He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future. by George Orwell. | |
I used to think this was just a cool lyric in a Rage Against The Machine song,
testify. But, this is a very scary truth. History is only an interpretation of the people who are in control.
The "Why we went to Iraq" question rages on. The real answer and what should be the history is, of course,
PNAC
We all know this is the reason, but it is hardly ever mentioned. The organization outlined their goals well before 9/11 and many key people entered the WhiteHouse with Bush in 2000. The adventurous wingnuts are trying to rewrite this history, An American Eagle in autumn.
After we were attacked on September 11, U.S. public opinion overwhelmingly favored the pursuit of our attackers in their base in Afghanistan. Mr. Bush and his advisers realized, however, that this would not solve the new long-term threat now posed by an enemy determined not only to remove our presence from the Middle East and destroy Israel, but also intent upon humiliating and overwhelming Western culture with an aggressive and feudal totalitarian culture of their own.
A war was initiated in Iraq to remove a bestial dictator and to change this totalitarian nature of the Middle East. Virtually everyone concedes Saddam Hussein's cruelty, but many in the United States and most in Europe resisted the boldness and risk the president took to alter the chemistry of persistent feudalism in the Middle Eastern Islamic world.
"Bush and his advisers realized" attacking Afghanistan would not be enough war and destruction because of this "new long-term threat to remove our presence from the Middle East and destroy Israel".
Well, the first problem with this is that we never finished the job in Afghanistan. Assuming that had happened, then we move on to the inevitable "enemy determined to..." quote. I love these references to "our enemy" that don't mention anyone in particular. For the sake of this argument, we have to assume, though, that he is referring to Muslims that want "an aggressive and feudal totalitarian culture" all over the world.
So, if that was the case, then why didn't Bush just tell us that?
Unfortunately, Mr. Bush at the outset muddled his true purpose with dire warnings of so-called "weapons of mass destruction," which were not found after the war. What we did find was absolute evidence of a regime so venal and cruel that it is difficult to understand how it was able to persist for so many decades.
"Muddled his true purpose". Here's some random muddling quotes:
"The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons. The regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material, could build one within a year."
Source: President Bush Discusses Iraq with Congressional Leaders, White House (9/26/2002).
"The regime has the scientists and facilities to build nuclear weapons, and is seeking the materials needed to do so. On its present course, the Iraqi regime is a threat of unique urgency. . . . it has developed weapons of mass death."
Source: President, House Leadership Agree on Iraq Resolution, White House (10/2/2002).
"Knowing these realities, America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof - the smoking gun - that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons."
Source: President Bush Outlines Iraqi Threat; Remarks by the President on Iraq, White House (10/7/2002).
"In defiance of the United Nations, Iraq has stockpiled biological and chemical weapons, and is rebuilding the facilities used to make more of those weapons."
Source: President: Iraqi Regime Danger to America is "Grave and Growing", White House (10/5/2002).
"And I also mentioned the fact that there is a connection between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein."
Source: President Condems Attack in Bali, White House (10/14/2002).
"Today the world is also uniting to answer the unique and urgent threat posed by Iraq. A dictator who has used weapons of mass destruction on his own people must not be allowed to produce or possess those weapons. We will not permit Saddam Hussein to blackmail and/or terrorize nations which love freedom."
Source: President Bush Speaks to Atlantic Youth Council, CNN (11/20/2002).
"Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production."
Source: President Delivers "State of the Union", White House (1/28/2003).
"But the risk of doing nothing, the risk of the security of this country being jeopardized at the hands of a madman with weapons of mass destruction far exceeds the risks of any action we may be forced to take."
Source: President Meets with National Economic Council, White House (2/25/2003).
Muddled? For 6 months, he articulated in very specific terms why we needed to attack Iraq. Because if we didn't then...
Barry Casselman is full of shit and all his wingnut buddies that claim Bush had a higher purpose are full of shit. Bush and his buddies from PNAC wanted to take over the world. They gave the finger to everyone who questioned them, manipulated intelligence, lied to the people of America, smeared dissenters and attacked Iraq without any preparation before finishing the job in Afghanistan. Things didn't go as well as they wanted, 60% are against the war and PNAC has even closed shop. Now, there scrambling to change history and I'm calling "Bullshit".