Shame

The Pentagon is absolutely opposed to releasing any more photos of torture. They believe that to do so would greatly increase anti-American sentiment and lead to more and more attacks against our troops. I believe this is probably true. But what does it say about our shame? By not releasing these photos we are having to admit that what we did was so vile, so criminal, so disgusting, that we dare not make it public. And by failing to hold any high-level officers and civilians responsible we are just making things worse. There would seem to be little doubt that torture was encouraged and certainly condoned by the Bush/Cheney administration. The argument that it was just a few bad enlisted apples is obvious nonsense. The particular methods employed were clearly thought up by people who had some knowledge of Iraqi culture, not by some low-level personnel from Virginia. Whether the photographs ever get released or not we will still have to bear the shame of this unbelievably horrible episode in American history.

Sentiment against the "war" and Bush/Cheney is rapidly growing thanks in part to Cindy Sheehan who has single-handedly kept the issue front and center. She now has the support of many others willing to join her, donate money and supplies, and etc. Bush, who had time for a two hour bike ride, fishing, a little league baseball game, lunch with Condi, and a nap, still cannot find time to speak with Cindy. Obviously he has plenty of time, he just doesn't have the guts, nor does he have anything to say to her that would make any sense whatsoever. What would he say? We attacked a helpless country with a lot of oil because we want to control their oil? He knows, and everyone else knows, we didn't attack because of WMD's or terrorist ties, or even to rid the country of an evil dictator, we did it for the oil and to make Bush and Cheney's corporate pals filthy rich. At least that much has been a success. A glorious success.

Impeachment seems to be getting more and more mention of late, not that it will ever happen with a Republican controlled House of Representatives, none of whom have even a smidgen of decency. If they did Bush would be forced to resign just as Nixon was. The continuing Republican support for our idiot figurehead is impossible for me to comprehend. There seems to be no level of incompetence they are willing to put up with. Rumsfeld, who seems to be in an advanced stage of dementia, and who has failed even military 101, keeps babbling on. Condi Rice, apparently about as useless as can be, continues around the world babbling nonsense, Bolton, keeping a low profile so far, will probably erupt soon with some kind of tantrum, Cheney sticks to his plan for nuking Iran and everybody else in the world if it suits him, Rove goes unpunished even though he is obviously guilty as hell, scandal after scandal just gets ignored by the MSM, and what else is new?

"He (uncle Pio) regarded love as a sort of cruel malady through which the elect are required to pass in their late youth and from which they emerge, pale and wrung, but ready for the business of living. There was (he believed) a great repertory of errors mercifully impossible to human beings who had recovered from this illness."

Thornton Wilder
The Bridge...