A secret recording has surfaced of Vice President Dick Cheney speaking to the Republican Jewish Coalition where he held forth on various subjects — assuming that the session was closed to the public and press. Cheney appears to be intent on, again, revising history to get people to embrace a security state. You may recall how Cheney (who is often cited as a potential defendant in a torture prosecution) publicly assuring the nation that the Bush torture program produced valuable intelligence. That assertion has been previously dismissed by experts and insiders. However, as we discussed recently, the forthcoming Senate Report goes into great deal to show that not only is that assertion untrue but that the CIA actively sought to hide the fact that the torture program produced insignificant intelligence (and that detainees were tortured despite their cooperation in conventional interrogations). Cheney is now fighting to defend the massive surveillance of citizens — again dismissing even the concessions of intelligence officials about abuses and violations under the program. Cheney told a rapturous crowd that all such accounts were “hogwash.” He further pumped the crowd with support for an attack on Iran to add yet another war to our current international conflicts.
In his March 29th remarks, Cheney insisted that suggestions “That we have created in the National Security Agency this monster bureaucracy that’s reading everybody’s mail, listening to everybody’s phone calls, infringing upon our civil liberties and civil rights — hogwash.” He then adds the assertion that, if we had only embraced massive surveillance previously, “It probably would’ve allowed us to stop 9/11.”
It is a signature moment for Cheney. Once again, when confronted with the creation of a security state and mass surveillance, he plays the 9-11 card. There has never been any suggestion that the program would have prevented 9-11. More importantly, Cheney seems to be forgetting the findings of virtually every investigation of 9-11 that the CIA and FBI could have prevented the attacks with existing powers. Intelligence officials failed to share information and use existing powers to prevent the attack despite various indications that the attack was coming. Of course those findings do not play as well for expanding the powers and budgets of those very same agencies. Instead, citizens are asked to embrace torture, kill lists, and massive surveillance if they want to avoid an attack.
For many outside of this country, the very fact that Cheney has not been prosecuted for his role in the torture program is a consistent reminder of the failure of the country to fulfilled its obligations under existing treaties, as reflected by the recent U.N. report (only the latest such UN criticism). Cheney is a fascinating study of how some citizens and leaders seem to have an overwhelming inclination toward authoritarian power (not just to wield it but to be subject to it). It could not be more disconnected with the views and values of the Framers who deeply distrusted government powers and foreign entanglements. Even in the face of reports and statements from intelligence officials to the contrary, Cheney continues to deny reality in support of near absolute powers in the president. It is hard to tell if he truly believes these accounts or simply seeks to sustain a rivaling narrative. Either way, it increasingly appears so disconnected from reality as to be doublespeak, or even delusional, for Cheney.
Source: Yahoo
ANY list of celebrities who when @ the peak of the career MUST include Ted Williams, fighter pilot in WW2 and Korea, and wing man for John Glenn.
Al Gore was a pencil pusher in Viet Nam.
While I agree about Ted Williams being a real American hero, I have to take extreme exception to Nick’s characterization of Al Gore’s service. First off, look at the contrast with W Bush who got a plush job defending the US from VC aircraft bombing the USA, and who put down on his National Guard enlistment papers, NO OVERSEAS DUTY. Then we have to consider how many of Gore’s class at Harvard or any other Ivy League school ever went into the military, much less served in Vietnam. It might be as much as 10% if that. Then you overlook the FACT that all of Vietnam was a war zone, and I see that the nurses are now demanding recognition as combatants since a number of them were killed, and they were as far in the rear as possible and in a safe zone. Then you misstate Gore’s job which was as a military reporter for the battalion newspaper. I am not a journalist, but as I recall, most reporters MUST go out in the field to report. I was unaware that GI reporters were allowed to do all of their reporting with rest of the press corps from the bars in Saigon. So I take issue with Nick’s contempt for Vietnam vets.
Then we have to look at how Republican Presidents, treated their inlaws during wartime. Nixon made damn sure NONE of his son-in-laws were in the military, with Cox getting out of the draft, and worse still, David EISENHOWER running from military service. While I do not like LBJ, at least he had the decency to make damn sure HIS son-in-laws went to Vietnam. Robb as a USMC captain out in combat, and even though Nugent thought he had his butt covered by being in the Air National Guard, LBJ had a little heart to heart chat, and he “volunteered” to go on active duty to get to Vietnam.
