The Story that Must Be Remembered and a Book that Should Be Read

The June 9th post of Arianna Huffington in her excellent site is of the greatest importance to us all. Ms Huffington remarks that the Senate Intelligence Committee Report, issued at a time when we might have been distracted by the Clinton-Obama finale, is a 200 page analysis on how the Bush administration misrepresented secret intelligence to justify the newly coined Doctrine of Pre-emptive War. As a result we invaded a country which posed no immediate threat to the United States, resulting in newly created and motivated terrorist groups, a distrust of the United States among our allies and, ultimately an increase in the danger to our nation. Our economy is hurt, our national image weakened, our military forces likewise weakened, all to satisfy the shifting rationales of our leaders.

We know all of this. Ms Huffington continues,

"But it's vitally important that we continue to reiterate and document the truth of what happened and who was responsible for perpetrating this fraud on the American public. And here's why: the war is still going on (and American soldiers continue to die as a result of the deception); the same people responsible for this debacle still have their hands on the wheel; desperate to cover their tracks, they continue to lie about how we got into this mess; and they are currently hitting all the same notes in agitating for war in Iran."

The entire article can be read at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-big-story-you-may-hav_b_106159.html

Another "must read" is Seth Walls' article. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/05/divided-senate-committee_n_105374.html

There is a superb book by Ms Huffington, Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe. In this book, Huffington makes the case that America has been hijacked from within by a radical element-the "lunatic fringe" of the Right that has taken over the Republican Party. Despite holding views at odds with the majority of Americans, these zealots have given us an endless war in Iraq, a sputtering economy, a health care system on life support, a war on science and reason, and an immoral embrace of torture.

But they haven't done it on their own: they have been enabled by a wishy-washy compliant media and Democrats who have allowed themselves to be intimidated into backing down again and again.

Just a few years ago, Ms Huffington was the darling of the Right. Her "conversion" has been forced upon her and is complete. In her book, she calls the Right down for their blindness. From George Bush on down, she reminds us this administration has been the worst... from the Middle East to the economy, health care and social issues.

The central thrust of "Right Is Wrong" is necessarily the war in Iraq. Citing many other prominent exposés about the war, Huffington goes after the major players...Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld & Co., and explains why this massive failure occurred and continues.

Huffington finishes her book with a warning about John McCain and the consequences we would face if he were elected. It's Bush's third term, she says, and after almost eight years of "W", the country is ready for a new direction.

Read this book, read the articles. Then don't say that you were not warned!