As Iraq descends into chaos again, more than a decade after "Mission Accomplished," media commentators and politicians have mostly agreed upon calling the war a "mistake." But the "mistake" rhetoric is the language of denial, not contrition: it minimizes the Iraq War’s disastrous consequences, removes blame, and deprives Americans of any chance to learn from our generation’s foreign policy disaster. The Iraq War was not a "mistake" — it resulted from calculated deception. The painful, unvarnished fact is that we were lied to. Now is the time to have the willingness to say that.
In fact, the truth about Iraq was widely available, but it was ignored. There were no WMD. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11. The war wasn’t about liberating the Iraqi people. I said this in Congress in 2002. Millions of people who marched in America in protest of the war knew the truth, but were maligned by members of both parties for opposing the president in a time of war — and even leveled with the spurious charge of "not supporting the troops."
I’ve written and spoken widely about this topic, so today I offer two ways we can begin to address our role:
1) President Obama must tell us the truth about Iraq and the false scenario that caused us to go to war. When Obama took office in 2008, he announced that his administration would not investigate or prosecute the architects of the Iraq War. Essentially, he suspended public debate about the war. That may have felt good in the short term for those who wanted to move on, but when you’re talking about a war initiated through lies, bygones can’t be bygones.
The unwillingness to confront the truth about the Iraq War has induced a form of amnesia which is hazardous to our nation’s health. Willful forgetting doesn’t heal, it opens the door to more lying. As today’s debate ensues about new potential military "solutions" to stem violence in Iraq, let’s remember how and why we intervened in Iraq in 2003.
2) Journalists and media commentators should stop giving inordinate air and print time to people who were either utterly wrong in their support of the war or willful in their calculations to make war.
By and large, our Fourth Estate accepted uncritically the imperative for war described by top administration officials and congressional leaders. The media fanned the flames of war by not giving adequate coverage to the arguments against military intervention.
President Obama didn’t start the Iraq War, but he has the opportunity now to tell the truth. That we were wrong to go in. That the cause of war was unjust. That more problems were created by military intervention than solved. That the present violence and chaos in Iraq derives from the decision which took America to war in 2003. More than a decade later, it should not take courage to point out the Iraq war was based on lies.
Dennis Kucinich
Maxoxmam41
All we can do is tend to our little realities. We know we don't have much say in anything any more. We even wonder if our vote counts. With so many corrupting influences in politics what are we supposed to do with this sudden honesty?
Really... what are we supposed to think anymore. It just adds to our frustration, so we ignore it.
Its better that way. At least we can get through another day.
Well, speaking for myself, anyway.
The act of turning away from the problem does not lessen nor make it go away. Usually it festers someplace else and returns worse than when it first appeared.
After the 911 attacks the country was first stunned and then angered by what had happened. Bush easily made the case to chase Al Qaeda into Afghanistan and I believe rightly so. But the honeymoon was soon over when Al Qaeda was driven into the mountains and neighboring Pakistan. The oil was in Iraq and Cheney and his cronies saw a way to continue war (which so happened to be up Halliburton's ally) and pick up some stray oil wells at the same time. This war in Iraq was about greed and conquest with a complicit news media feeding us the "facts"
This latest ploy to get us into a war with ISIS is just another step to crank up the war machine and line some congressmen's pockets again. Let them fight their way through this. We left Iran alone and the only thing we hear are occasional rumblings of uranium enrichment no one has yet to prove. As usual we are scared into decisions that impact many and enrich a few.
What can we do? Keep talking and not lecturing each other. To have any lecturing on a subject you have to trust the source. To have a constructive conversation you have to respect the other persons opinion while discerning its validity. We are the problem as we have elected many times over the people that perpetuate the same old garbage. And guess what? Nothing changes. We are the problem.
- we ARE the problem? We HAVE BEEN the problem… What if we choose not to be the problem…?
Is it too late? Is the damage done? Does our vote count?
- can you give a for instance regarding "lecturing"?
Apathy is a way of life now…
We are tired. We are messed up. We are starting not to care.
I mean, has it gotten to that point as far as We The People?
I hope not.
Yet we will probably have only the second Clinton or the third Bush to vote for. Isn't it pretty much over?
PS Some one called to ask me for $ support for Ben Carson for President… just another greedy u know what…
- they know it could never happen in a million years.
