In the Kingdom of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King
"America Is So Much Better than This" By Senator Russ Feingold AlterNet.org
Tuesday 07 December 2004
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) has the unique distinction of being the lone dissenter in the Senate on the vote approving the Patriot Act. He also was among a handful of Senators opposing the resolution to authorize the Iraq war. And last month, he won re-election, beating his well-financed Republican opponent 55-44 percent. He said the following on the Senate floor on November 18 upon learning of Condoleeza Rice's appointment to replace Colin Powell as Secretary of State:
The administration's Iraq policies in the first term painted a picture of an American government that isn't so sure it rejects torture; that isn't competent and careful enough to properly vet intelligence presented in major speeches and briefings; that willfully rejects the lessons of history and the advice of its own experts; that is surprised when disorder results in massive looting; that misleads taxpayers regarding the costs and commitments entailed in its policies; that spends billions upon billions without any effort to even budget for these extremely predictable costs; and that is willing to politicize issues fundamental to our national security in the ugliest possible way.
We deserve better. Certainly the brave men and women of the U.S. military who are fighting every day to make this effort in Iraq work deserve better. We do not honor them by accepting lousy, irresponsible policy in the halls and hearing rooms of the Capital and then leaving our soldiers holding the bag on the ground, when policy collides with the hard truth.
The administration's record of the past four years suggests a foreign policy careening out of control, driven by ideologues who want to test their theories in the laboratory of the Middle East one minute, by domestic political considerations the next, and by spiteful attempts to punish those who disagree with their methods the next.
Where is this going? Who is in charge? Who knows? No one ever seems to be held accountable for the blunders, the failures, the wildly inaccurate presentations and projections or the painfully ineffective initiatives. Congress cannot simply accept more of the same, keep our heads down and hope that somehow we will muddle through. The stakes are far too high. Our national security, the stability of the world that our children will inherit, our troops - even our country's honor - are on the line. Congress has an obligation, not to oppose every administration effort, but to reassert our role in helping to steer the ship of state wisely rather than recklessly. I look at our foreign policy over the past four years, and I know that America is so much better than this." http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/120804A.shtml
Words are idle to those who have no ears; whose eyes are blinded to dissent, to alternative proposals, to undermining the silver-lining of their respective pockets. I read another article yesterday by a generally moderate, generally open-minded, noted journalist, Andrew Sullivan, the premise of whose article suggested that things are going better in Iraq because 80% of the country (the Shiites and Kurds) don't wish for civil war and do want january's so-called election to take place. Well, considering that said 80% were on the outside looking in under Saddam, to say the least, of course they relish the opportunity to gain power for the first time in at least decades. But to say things are better is to ignore a falling sky because your baby uttered his first word. Hallelujah! How are things better when everyone who is known, or even thought to be cooperating with our imperialistic presence in their country is murdered? Maybe they are only 20%, but isn't it obvious by now that they will NEVER accept a leadership bearing the U.S.' imprimatur? Worse, they will happily die to prove that point, and we already know how impossible it is to root out insurgents that are re-stocked daily by Arabs the world over to assume the places of their fallen brothers. So, optimistic?
Incidentally, this is a reminder that my "creative" writings are now exclusively found together with those of my brother Daniel and multi-faceted artist Matthew Good at www.workproject.blogspot.com Hope you check it out.
Tuesday 07 December 2004
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) has the unique distinction of being the lone dissenter in the Senate on the vote approving the Patriot Act. He also was among a handful of Senators opposing the resolution to authorize the Iraq war. And last month, he won re-election, beating his well-financed Republican opponent 55-44 percent. He said the following on the Senate floor on November 18 upon learning of Condoleeza Rice's appointment to replace Colin Powell as Secretary of State:
The administration's Iraq policies in the first term painted a picture of an American government that isn't so sure it rejects torture; that isn't competent and careful enough to properly vet intelligence presented in major speeches and briefings; that willfully rejects the lessons of history and the advice of its own experts; that is surprised when disorder results in massive looting; that misleads taxpayers regarding the costs and commitments entailed in its policies; that spends billions upon billions without any effort to even budget for these extremely predictable costs; and that is willing to politicize issues fundamental to our national security in the ugliest possible way.
We deserve better. Certainly the brave men and women of the U.S. military who are fighting every day to make this effort in Iraq work deserve better. We do not honor them by accepting lousy, irresponsible policy in the halls and hearing rooms of the Capital and then leaving our soldiers holding the bag on the ground, when policy collides with the hard truth.
The administration's record of the past four years suggests a foreign policy careening out of control, driven by ideologues who want to test their theories in the laboratory of the Middle East one minute, by domestic political considerations the next, and by spiteful attempts to punish those who disagree with their methods the next.
Where is this going? Who is in charge? Who knows? No one ever seems to be held accountable for the blunders, the failures, the wildly inaccurate presentations and projections or the painfully ineffective initiatives. Congress cannot simply accept more of the same, keep our heads down and hope that somehow we will muddle through. The stakes are far too high. Our national security, the stability of the world that our children will inherit, our troops - even our country's honor - are on the line. Congress has an obligation, not to oppose every administration effort, but to reassert our role in helping to steer the ship of state wisely rather than recklessly. I look at our foreign policy over the past four years, and I know that America is so much better than this." http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/120804A.shtml
Words are idle to those who have no ears; whose eyes are blinded to dissent, to alternative proposals, to undermining the silver-lining of their respective pockets. I read another article yesterday by a generally moderate, generally open-minded, noted journalist, Andrew Sullivan, the premise of whose article suggested that things are going better in Iraq because 80% of the country (the Shiites and Kurds) don't wish for civil war and do want january's so-called election to take place. Well, considering that said 80% were on the outside looking in under Saddam, to say the least, of course they relish the opportunity to gain power for the first time in at least decades. But to say things are better is to ignore a falling sky because your baby uttered his first word. Hallelujah! How are things better when everyone who is known, or even thought to be cooperating with our imperialistic presence in their country is murdered? Maybe they are only 20%, but isn't it obvious by now that they will NEVER accept a leadership bearing the U.S.' imprimatur? Worse, they will happily die to prove that point, and we already know how impossible it is to root out insurgents that are re-stocked daily by Arabs the world over to assume the places of their fallen brothers. So, optimistic?
Incidentally, this is a reminder that my "creative" writings are now exclusively found together with those of my brother Daniel and multi-faceted artist Matthew Good at www.workproject.blogspot.com Hope you check it out.
posted by Paul V. Regelbrugge at 8:37 AM
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