Some thoughts and then some

Thought No. 1: Tuesday morning Newsweek Managing Editor Jon Meacham (“American Gospel”) told Don Imus (MSNBC’s “Imus in the Morning”) that very few people online are willing to read more than one paragraph. This must be the same folks who read USA Today, which, to me, is like reading a cereal box. What was the last book they read? “My Pet Goat?”

Thought No. 2: When my two boys were small, I read a little poem which stayed with me all these years:

“Why?” a small voice asks.
Impatiently I turn.
Then, suddenly I realize:
How else can he learn?

I am a constant learner willing to read more than one paragraph to get to the “why” – to fully understand a subject and determine its truth.

***

I have just read on the official White House site the four speeches George W. Bush has made to mark the first four anniversaries of the war in Iraq. Here are excerpts from each speech, now heard with the clarity that comes from hindsight.

FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR IN IRAQ:

Bush devoted the first half of his speech to the “war on terror,” then, for the remainder of the speech, linked the wars in Afghanistan AND Iraq with that “war” and al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. and other countries.

“Today, as Iraqis join the free peoples of the world, we mark a turning point for the Middle East, and a crucial advance for human liberty.”

“It is a good thing that the men and women across the Middle East, looking to Iraq, are getting a glimpse of what life in a free country can be like.”

“With Afghanistan and Iraq showing the way, we are confident that freedom will lift the sights and hopes of millions in the greater Middle East.”

~ George W. Bush, “President Bush Reaffirms Resolve to War on Terror, Iraq and Afghanistan: Remarks by the President on Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom,” The East Room, 19 March 2004. LINK

SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR IN IRAQ:

“We knew of Saddam Hussein's record of aggression and support for terror. We knew of his long history of pursuing, even using, weapons of mass destruction, and we know that September the 11th requires our country to think differently.”

“Because of our actions, freedom is taking root in Iraq, and the American people are more secure.”


~ George W. Bush, President’s Radio Address, 19 March 2005. LINK

THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR IN IRAQ:

This year Bush made a very brief speech in which he thanked the men and women who volunteered to serve their country in the military – “many of whom volunteered after 9/11.”

Absent was his previous focus on linking the war in Iraq and, with the one exception above, 9/11.

~ George W. Bush, “President Remarks on Third Anniversary of Beginning of Iraq Liberation,” The South Lawn, 19 March 2006. LINK

FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR IN IRAQ:

Another brief speech stressing continued funding for the war and once more giving our troops and their families just praise.

“I want to stress that this operation (sending new troops) is still in the early stages, it's still in the beginning stages. Fewer than half of the troop reinforcements we are sending have arrived in Baghdad. The new strategy will need more time to take effect. And there will be good days, and there will be bad days ahead as the security plan unfolds.”

“It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating. If American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, a contagion of violence could spill out across the entire country. In time, this violence could engulf the region. The terrorists could emerge from the chaos with a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they had in Afghanistan, which they used to plan the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. For the safety of the American people, we cannot allow this to happen.”

~ George W. Bush, “President Bush Discusses Fourth Anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom,” Roosevelt Room, 19 March 2007. LINK

***

Throughout the early speeches, the constant theme is to instill fear in Americans.

By returning to the 9/11 theme, Bush can only be attempting to rally his loyal far-right base, which has followed blindly – or fearfully - with no attempt at finding facts.

Thought No. 3: Reading time for this post: 3 minutes, but, hey, I’m a slow reader.