and dazed to care.

We’ve all been made fools of. All those dead soldiers and civilians were ingredients in Bush’s petri dish as he toyed with the fate of the earth. All the lofty speeches, the dire warnings, the denunciations of the “weasels” who called for more evidence – all a sham.

Be prepared for the ugliest election in all history later this year. If Bush loses the House of Representatives, he’ll be severely weakened, with investigations opening into every phases of his sordid presidency. And since the GOP has nothing to run on, it has no choice but to follow the usual Rove routine of destroying the opposition. It’s going to be a bloody, ugly fight and I am delighted I won’t be in America to witness it.

Read the above article if you have the stomach for it. There’s not much that’s “new,’ but that’s what makes it all the more revolting. This sort of shocker has become the everyday, the ordinary, the routine, and we simply accept it. It’s like reading Viktor Klemperer’s diaries, where every day the government does something more shocking, but since they do it every day there’s no longer any shock.

The Discussion: 12 Comments

What this government does must at least benefit the half of Americans who elected it, in theory.

March 27, 2006 @ 5:51 am | Comment

Only in theory, Bing, not in fact. This government benefits a small percentage of Americans – people involved in the defense and petrochemical industry and a wealthy investor class. I can’t see who else it’s helping, including the middle class Americans who voted for the guy.

Of course his approval ratings are down to 36% or something like that, so a lot of his former supports have finally seen the light. I have a libertarian Republican friend who the last time we spoke was utterly enraged by the Bush adminstration, swore he would never support them again and bemoaned what they’ve done to the country and to the world.

Better late than never, I guess, but I wonder how long it will take all of us to recover from these people.

March 27, 2006 @ 9:58 am | Comment

“Better late than never, I guess, but I wonder how long it will take all of us to recover from these people.”

I am so enraged at those who stuck their fingers in their ears and hummed while the many others of us tried to reason with them about Bush that I sometimes cannot stomach the “better late than never” response. I want them to pay for their ignorance. For their deliberate escapes from fact. For their putting ideology over country. But, and for the good of the nation, I guess better late then never…

March 27, 2006 @ 12:29 pm | Comment

Lisa,

What do you think the war has done to US and other countries like UK? Good or bad, in terms of hegemony of these country and the welfare of their citizens?

Maybe as a citizen of US or UK, he or she should appreciate what their governments have done to Iraq in 21st century like they did to China 100 years ago.

If I were British or American, I probably would.

I had some beer, so forgive me if I am talking nonsense.

March 27, 2006 @ 12:37 pm | Comment

Bing

To be honest most Americans and Britons are angry that their sons (and daughters) are dying and that they were lied to. In some respects what has happened to Iraqis is of secondary importance, though it still matters to many people.

This might sound harsh, but the number of war crimes that have occurred so far doesn’t actually cut the mustard. In Russia the Chechyns have been treated a heck of a lot worse, but really Russians don’t care – they care about the deaths of their children far more. And if China invaded Taiwan, its debatable as to how much mainlanders would care if people told them Taiwanese had suffered – they’d care a lot more if thousands of PLA troops died.

People are selfish and always think about their own first – which is why foreign policy rarely influences elections. Though I must say that I don’t see what has happened in Iraq as the same as the foreign intervention in China over a century ago.

March 27, 2006 @ 1:09 pm | Comment

Raj,

One theory about why Bush made the decision to wage war on Iraq is that Saddam decided to trade his oil in Euro, instead of dollar. Saddam didn’t have to do business with US, but saddly Bush is someone you couldn’t say no to without a pile of nukes.

China said no to British opium, you must know a bit about what happened next.

March 27, 2006 @ 1:21 pm | Comment

And no matter what these people think, the fact is wars like that in Iraq made their countries what they are today.

Waging wars to others to divert domestic crisis or plunder others’ resources was the way how these wealthy democracies developed, and will always be the case.

March 27, 2006 @ 1:31 pm | Comment

Bing,

Err implying that the UK’s current wealth is based on some sort of imperialism is absolute bullshit. Not only was the Empire a net drain on our finances by the mid 20th century, but our economic “revolution” had nothing to do with wars like Iraq. Certainly we’ve benefited jack-shit from this war.

And I would say that America’s wealth is based on mass production, high immigration and a desire to work hard. Just because a few American companies have done well out of this doesn’t detract from the fact that the current peacekeeping duties are putting a massive strain on their finances.

The only countries that do well out of war are those that don’t get involved in it.

March 27, 2006 @ 3:57 pm | Comment

I would concur with Raj on the issue of the Opium War(s). Imperialism is not the reason for the UK current wealth. I won’t go off-topic any more than that except to say that I doubt you can find evidence to support the idea that ANY of the countries during the Treaty Wars benefited directly. Though CERTAIN individuals (from various countries) did profit during that period, I think it would be a stretch to say that the UK (or others) economies were enhanced significantly.

On-topic – Secret Memo
It is a sad, sad day in the US (World) when politicians are allowed to run roughshed over the democratic principals that SHOULD govern our leaders actions.
During the Cold War, there was hard evidence of the Russian missle build-up in Cuba. Okay, take action. But in this case, G.W. Buxing & Co., Inc. not only behaved in a dishonest way, he mislead certain people I used to have the highest respect for (Colin Powel).
I, like many, am and always be proud to be from America. But I am truly ashamed to see the sad state of affairs, the total incompetence, of a “freely” elected government who decides to take arbitrary action with nothing more than some (unproven) allegations by defectors regarding the existence of WMD’s.
Please people, Judge Jusy would have this settled in 30 minutes including commercials.
G.W. Buxin & Co., Inc. should be impeached NOW.
grrrrrr

March 27, 2006 @ 9:16 pm | Comment

I meant Judge Judy. Not Judge Jusy.

March 27, 2006 @ 9:17 pm | Comment

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Lord Acton

March 28, 2006 @ 1:18 am | Comment

Richard, I promise to stop posting quotes here….

Sorry….Last one….

Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed.
Mao Tse-Tung

March 28, 2006 @ 1:21 am | Comment

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