” I have to take extreme exception to Nick’s characterization of Al Gore’s service. ”
With his family connections Gore could have sat it out in grad school, in the national guard or where ever. He must have chosen to be in Viet Nam.
The last I remember they were blowing people up in bars, shooting people from the back of motor bikes, and mortaring well defended air bases.
BTW, I am no fan of Al Gore – except for the internet – he did a good job on that.
Wayne, You forget that there WAS a Senators son in Vietnam, AL GORE.
Paul, It is obscene that a non-military draft dodger like you would disparage Max Cleland’s service and wounds. You show yourself to not only be ignorant, but a cowardly chickenhawk fully worthy of that name. You are certainly the equal of Ted Nugent who brags about how HE got classified as 4-F to dodge the draft and going to Vietnam. For your information, Cleland was wounded as he got off the helicopter and he saw a grenade on the ground. It was NOT his grenade, but since you are too stupid to even know elementary physics, you would know that if it had been his grenade he would have been long gone and it would have been behind him. Turns out it was a grenade from the GI in front of him who was new in country and did not secure the grenade properly, and used the pin to secure it to the harness. When the guy jumped out, hitting the ground dislodged the pin, and left it there where Cleland saw it and tried to get it away. You are fully exposed as the same kind of fake patriot as Wayne, and worth about as much.
Touche…you’re right I had forgotten about Gore.
I can’t help but add something here: when you see John Wayne, or other actors, put the pin of a grenade in his mouth and then yank on the grenade to throw it. Ain’t gonna happen, it would take Richard Kiel playing “Jaws” to accomplish that feat.
Seamus,
Only because he is one step ahead of his brother the prince of darkness… The fallen angel…. Lucifer…. In Re the Devil…..
911 was the new Pearl Harbor that was needed to invade Iraq.
And he has such a nice smile. Go figure.
Max, A bromance?
“Americans have long been taught that events such as the notorious My Lai massacre were isolated incidents in the Vietnam War, carried out by “a few bad apples.” But as award‑winning journalist and historian Nick Turse demonstrates in this groundbreaking investigation, violence against Vietnamese noncombatants was not at all exceptional during the conflict. Rather, it was pervasive and systematic, the predictable consequence of orders to “kill anything that moves.”
Drawing on more than a decade of research in secret Pentagon files and extensive interviews with American veterans and Vietnamese survivors, Turse reveals for the first time how official policies resulted in millions of innocent civilians killed and wounded. In shocking detail, he lays out the workings of a military machine that made crimes in almost every major American combat unit all but inevitable.” (On The Origin of The Bully Religion – 2).
“It is forbidden to kill therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” -Voltaire
Gives new meaning to “honor killing.”
Dick Cheney is a war criminal and he has lots of company. Anyone involved in approving and authorizing torture should be in jail now. Anyone who prevented these war criminals from being prosecuted as our law and international law requires should be prosecuted. And, what Mike Appleton said!
Why isn’t Deadeye Dick having his 12th heart attack behind bars? Oh, I forgot; US political and financial elites are above the law.
Just a side note to add that according to Hillary Clinton herself, she was under attach and had to take cover when her plane landed in Bosnia. To Quote Hiller herself…”I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.” So if you dream you were under attack, were you under attack?
Elane M.
I have a new version of Orwell’s Animal Farm. It is quite abbreviated.
Saddam torture bad
U.S. torture good
Two legs good, four legs better!
Our tax dollars probably kept Mr. Cheney alive on at least 2 occasions. Talk about wasteful spending…
Annie
How many more politicians are there that share Cheney’s worldview that will potentially run for President or hold seats in the House and Senate, the Supreme Court?
*****
Unfortunately, I think there are many Americans who share that same world view. Waterboarding/”enhanced interrogation” is okay when our country does it because we’re the good guys.
Unknown knowns…
… aka The Bush Administration.
Rumsfeld (aka Rumsfailed) is one to top…
… Dick eye shooter is in close competition.
Here’s our retired Sec. DoD
Mike Appleton is right, If Obama would have held Dubya and all the players to account Cheney would never be giving speeches.
What is the problem ? – We went along with Teddy failure to notify, Clinton being disbarred, the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, the genocide in Central Africa etc. Just add it to the list – History shall sort it all out. The American Indian knows all about American politicians – the Constitution – honesty in government & about being poor
By ANY international or domestic laws governing war, he is and will be a war criminal…….Ask Darth Cheney how many countries he can go too?