Many issues have been taken care of by the elected elite. We now have a all voluntary military. This assures that their children will never be called upon to serve in the military. It also makes the wars very antiseptic because the ones fighting want to be there so the blood is not on the politicians hands. Foreign policy changes with every administration. No consistency provides no trust from our allies. How is representation in congress achieved when they can manipulate the vote at will. They can change the regions and even elect candidates that never lived in the area they are representing. Hillary Clinton moved to New York for a short time before she was elected to become a Senator from that State. How do you get elected to the top congressional office in such a short time. Elitism and favor is how.
These and too many to mention issues have been the normal decay in what used to be a country that was involved in its' own affairs that impact all of us. We have a professional political industry that sells favor for money and worries little of the consequences. The Tea Party has had some affect of getting some out (Eric Cantor who will now lobby on Wall Street) but the slime bags continue in their favor for hire criminal acts away from our eyes and deaf ears. You can't trust the media as it sells us controversy and scandal to make a buck while ignoring the more prescient issues that affect us all.
There is a way but the American electorate is so polarized by the misinformation and party politics that we have to have a fresh start. There are three things I have found many on both sides of the isle will agree on. Term Limits, Publicly Funded Campaigns and Lobby Reform. These three things can work if we talk about them. But many think they have the Silver Bullet. One man cannot make a difference as proven by Obama. But the American electorate can make a difference if they have the will.
Yes, the only way We The People will have an influence is to find common ground and reflect a position of being on the same page. Thank you for offering ideas we can agree on! "Term Limits, Publicly Funded Campaigns and Lobby Reform."
We also need to be able to identify the politicians who are obviously indoctrinated with greed, desire for more power and money and those who seem to be puppets of u know what/who.
And vote them out.
If it becomes obvious our vote does not count, it would be nice if the unified WE would not vote at all. But then the bad guys would vote. (darn. If we need a revolution we need a revolution.) Another way to revolutionize is to refuse to pay taxes. But we would really have to be on the same page there!
I wonder if it would ever come to the point of the electorate against the elected in battle. LOL.
After all, If you hand someone power, you must also watch to see the power is not misused/abused.
Agreed on all accounts. The only problem as you state is if we refuse to vote (which many do) they win.
The inherent cause of term limits is to make it less profitable for the slime to get a long term foothold as they would be mandatorily made to leave. This would open the door for those who truly want what is best for the country to govern as career politicians goals of perpetuity would not pay off.
The biggest issue is the electorate that wish to act as mobs overcoming others with their numbers rather than dissecting issues. If we were less judgmental and more open to compromise this could be achieved. But how do you start that conversation is the $100,000 question.
The correct phrase is "...the $64,000 question" which originated from a 1950s game show by the same name
As for term limits... do you really think there is any chance Congress would make a real effort to pass term-limit legislation that would end their careers?
Even with a demanding electorate, how many election cycles do you think it would take to get enough Honest Joes in office to get it done?
GA
.....The correct phrase is "...the $64,000 question" which originated from a 1950s game show by the same name
Thank you I thought there was a more recent iteration of that show. "Give the man a cookie". Who said that?
....smile You have to use a semi colon and a un-parenthesis to make a smile.
....As for term limits... do you really think there is any chance Congress would make a real effort to pass term-limit legislation that would end their careers?
We don't need them. It is in the Constitution to boot them out if "WE" wish.
http://www.termlimitsforuscongress.com/
....Even with a demanding electorate, how many election cycles do you think it would take to get enough Honest Joes in office to get it done?
You want expediency? How long did it take for the slime bags to get this just right for them? There is no magic wave of the hand. You are right about one thing. The attention span of the electorate and the equally lazy attitude towards anything that is not quickly rewarding is a great hurdle.
But the curmungeonality (if that is a word) of the comment is well noted.
If the act of voting wasn't at the elite's advantage do you think that we would be voting?
I am not so pessimistic. I agree it has been in development for over two hundred years but they still have to deal with it. Too few of the electorate are apathetic and allow the whole mess to get worse. The voter doesn't get it that when they don't participate or participate half heartedly the politicians win every time. We tried an insurrection with the Civil War so we know they won't let us go our separate way so the vote is still the best way to oust them.
We can change it if we can agree with each other long enough to get it done. The best part is that we don't need their approval. http://www.termlimitsforuscongress.com/
So far I've noticed that the citizenry is regressing concerning all the advantages (collective bargaining to name one) harvested along our history. Our freedom, social rights are diminishing. Again, if we had something to gain don't you think that the elite would have had its hands on already?
