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The Right's Determined March Towards Marginalization.
By Brad Friedman on 5/2/2004 4:41pm PT  

As much as I like to criticize the media for being lazy - which they are - I should probably add a word or two in praise of having such an open, independent press in this country in the first place.

Such a declaration of the obvious seems hardly necessary - particularly in light of recent events and their constant reminder of how "our freedoms are what the evil-doers hate".

And yet, it too often seems to be those freedoms precisely which are ironically enough under attack these days from the Bush Syncophants on the Hard Right Wing in the Blogosphere, on Talk Radio and elsewhere.

Instead of speaking out vociferously against the appalling treatment of Iraqi Prisoners, these Right Wingers have --- all too predictably by now --- chosen to use their time, incredibly, attacking CBS instead for having aired the story in the first place (after first holding the story for two weeks at the request of the Pentagon, I should add).

As this week's Newsweek article including an interview with Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski (the commander who over-saw the guards at U.S. detention facilities in Iraq, including those at Saddam Hussein's former torture center at Abu Ghurayb, where these photos were taken) reminds us, we are very lucky to have a free and independent media in this country to keep our Leaders in check. Especially when they are running so wildly adrift with dangerous and self-destructive American Policy.

She says she warned her superiors from the first about the ill-treatment of Iraqi prisoners....The trouble was, Karpinski says, she didn't have enough troops or resources to do the job right, and the men at the top ignored her complaints. "They just wanted it to go away," she told NEWSWEEK last week. In the end, several of her soldiers apparently went out of control.

It has been suggested, by at least this one Rightwing Blog (which ironically calls itself "The Blog of Truth", I might add) that CBS should have informed the Administration of what they learned and then simply "shut up" in light of and apparently in support of current American Policies in Iraq. The Blog's author claims not that CBS is biased --- the usual tribal rallying cry --- but more revealingly, that "they are neutral" and he finds that to be the problem.

But Karpinski's own words underscore the need for the independence of a Free - and yes, "neutral" - Media willing to whistle-blow in service to our country - even with the possibility that such reporting may cause short-term damage to existing Administration policies.

Karpinski's words, taken only at face value to be sure, since she is currently being held responsible by the Military, along with the soldiers who actually committed the alleged atrocities at Abu Ghurayb, once again underscore the reasons why such a Fourth Estate is so necessary in this country.

Taking her statements at face value, and there should be a paper trail from which to verify them, such behavior, when kept In-House, out of the Media and thus Public Opinion only allows that such behavior to continue unchecked. It was, of course, only after CBS went to the Pentagon with the pictures to prove the allegations, that the Pentagon seemingly and finally sprang into action. Since they had already presumably heard the warnings from Karpinski previously, it was only the threat of Public Disclosure that seems to have forced them to take action.

Of course, CBS could have warned the Pentagon about going public with these pictures, and then not done so after the Pentagon supposedly took appropriate action. But, as Dubya might say, a threat is only good if you follow through with it. If CBS hadn't then released the pictures, after appropriately giving the Pentagon time to adquatelly respond, it would simply send the message to the Pentagon that they needn't worry about being embarrased in such a way in the future. They'd have the Media in their pocket, which seems to be precisely what the Extreme Right Wing is calling for.

If the Right hopes to remain anywhere within the American Mainstream after all of this nonsense eases up, they would be wise to re-examine their own self-proclaimed set of "American Values" as they continue to perpetrate reprehensible attacks on the Messenger instead of the Message.

Such behavior surely points up the weakness inherent in their own current positions, but that point must be lost on them, as they continue the same drum beat with every bit of media disclosure that they simply don't care for.

If they continue to avoid such sage advice however, hopefully they will soon find themselves relegated to the same extreme margins of American Public Policy where they --- mistakenly --- assume American Liberals with Real Patriotic Values currently reside.

Proceed at your own peril, boys.

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Another American Hero Speaks Out
By Brad Friedman on 5/2/2004 2:35pm PT  

A remarkable statement yesterday as the Democratic Response to Bush's weekly Radio Address.

It's very short, I strongly suggest you read it, since it's very difficult to summarize the most telling statements.

It was written and delivered by Paul Rieckhoff, a National Guardsman who recently returned home from Iraq. Rieckhoff had been an investment banker on Wall Street for two years before volunteering for the National Guard. He "knew he would end up in Baghdad...and was ready for it".

While it's all notable, and movingly written, here's one or two key thoughts:

...when we got to Baghdad, we soon found out that the people who planned this war were not ready for us. There were not enough vehicles, not enough ammunition, not enough medical supplies, not enough water. Many days, we patrolled the streets of Baghdad in 120 degree heat with only one bottle of water per soldier. There was not enough body armor, leaving my men to dodge bullets with Vietnam-era flak vests. We had to write home and ask for batteries to be included in our care packages. Our soldiers deserved better.

When Baghdad fell, we soon found out that the people who planned this war were not ready for that day either....We waited for troops to fill the city and military police to line the streets. We waited for foreign aid to start streaming in by the truckload. We waited for interpreters to show up and supply lines to get fixed. We waited for more water. We waited and we waited and the attacks on my men continued…and increased.

With too little support and too little planning, Iraq had become our problem to fix. We had nineteen-year-old kids from the heartland interpreting foreign policy, in Arabic. This is not what we were designed to do.

He said a year ago they'd heard of the "Mission Accomplished" banner, and had been told they'd be home in time for summer of '03, until they were told they'd be staying "indefinitely" just three days before they were to have gone home.

The image of Bush's Press Conference two weeks ago continues to pop into his mind:

After all the waiting, after all the mistakes we had experienced first hand over in Iraq, after another year of a policy that was not making the situation any better...He told us we were making progress. And he told us that, "We're carrying out a decision that has already been made and will not change."

Our troops are still waiting for more body armor. They are still waiting for better equipment. They are still waiting for a policy that brings in the rest of the world and relieves their burden. Our troops are still waiting for help.

...

In Iraq, I was responsible for the lives of 38 other Americans....And when we failed, it was my job as their leader to take responsibility for the decisions I made — no matter what the outcome.

My question for President Bush — who led the planning of this war so long ago — is this: When will you take responsibility for the decisions you've made in Iraq and realize that something is wrong with the way things are going?

Mr. President, our mission is not accomplished.

Next time you hear a Rightwinger give lip service to "supporting our Troops", or the Vice-President reprehensibly charging that John Kerry does not support them, feel free to point them to the statement of this courageous soldier.

As expected, before Rieckhoff even made his address, he was already being added, by the Republican Attack Machine to their growing list of "Liars". Which is very credible confirmation, these days, that the man is well worth listening to.

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