Comments on: Bush’s Operation Founding Fathers Fraud

By: Henry Pelifian

Henry Pelifian — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:46:57 +0000

Dear Mr. James Bovard,

Really enjoyed your article. You really captured the inconsistencies and lies of our government. Americans cannot separate themselves from their government believing wrongly that the transient elected government is more important than the Constitution and our heritage of freedom and democracy. Our educational system is doing a substandard job in teaching the functions of the Constitution to reign in arrogant and abusive government. I remember my own high school education in history, it was truly negligent in focusing on the importance of our Constitution and its meaning!

There are a few journalists revealing the awesome truth about our government, but the mainstream media’s ( mainly TV news & major publications) self-censorship prohibits the American people from obtaining accurate information about their own government. Sometimes I wonder if self-censorship from publishers prevents stories like “Americans In Iran” from being published. Also there is a notion like concrete that anything American is almost above criticism, especially in foreign policy matters. Anyone critical is labelled a complainer. The time has come to call those who condemn critics of U.S. polices, foreign and domestic status quo appeasers or chronic appeasers to failure.

Henry Pelifian

http://uniskywriter.blogspot.com/

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:41:33 +0000

The real tragedy is that cynicism drives me to drink.

Amazing how moderate doses of good beer can help restore one’s faith in the American way.

By: lawhobbit

lawhobbit — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:33:51 +0000

Quoth our host, “I have a hunch that you are prejudiced against cynicism. Yet, in moderate doses, it can be a bracing tonic.”
To which I have no choice but to reply, “Ahhhhhhh, sayz who?” With a hearty smile, wink, and nudge, of course.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 03:50:50 +0000

Annie - I begin to doubt that I can sway you on the merits of topical cynicism. Cynicism does not need to be a mushroom cloud that obliterates the sun.

I will keep whittling on this subject.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 03:48:53 +0000

Charlie - some of the old habits are the best.

One of the best things my father ever taught me was that books are for marking up. To highlight key passages raises a book’s value - I get a kick out of picking up books I first read 30+ years ago and seeing what caught my fancy back when Jimmmy Carter was the liberal Great White Hope.

By: Annie

Annie — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 02:38:09 +0000

“I see no reason to be skeptical about Bush and Iraq.
And is there any reason for people to be merely “skeptical” about Cheney? ”

The reason is because cynicism itself has a bad name, and is therefore easily dismissed by many as mere biased negativity.

Cynicism, as I understand the meaning of the word, tends to alienate. It does not inspire people to think for themselves, or examine the facts. It doesn’t inspire confidence in being able to make a difference, or offer practical alternatives. It doesn’t stimulate self-awareness or personal empowerment.

Rather, it tends more often to function like a dark sticky goo that gets all over everybody and weighs people down. Also somewhat like a contagious disfiguring rash.. unappealing to be around.

By: charlie ehlen

charlie ehlen — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 02:36:48 +0000

Mr. Bovard,
I too value my books quite highly. I WOULD however loan my copy to someone, IF they would read it! Of course they might be “put off’ by all the passages that I have highlited. Well, too damn bad, that is why I buy my books, so I can make notes, highlite them, etc. Old habits, like this old Marine die hard.
Yes, a sad day for what used to be the Constitutional republic of America. As I said, welcome to the new Amerika of W. Gump and company.
I think we may all meet at Gitmo or some other Halliburton built camp. in the future. At least I will be in very good company then.
semper fi,
charlie

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:54:00 +0000

As long as the National Endowment for Democracy is giving heaps of awards to politicians and paying for lavish foreign excursions for congressmen, the endowment is safe on Capitol Hill.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:52:55 +0000

A former CIA agent who requested anonymity sent me the following regarding the piece on Operation Founding Fathers:

Very good article.

You mentioned Carl Gershman and the National Endowment for Democracy. As an international observer of two elections in Nicaragua in the 1980s I saw the NED in action.

If there is one US (albeit technically private) organization that ought to be abolished it is the badly mis-named National Endowment for Democracy. In the wake of Iran-Contra, Congress almost ended it. Maybe this time.
****

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:50:25 +0000

Charlie - thanks for the comment - and thanks for the rashness of willingly lending Attention Deficit Democracy. I am almost never that rash with books. The cost of hiring someone to break thumbs to get the book back almost always exceeds the book’s value.

On the retroactive laws - -I never expected to see Congress retroactively decriminalize torture.

Just my youthful idealism leading me astray again…