The only pacific solution is to refuse to vote. Several times I asked on the platform what would happen during an election if the majority of the electorate didn't vote, democrats and republicans included?
The ones in office would be overjoyed.
I guess.
Good evening, Max.
If the majority of the electorate did not vote, the votes of the minority of the electorate would determine the outcome.
On the other hand, in case of a tie in Electoral College votes or a failure to capture a majority, the House of Representatives would determine the President as prescribed in the 12th Amendment of the Constitution. {1}
I hope this helps, Max.
{1} http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2014 … lection-2/
So, if I understood you well, and based upon your expertise of the law (?), even if the vote of the minority doesn't reflect the thinking majority there would be a president? You did help, thanks. In what way is it democratic?
As for the article, nowhere does it state that a majority of abstentions jeopardized the election. Correct me if I'm wrong, the case argued is a tie between two candidates.
Good evening again, Max.
The election of the President reflects the thinking of the citizens who vote. Those who intentionally do not vote have decided not to participate in the election process.
You asked, “In what way is it democratic?”
All eligible citizens are free to vote or not to vote.
You also said, “As for the article, nowhere does it state that a majority of abstentions jeopardized the election.”
You are correct. Obviously, eligible citizens who decide not to vote intend to leave the selection of the president in the hands of the citizens who do vote.
And, your final point was, “Correct me if I'm wrong, the case argued is a tie between two candidates.”
Again, you are correct on this point too. The case cited is about two candidates having the same number of Electoral Votes.
I hope this is clear and helpful, Max.
Indeed they are free to vote but if abstentions represent 60% and democrats and republicans gather respectively 18% and 22%, in what way the election of a republican president reflect the majority that didn't vote? Not voting is expressing a disagreement towards former policies and the elected candidates for the presidency. If you express your opinion with an abstention, it is voting, then why isn't it taken into consideration? And what does the law say? Does a force need to be labeled a party to represent the voice of the people?
In essence you are saying without choosing you have made a choice. A simple two negatives equaling a positive. A void in government responsibility and a refusal to participate equals a positive statement against the other two. The outcome is the same according to the Constitution and unfortunately has no bearing or affect in making things better. It is mere acquiescence to the process. Who listens to a silent man?
In fact I made a mistake by abstention, I meant blank. Blank is voting and it says I protest. Not let's take the same equation 60% blank votes, 18% democrat and 22% republican.
However, I just found on Wikipedia the following info : "When None of the Above is listed on a ballot, there is the possibility of NOTA receiving a majority or plurality of the vote, and so "winning" the election." Could it be the solution to eliminate our perpetual bipartisan government?
Since my government aspires to the eradication of the people I will dedicate my time to find a way to dislodge the government from its pedestal legally obviously with the help of the constitution.
I understand your logic but the nuts and bolt's of it show a lack of involvement. To not vote or vote in abstention as a protest is to edify those that you are protesting. With about an 80% disapproval rating it would seem Congress does not give a hoot as to who is, or is not voting. The vote in essence is the ultimate freedom of speech. It allows you to voice your opinion and mind. All I have to say is why give it over to them?
It meant if I understood well that the people's majority would win. In that context, what does become of the elected majority? Are you eluding that it is up to congress?
When you don't vote the rest of the people fill in for you. Whether those people are just average voters or party tools the void left by your abstention is left out. The council member, sheriff, judge, senator or president for that matter are voted in without your influence. The majority as defined by the Constitution is the electorate not those who decide not to vote. So in essence you do leave everything up to congress because they have proven and reproved that when left alone they do what they want.
But when you vote blank, it is a vote. Therefore if blank votes are the majority, does it constitutes a winning election? I understood that abstention is null.
In theory and on paper yes your non vote says something. How would that look on a ballot? Would the registrar tally it as a no vote or void it? If it were counted as a non vote or no confidence vote, who would it be reflected on? The candidate as a blank or on the system as a blank? You see it has no direction and no influence as the slime bags still get the votes they need to continue their farce of governance.
Hi Max.
How true! Abstentions DO NOT represent people who do not vote. Voluntary abstentions represent a conscious decision NOT to participate in the election process and they, therefore, allow the selection of the President to be determined by those who actually participate in the voting process.
