Robert Scheer: Deceit of Shakespearean Proportions

[marmar]

from truthdig:




Deceit of Shakespearean Proportions

Posted on Aug 30, 2011
By Robert Scheer


Behold this unctuous knave, a disgrace to his nation as few before him, yet boasting unvarnished virtue. The deceit of Dick Cheney is indeed of Shakespearean proportions, as evidenced in his new memoir. For the former vice president, lying comes so easily that one must assume he takes the pursuit of truth to be nothing more than a reckless indulgence.

Here is a man who, more than anyone else in the Bush administration, trafficked in the campaign of deceit that caused tens of thousands to die, wasted trillions of dollars in resources and indelibly sullied the legacy of this nation through the practice of torture, which Cheney defends to this day. Still this villain claims that, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the horrid methods he endorsed were a necessary response to the threat of Osama bin Laden. How convenient to ignore that it was Barack Obama, a resolutely anti-torture president, who made good on the promise of Cheney and the previous administration to take down the al-Qaida leader.

Not to mention that bin Laden was killed in his hiding place in Pakistan, a nation that the Bush administration had befriended after 9/11 by lifting the sanctions previously imposed in retaliation for Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, a program connected with the proliferation of nuclear weapons know-how and the sale of nuclear material to North Korea, Libya and Iran.

Pakistan joined with only two other nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in granting diplomatic recognition to the Taliban government that provided a safe haven for al-Qaida as bin Laden orchestrated the 9/11 attack. But instead of focusing on the source of the problem, Cheney led the effort to overthrow Saddam Hussein, who had ruthlessly hounded any al-Qaida operatives who dared function in Iraq. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/deceit_of_shakespaerean_proportions_20110830/

[xchrom]

1. Verily. Nt

[the other one]

2. Oxford

Shakespeare was the pen name of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.

Google it.

[marmar]

3. Do you have a point?

nt

[LongTomH]

7. Oh, God! Not that 'Somebody else wrote Shakespeare again!

"It out-Herods Herod!" Hamlet - I forget which act!

[exboyfil]

4. As far as allying with Pakistan

I can't agree with this write up questioning that approach. Remember we allied with the Soviets during World War II. Aiding the enemy of your enemy is sometimes a good approach. Pakistan is divided in its loyalties like most countries in that region. Our attempt to deal with the more moderate representatives of these countries is not unreasonable. We thought we the appropriate inducements to have them help us in bringing in the inviduals responsible for 9/11. It did not turn out that way.

The only thing I question about in the approach in Afghanistan is our desire to nation build and set up shop in this country. I feel getting everyone responsible for 9/11 is non-negotiable and we will roll over small countries to accomplish if necessary (if a country like Iran was hiding Osama then we would pause in that decision).

I think you can see parallels in our approach to Osama and Israel's approach to Eichmann. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda were obvious allies and needed to be addressed together. The Taliban benefited from the actions of Osama (the assasination of a rival Afghani leader immediately before 9/11 for example).

[bemildred]

5. "Yon Cassius, methinks he doth protest too much."

Personally I think Mr Cheney would have done better not to further offend anyone, he is going to need all the friends he can find, if he lives at all.

[Demeter]

6. Richard the Fourth

or was it 6 heart attacks?