Forget the legal Mumbo Jumbo....This is really very simple, even if legal

[Armstead]

We seem to be losing sight of the forest for the trees, IMO.

Suppose there were no Fitzgerald. Suppose it ultimately turns out that everything related to the outing of Valarie Plame was perfectly legal.

Even setting that aside, there is a bottom line that we should remember, which has nothing to do with technicalities. It would apply even if Plame were nothing but a secretary for an irrelevant official in charge of the CIA lunchroom.

What they did to Joe Wilson and his wife was morally wrong. They set out to ruin the reputation of someone for telling an inconvenient truth.

What was even worse -- even if it were perfectly legal -- was that it was just "business as usual." It was just one more example of the shell game of steering attention away from the objective facts, and twisting reality to conform to their Marketing of Fear.

"Be afraid. Be very very afraid. Trust us. We know how scary it really is. And we are the only ones who know how to protect you. Anyone says otehrwise is a liar or an opportunist or is anti-American."

Joe Wilson found that out when he said "In this specific piece of the puzzle that I had experience with, it really isn't as scary as they want you to believe."

They didn't merely go after him by disputing his interpretation of events. They went after him personally, to discredit him and attemnpt to distract attention from the substance of his claims -- even while they had to admit that his interpretation was actually true.

Multiply that one discrepancy by all of the other other discrepencies in the "case against Sadaam" that turned out not to be true. Then multiply it out by the way the War on Terror has been misused for other political purposes.

And then, for good measure, apply that same approach to other issues, such as energy policies and economic policies.

Even if they followed the letter of the law, and the "outing" of Valarie Plame ultimately caused no damage to national security, it would be wrong.

It is the mindset of deciding on a tale that will advance an agenda, and then relentlessly pounding home that message and attempting to use thjeir power to squash and ruin all opposition through intimidation and distortions.

That's what is the real problem. If the so-called "Fitzmas" manages to shed some public light on those tactics, so much the better. But it's only one piece of the veil of hypnotized illusion that has to be lifted, if the US is to retain its democracy and preserve the goals and standards that we as a nation (honest conservatives, as well as liberals and progressives) claim to stand for.

[peacetalksforall]

1. Well said. Very good.

After listening to Wash Journal this AM I think it is going to be very difficult to break through to those who have been targeted to be dumbed down and drugged with Republican propaganda. I didn't get to hear the entire morning, but many people are not getting it.

I hope it is a matter of time. I give thanks to those who are thinking enough to relate it to law and not blocking out everything for the sake of their King - George.

[Toots]

2. Fingers in their ears and singing La La la la

Is how the Republicans will react to what you have to say if the past is any indication. :shrug:

[Armstead]

3. The hard core ones -- But they're a lost cause anyway

But the people in the moderate conservative and center segments who are able to look beyiond what they're told to think will possibly start to see this as a simple matter of right anhd wrong, not left and right.

[bloom]

4. We probably will never know

how many people were fired or resigned in protest ( I expect there have hundreds or even thousands) - for instance:

- clearing out the CIA of anyone who disagreed with BushCo

- clearing out the managers of the National Parks that didn't agree with BushCo

- EPA people who were too disgusted to work under the current atmosphere

but here is a list of some:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5165102