You are not correct, however, when you claim, “Not voting is expressing a disagreement towards former policies and the elected candidates for the presidency.” Only 12.9% of all non-voters said the candidates or other issues were the reasons for deliberately not voting in the 2012 presidential election. A greater number, 13.4%, said they did not vote because they “had no interest” while the remaining 73.7% did not vote due to reasons that were beyond their control. {1}
The U.S. balloting process is further misrepresented by saying, “If you express your opinion with an abstention, it is voting, then why isn't it taken into consideration? And what does the law say? Does a force need to be labeled a party to represent the voice of the people?” Simply stated, Max, abstentions ARE NOT counted as votes. Rather, abstentions are just moot failures to exercise the right to vote. The President is selected by the votes that are cast by eligible citizens who, under the laws of our republic, are free to support any candidate of any party even with a separate write-in ballot.
{1} http://www.statisticbrain.com/voting-statistics/
Interesting.
As I said it to Rhamson : "In fact I made a mistake by abstention, I meant blank. Blank is voting and it says I protest. Not let's take the same equation 60% blank votes, 18% democrat and 22% republican.
However, I just found on Wikipedia the following info : "When None of the Above is listed on a ballot, there is the possibility of NOTA receiving a majority or plurality of the vote, and so "winning" the election." Could it be the solution to eliminate our perpetual bipartisan government?
Since my government aspires to the eradication of the people I will dedicate my time to find a way to dislodge the government from its pedestal legally obviously with the help of the constitution."
They win what they have been working for all these years.
Indeed it is the sad reality.
The population shifts from right to left and vice versa without at any moment being granted of any voice to express its needs. And we still vote. If voting doesn't aim at the improvement of its society where is its point? If it doesn't obey to the concretization of people's conception of a society where is its point?
What you are questioning is the intent as having no effect on the outcome. The problem is not with the intent as the outcome is realized by those who vote. The real problem is with those that refuse to participate. Sure the politicians can craft a new way to pervert it as in the Bush/Gore debacle but that was because the vote was so close and therefore easily manipulated. With a 54% turn out for the election only half the country voted.
If we could make the candidates more responsible and responsive to the electorate there might be a chance of actually having our needs represented. Unfortunately the slime keep producing for their constituents enough to warrant their votes. It is the same old thing while people bash all the other congressmen they stand firm that theirs is a good one.
Term limits, publicly financed campaigns and lobby reform is out only hope of corralling our run away slime ball mess on the hill.
I am currently reading Jeremy Scahill's "Blackwater" but I can't help making the connection between the rise of domestic and international terrorism and the rise of Blackwater. It is interesting to know that our government spends more than a thousand dollars per day to have one Blackwater's guard protecting a member of our government abroad versus using an army man for $300.
It is interesting to know that those mercenaries, at least 100 different companies in Iraq, for instance, committed and commit crimes disregarding the rule of Law.
It is also interesting to see the tight connection between CIA, Halliburton (and other private arm dealers) and Blackwater.
By perpetuating the elections of puppets, WE ARE THE PROBLEM.
You know that we are forcing Russia to enter war with Ukraine. And if they do, America will receive the first nuclear bomb. Or better, we'll launch a nuclear warhead somewhere someone will tend to their realities as you explicitly said it and pretend that it was Russia (we master false flag operations) and, third world war won't be a fantasy anymore. Does anybody measure the seriousness and the danger of the situation?
14. We are forcing war with Ukraine.
15. We will be responsible for either a nuclear bomb or warhead.
16. We will falsely accuse Russia for being responsible.
17. The reality of the third world war is at hand, thanks to the US.
So far you have given us 17 reasons to not listen to the news, research the news in the internet, or read newspapers.
If you are trying to say that is America is B A D,
that is is even more reason to bury our heads in the sands…
of our our own homeland.
( Unless you have another suggestion, Max. )
This is an amazing discussion. There are two true points of view here.
The citizens of the U.S. were lied too. And, in fact, Bush's first national security council meeting in 2001 dealt with how to start a war with Iraq, not with bin Laden. And immediately on 9/11, the discussion continued on how to blame it on Iraq. These facts have been documented.
The other discussion here is that Americans are tuned out and just don't seem to care anymore. This is unfortunate. When the Roman's tuned out the empire ended. That was because they tuned out so much that they refused to pay the mercenaries who fought their wars. This caused the mercenaries to sack Rome. And people still didn't tune in.
Today, it seems like facts don't matter and people have tuned out to a high degree. Football seems to be more important than war! I do not have an answer for this.
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