Bush's lies cause untold pain : Greeley

[jbfam4]

Bush's lies cause untold pain

August 27, 2004

BY ANDREW GREELEY

http://www.suntimes.com/output/greeley/cst-edt-greel27.html


One sees buttons that read, ''At least Clinton's lies didn't kill anyone.'' Harsh words. Yet the Iraq war is the result of deceptions in which the president and his administration have indulged and indeed continue to indulge. Planned before the attack on the World Trade Center, it is not part of the so-called war on terror. Iraq was not involved in the attack and was not seriously linked with al-Qaida. There were no weapons of mass destruction. There is little hope of a peaceful and democratic Iraq. The Iraqis hate us (as the Gallup Polls there indicate). There will not be a shift of the balance of power in the Middle East. The ouster of Saddam Hussein might cost eventually thousands of American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives.

Some defenders of the president argue that he did not deliberately deceive the American people. Yet he and the vice president and the neo-con intellectuals continue to repeat the falsehoods, modifying them ever so slightly so they will enjoy some superficial plausibility: We may still find the weapons of mass destruction, there were some ''connections'' between Iraq and al-Qaida.

If you tell a big enough lie and tell it often enough, some people will believe you. Never admit your mistakes, never assume responsibility for the consequences of these mistakes. Keep repeating the same old deceptions -- often with a show of anger -- and enough people will believe you to re-elect you. The war proves that you are a strong leader, a man who can make the tough decisions, a man not greatly concerned about ''sensitivity.''

If ever there were high crimes and misdemeanors, the lies about the war in Iraq fit that category. We are an odd people. We impeach a president because he lied about his private sex life, which killed no one and harmed no one beyond his family. Yet we support and may well re-elect a ''strong'' president whose lies are responsible for so many flag-draped caskets, so many poignant obituaries, and so much grief. How many women are sobbing in church these days because of Bush's lies?

[acmavm]

1. This article gets RIGHT TO THE POINT of what is so dangerous about

bush* and his administration.

[flordehinojos]

2. Dear Father Greely, Why is America supporting an evil president?

Why are people who normally might not be criminals enabling so many of bush's crimes of war, stealing of the presidency, and everyday garden variety of lies that he and his inner circle come up with?

Why is 'Murricah exhibiting the same insane behavior that Germany exhibited during Hitler's time?

Why has 'Murricah become polarized into almost two 'Murricahs or two selves ... those who believe in bush, his lies and his wars, and those who do not...
sort of like the fight of the good and bad self in one person, 'Murricah is having the fight for its life between the good and bad 'murricahns,(the patriots who support bush and the unpatriotic traitors who do not support bush) Good 'murricanhs this last group in my view.

who is who here, father greely? bush is selling us the dark side of the coin?

why can't 'murricah see it?

[jbfam4]

3. send your note to Greeley

[e-mail]

[flordehinojos]

4. thank you for the e-mail address to greely !

:)

[jbfam4]

5. You are welcome, but

there are three E's in Greeley.

[flordehinojos]

6. i think i made a typo ... but thanks for pointing it out !

:-)