The Whitanic House

Bridgethought of the Day: If the Bush administration is really unsinkable, why is it nobody can breathe? Is anyone still cognizant of the fact that the only cause of death is oxygen-starvation?

'Way back in 2005, almost an apocalypse ago in today's time-compressing world, a man who represented the best and brightest of patriots, of people who believe in Right and God and Country, and Integrity and Being Your Level Best, commit suicide over corruption and massive wrongdoing in Iraq, and we're talking about the U.S. side, not even the Iraqis, not only the insurgents or "jihadis". You can read the details in this article from Alternet.org. U.S. Contractors in Iraq apparently were sabotaging the military itself, stealing weapons and equipment and killing Iraqis. This man, Col. Ted Westhusing, was there to do good, and found himself up against a mountain of evil. Who put that mountain there, and why?

Iran-Contra Revisited, Apocalypse Now Style

Jumping back to Now again, we need to take a very hard look at the reports coming out of veteran story-breaker (think My Lai in Vietnam and AbuGhraib in Iraq) Seymour Hirsh published in the New Yorker exposing the sins of Bush II & Corp. In his article entitled "The Redirection", Mr. Hirsh states:

In the past few months, as the situation in Iraq has deteriorated, the Bush Administration, in both its public diplomacy and its covert operations, has
significantly shifted its Middle East strategy. The “redirection,” as some
inside the White House have called the new strategy, has brought the United
States closer to an open confrontation with Iran and, in parts of the
region,propelled it into a widening sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni
Muslims.

He goes on to explain that the U.S. has a "strategic bombing plan" for Iran and has built up to the point where they can strike inside Iran on a 24-hour notice. Aircraft carrier groups are already moving into position, and military sources say a spring strike would be ready to ... spring. And that one of the influences in the Administration's foreign policy decision-making for the region is Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a close friend of the Bush family. Seems he's the guy who sees the "rise of the Shias" as a greater threat than Sunni insurgents or al-Qaeda, and now plays the role of self-proclaimed expert on Islamic and Middle East affairs. Therefore, we must "re-direct" our entire nation and all that comes with it, military might, corporate power, and last - we hope not least, but "hope" ain't good enough, people. Thousands of people going over to be killed, and to kill - no, calling it a "war" doesn't make it any less gutwrenching - with no doubt innocents and good folks on both sides - for the "vision" of a guy who hasn't exactly been right, and whose motives aren't exactly on the same page we claim to be opening here... and with the side effect of money going to terrorist groups in the name of - what? democracy? patriotism? national security?

The key players behind the redirection are Vice-President Dick Cheney, the deputy national-security adviser Elliott Abrams, the departing Ambassador to Iraq (and nominee for United Nations Ambassador), Zalmay Khalilzad, and Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi national-security adviser. While Rice has been deeply involved in shaping the public policy, former and current officials said that the clandestine side has been guided by Cheney.

Or, as Tom Englehardt said, "Seymour Hersh's recent report that Iran-Contra veterans working out of Dick Cheney's office are using stolen funds from Iraq to arm al Qaeda-tied groups and foment a larger Sunni-Shia war is a very big deal. "

Doesn't sound good to me - Dick Cheney, of Haliburton fame, Elliot Abrams, Mr. Iran-Contra Enabler, and Prince Bandar, whose government isn't exactly a model democracy, with a human rights record of shame. But to an American public that has been described as "blase about torture" and seems far more interested in pointless yelling matches called "political shows" or better yet, celebrity gossip, than whether or not they will wake up tomorrow in a democracy, a police state, or a state of siege, all this news falls on deaf ears.

He who has ears, let him hear. We need more air. More O2.

When the Whitanic House sinks, I'm afraid more will sink with it than some incompetent policy-makers. Where are the "we the People" kind of people? Like Seymour Hirsh?

Unsinkable. That's what they said. It's that hubris thing again. Mixed with rank incompetence.