Wayne – btw Max Cleland blew himself up. Stupid is as stupid does.
The better question is why hadn’t Clinton done something about it before he left office. I cannot remember the name of the author, but I recommend the following book to you on the background leading up to 9/11. The Looming Tower. It was not an intelligence failure as much as it was a failure to communicate.
Wayne – those of us who were draft eligible understand student deferments, etc. If you didn’t take one, you would not know that you had to reapply every year. My guess, and it is only a guess, is that since you served for three years you signed up on your own, giving yourself some choice. Studies of that period have shown that those who were drafted usually served two years and one of those years was in Vietnam, where they were cannon fodder. People like you got military schooling and usually ended up in Europe.
You missed Bill Clinton who ran to England to avoid the draft.
Personally, I was turned down both by the Marines and by the draft. My final draft status was 1-Y. That meant they had to draft every eligible person in the USA and when they ran out they would draft me and I would take a desk job some where, freeing up someone who would become cannon fodder.
You can complain about John Wayne but war morale was very important, especially at the beginning of the war. Ol’ John killed more Japs than anyone in history. 🙂 Still, we both know, the military puts you where they want to, not where you want to be.
First John Wayne: He had his “people” , such as John Ford, deal with the draft board to make sure he didn’t serve. He was a coward of the first order and got into more than one fight when he would occasionally run into real soldiers home on leave. They resented him and he took a beating in those altercations because it obviously wasn’t scripted. The idea that John Wayne was needed at home for troop morale is patently absurd, it was the exact opposite. John Wayne is a hero among many Rs but that is based solely on his screen performance and not his battlefield heroics, of which there were none. He was in his early to mid 30s during WWII and stayed home to further his career and because he had a back problem: a yellow stripe running right down the middle.
As for me personally, yes my service number began with RA which indicates I did join the military and was not drafted. I have no idea why you think those who voluntarily joined the military served in Germany or had other European assignments. I can assure you that while that may be a stereotype it is not reality. Believe me, many many volunteers like myself were in combat zones….I have several RA friends of mine whose names are on “The Wall.” So please, don’t make the assumption about who served where. Trust me, if joining the Army meant one would not go to Viet Nam then the northward desertion of young men would have been a trickle. This is the first time I have heard this assertion about enlistees vs. draftees, and since I was there up close and personal I can offer assurance this isn’t the case.
I will say this: most of the men I meant in Basic Training were either minorities or poor whites. Like John Fogarty’s song, ain’t no Senator’s son in Viet Nam. And as a side note: I went to High School with John Fogarty, and the rest of his band, known at the time as “The Blue Velvets.” Class of 1963—where has the time gone?
Paul I see why you are so sensitive to being called a chickenhawk. The term ONLY applies to those who are for a war for which they can serve, but RUN from serving. Thus Clinton and others who were opposed to Vietnam cannot be chickenhawks since they were opposed to it. Unless of course, you think it makes sense for a person who is opposed to the war to join and fight in it while those who are FOR the war should not have to put their butts where their mouth is.
IT is laughable that you excuse John Wayne’s cowardice, and I see you know very little about the military since you did not join. By the way, I can list people such as JFK who was 4-F who did get into the Navy, or Clark Gable who was way too old, Henry Fonda had a big family and exs to support, Glenn Miller who was also overage, while Wayne was only 34 when the US was attacked and they took everybody up to age 40. He had to really work hard at staying out.
One name I disagree with on the chickenhawk wall of shame is Reagan. He did join and for once the Army Air Corps did something unusual and put him where his experience and talent could be best used, making training films. As Hap Arnold said to his unit after the war, they provided the most vital service which enabled the Air Corps to produce the millions of trained GIs to service the equipment needed to run a modern military. Since Reagan was nearly blind, the normal mode of operations would have been to make him forward observer to artillery, and put a guy who had never even seen a camera in his position in Hollywood. So while Reagan did spend the whole war in Hollywood, he was only getting Army pay and doing one of the most vital services and putting in lots of overtime since they worked damn near around the clock. He did not get to enjoy the delights of Hollywood during the war. John Wayne on the other hand did not stint on his enjoying his status or pay. Wayne only killed Chinese in his films by the way since Japanese extras were not available because they were enjoying Army hospitality in the desert camps.