IRAQ, BUSH and LINCOLN: Lies, Truth and Leadership

What is in the consciousness of a man that can come on the world stage and speak for 17 minutes in lies, half-truths and language designed to hoodwink anyone listening. It was disheartening to listen to President BUSH's address to the American people about the IRAQ WAR. He has never been truthful, but like a "father" in a dysfunctional family, the co-dependent daughter keeps thinking, "This time, perhaps he'll change." Not a sign of it last night.

Aren't you tired of living with the vision of a self-proclaimed "war president" and all its negative implications and fear generating political tactics at others' expense?

I listened to the General David Petraeus' testimony this week on C-SPAN and it was not what one would have expect from the commanding officer in Iraq --- a clear report with RESULTS against PLAN with a clear strategy forward and defined NEXT STEPS. He is obviously been politically abused as a shield for BUSH's sham. The pain on his face showed. His honesty when called upon to give it helped one see he was doing as ordered. However, what we heard from BUSH took the IRAQ WAR propaganda coming out of the White House to new levels of sham and shame. It was clear that BUSH's speech writer cherry-picked half sentences and words taken out of context to create a deceptive picture of the TRUTH in IRAQ and its implications.

A New York Times Editorial, No Exit, No Strategy, described it well:

"This was the week in which Americans hoped they would get straight talk and clear thinking on Iraq. What they got was two exhausting days of Congressional testimony by the American military commander, hours of news conferences and interviews, clouds of cut-to-order statistics and a speech from the Oval Office — and none of it either straight or clear.

The White House insisted that President Bush had consulted intensively with his generals and adapted to changing circumstances. But no amount of smoke could obscure the truth: Mr. Bush has no strategy to end his disastrous war and no strategy for containing the chaos he unleashed.

Last night’s speech could have been given any day in the last four years — and was delivered a half-dozen times already. Despite Mr. Bush’s claim that he was offering a way for all Americans to “come together” on Iraq, he offered the same divisive policies — repackaged this time with the Orwellian slogan “return on success.”

The sad part is that as Chris Matthews said last night, the goal of the speech was to hoodwink at least of 1/3 of the American public with his speech to keep this his war going, because it paralyzes the Congress to move beyond his VETO power. How did we ever allow our country to be run by such incompetence and corrupt lust for power as we continue to witness? Last night as I listened, it seems Mr. Bush has lost it --- no one in a right mind could without conscious get up on the world stage and deliver that speech full of lies. It was almost embarrassing to listen, imagining the world was listening. Chris Matthews summed it up nicely saying something close to this (forgive me Chris for not quoting directly): Our soldiers are not fighting for the Iraqis; they are not fighting to protect the American people; they are fighting to sustain BUSH's failed policy.

CASUALTIES THE HEAVIER BURDEN ON OUR NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS
The heavier burden we all share is that allowing this war to continue under false pretenses rests on our collective conscience. How can anyone support BUSH's failure policy. While the "The Surge" was going on and Mr. BUSH was on vacation, along with the IRAQ political leaders and NO MEASURABLE RESULTS was achieved --- 649 US (608) and Coalition (41) soldiers died and 3890 US wounded and maimed --- and 11806 Iraq Security Forces and Civilian Deaths resulted ---- and these are just the ones devoted volunteers can piece together from DOD reports. Source: Iraq Coalition Casualties

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IRAQ BODY COUNT
See a comprehensive indepth analysis at the UK-based IRAQ BODY COUNT. As they quote at the top of their site from General Tommy Franks, "We don't do body counts." It was founded in 2003 by volunteers in the UK and US, who felt a responsibility to ensure that the human consequences of our military intervention in Iraq were not neglected. The service they provide is remarkable. They list three ways to contribute. Learn how you can help.
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PRESIDENT LINCOLN: Reflections from a War-Time President
In a old book that fell into my path written during WWII written by John Homer Miller (Take a Look at Yourself), it shares two stories about President LINCOLN. I ran across it by-chance this morning. It was comforting in a way to know that LEADERSHIP did exist. With what we've had to watch in our political leaders in recent years, one gets concerned that you never did see things rightly. President LINCOLN obviously ran his presidency with a different approach and thinking about his enemies:

"During the War between the States an elderly lady rebuked Lincoln for speaking kinds words for the South. 'Why do you speak well of your enemies,' she demanded, 'rather than destroy them?' 'Why Madam,' replied Lincoln, 'do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?'"

"Near the close of the Civil War some wounded soldiers of the Confederacy were kept prisoners at City Point. Among themselves they discussed bitterly the man whom they believed had brought on the war of rebellion. One day, Mr. Lincoln came to City Point. He went among the soldiers of the Northern army and did not forget the Rebel soldiers being cared for in the ward near by. After Lincoln had departed, one of the Rebel soldiers sat up in bed exclaiming, 'Is that the kind of man we have been fighting against for four years? Why, he even recognized a Rebel and treated him as well as any of his own. If God spares my life I will never again raise my arms against the United States Government."

What do you see in the contrast between LINCOLN and BUSH in these anecdotes?

How are you working to stop IRAQ WAR?

Debbe Kennedy
Founder of the Global Dialogue Center

Come visit us ... www.globaldialoguecenter.com

Comments

[Seven Star Hand]

Why use the number 36, in last night's speech?

Hi Debbe,

Want to know the true significance of the number 36 in Bush's speech? There obviously are not 36 countries fighting in "Babble on." So why did our Bonesman President use it in his speech last night?

Discerning the truth about the USA

Peace...

[Debbe Kennedy, Global Dialogue Center PERSPECTIVES Blog]

Dear Seven Star Hand,
Thank you for sharing your blog post and the contribution you are making in "forging new human paradigms. Interesting insights to ponder. What do you see in the contrast between LINCOLN and BUSH that I shared? The more I read about President Lincoln, it seems he had a conscience we could use.