ReddHedd at fdl: "he knew and lied" or "he doesn't bother doing his job."

[understandinglife]

Here's my conclusion after reading Murray Waas' exceptional new piece in the National Journal today: (1) the President either knew that Saddam posed no immediate threat to the United States and repeatedly lied to the American public and leaders around the world (and allowed multiple members of his Administration to lie about it as well) or (2) he doesn't bother doing his job, and had no idea what information was contained in multiple sensitive national security briefs that he was given over a long period of time, and no one in the Administration bothered to clue him in on this.

You choose.

I've wracked my brain this afternoon to come up with another alternative -- but no matter how I twist it around in my brain, it comes back to "he knew and lied" or "he doesn't bother doing his job."

Much more at the link to ReddHedd's The President Either Knew and Lied...Or He Doesn't Bother Doing His Job:
http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2006_02_26_firedoglake_archive.html#114133299338283535

I select "he knew and he lied" because "doing his job" entails just that.

Bush views his job as ruling the world, and he'll say and do whatever he pleases in pursuit of that uber-corporatist goal.

Anyone doubting that job description has not been paying attention.


Peace.

[bleever]

1. It's hard for people to even grasp what has happened here.

We've grown up believing in our system of government, including its ability to correct itself, and these guys have done a monumental job of corrupting the system by eliminating the operation of checks and balances.

* didn't become president in spite of the fact that he doesn't give a shit; he was selected to be the figurehead precisely because he doesn't give a shit.



Recommended, and thanks.

[Time for change]

2. I'll second all of that

He knew and lied.

Nobody in his position could be so far out of it that he doesn't have a clue as to what's happening.

Anyhow, when has he ever told the truth about anything?

[understandinglife]

4. "... he was selected to be the figurehead precisely because he doesn't

... give a shit."

Yes.

He cares about issues that are the inverse of everything most of us consider "America."

He does not "give a shit" about that America; in fact, he knows he must destroy America in order to have his corporatist kingdom emerge as dominator.

He'll fail. The only remaining issue is will humanity, not just America, survive his failure.


Peace.

[Gman]

3. So predictable

It's always someone else's fault. So they continue to punish Blanco for turning over the state to the federal government.

[DemReadingDU]

5. K&R

#5, sending to greatest!

[Canuckistanian]

6. Hey, it's "hard work" doing that job

Ergo, he lied.

[underpants]

7. He read the script

Supposedly he is very convincing. I have no idea to whom or how that is but that is what the best and brightest on my TV keep telling me.

[Canuckistanian]

8. Look at it from Saddam's point of view

You're a secular dictator of a large country and you've worked very hard to keep that position. Now, a very powerful enemy starts threatening you out of the blue.

Your country is already under crippling sanctions, the once powerful Republican Guard has been decimated in a war fought a decade before.

You think, "How can I defend myself? Maybe if I had some kind of weapons....". But no.

The nuclear program was attacked and destroyed very effectively by the Israelis and remained largely in shambles, the scientists and technicians moved on to other projects.

The bioweapons were never past a rudimentary exploratory phase.

The chemical weapons were long gone. No suppliers of these rapidly deteriorating chemicals could be found, especially with the sanctions. And they never did much tactically, although they were a great terror weapon.

How about the jihadists? Nope, they hated you both for your secular ideals and your brutal suppression of their religious freedom.

If you had any of these weapons why in God's name wouldn't you use them now? What greater threat would you be waiting for?

[mod mom]

9. either way he needs to be held accountable. we are a land of laws.