Things that need to be said

[typicaljeff]

This perhaps is one of the finest things I've ever heard come out of a journalist's mouth in the last five to ten years. Olbermann, a former commentator for ESPN, has transformed himself into something resembling the reincarnation of Edward R. Murrow. This is exactly my sentiment, Olbermann..I thank you for saying it

Comments

[typicaljeff]

He, along with others has said numerous times that the catastrophe that was that day in September unfolded due to the tantamount failure of many portions of the government. He does not solely place the blame on Bush, but he refuses to not say he was apart of the problem either. All of these sorts of "allegations" are backed by proven facts, backed by released memos. There is no yellow journalism going on here but a fellow who was personally scarred by 9/11 letting this country know that he refuses to NOT hold the administration and it's grand wizard accountable for their actions or LACK thereof.

YOU DON'T SPIN 9/11, but the administration sure did. They've used it to justify every illegal action and every breach of the Constitution. They've used it to try to draw support from the American people for a war that was never EVER necessary in the first place. Afghanistan? Yes. OF COURSE. That is a given. Iraq? No fucking way. The so-called democracy that has been put in place in Iraq is nothing more than a sham. Our little experiment over there has had it's minor successes yet the death toll continues to rise as all-out CIVIL WAR is now QUITE IMMINENT. What do you think the segregation of the Sunni and Shiites is going on for, hmm? CIVIL WAR.

Off the point, though, his little commentary was about HOW FIVE YEARS LATER that 9/11 is still being spun like there is no tomorrow and yet we have no memorial to those who died. It is a bloody TRAVESTY.

Those who buy into the spin, who say they remember the lessons of 9/11, which of course the left has NO CLUE about right? Give me a break. We still have no Osama. We still have men dying in the streets of Iraq. We still have those thugs, those criminals out there who will try once again someday and of that I have no doubt.

You REALLY want to try to argue the fact that what this galvanizing event, 9/11, and what it did for this country was indeed sullied by the very people who are running it? I was one of the millions who rallied around our President. I didn't bother to quibble about his election, or the fact I felt he was incompetent. The face of such overwhelming despair had to be turned to show a resolute side, and we all were for him. Years have passed now and what is there? The hole in the ground remains, the perfect photo-op for the Chief.
We ALL know what Bush said. We all know what he did. There were FAILURES of the process that happened during the Bush administration. There were INDICATORS there were WARNINGS that were given and yet he didn't bother or take it seriously. Clinton pursued and captured those responsible for the first attack upon the World Trade Center. As of yet.. is the big ol' Osama in custody? Has he been captured? Nay. Say what you want but at least Clinton DID capture those who were responsible for the first attack. It'd be nice to have more than 11,000 troops sent to Pakistan, a little more EFFORT on the part of this administration in trying to capture that despicable BASTARD would be APPRECIATED.

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You support a war in which the number of civilizan casualties is, at the very least, over 50,000 and the death toll of just our boys is far exceeding anything we could have dreamed for this "easy" war. I REFUSE to support this war, but not by any means does this not mean I do NOT support the troops. I am not some unpatriotic sap who feels that the soldiers over there are some invading horde that was sent in for imperialist motives. Never ever will I say such a thing for my support of our country's military is resolute. The IDEAS of freedom and democracy will always be worth fighting for, but the perversions of those ends that this administration has engaged in is simply criminal.

I said it once and I will say it again.. I will ultimately support a war fought for the right reasons. The years since we first entered Iraq have allowed me to thoroughly look back at the rhetoric, the build-up and the invasion. It has allowed me to look at the disasterous post-conflict plan for Iraq and it has allowed me to fully recognize the fact that this conflict was such an absurd endeavor that I still scarcely believe we have undertook it as a nation.

-Done-

So, yeah, don't take anything I say personally.

[ladykyra275]

The administration used 9/11 to declare war on terrorism... which was bullshit in the first place. Thats way too broad. Yes, Bush did go to war in Iraq because at the time there was evidence of possible WMD, BUT they didnt find it... BUT!!! Saddam Hussein admitted to already beginning his arms program. Some of his scientists were even captured. Ok, so it was a shitty reason, but Bush should have admitted that there was much much more going on. There has been a link of sucess in Iraq, including the capture and death of Al-Qaeda ops, but the situation just got too complicated for Bush to handle. No, I dont agree that they went through the wrong way, no i dont agree that they should have used 9/11 as the complete excuse, but that was the only way they were going to be able to talk about going into the middle eastern area.
On Glenn Beck yesterday, he talked with a middle eastern journalist, and this man is incredibly credible, and Al-Qaeda uses him to publish their articles. Recently they've used him to warn muslims in america. Theres a full story with this, but what i want you to take outta this is that he's telling us information about Al-Qaeda... and that they DO have plans to attack us again. These are the people that we've been going after, these are the people that we SHOULD be focusing on more. Sometimes, believe it or not, war is necessary...

This isnt an "easy" war... and anyone (including the president) who calls it that, was completely misguided and a little arrogant about the situation...
I believe though, you cant NOT support this war and support the troops at the same time.. because these boys ARE part of the war, these boys BELIEVE in the war. My little cousin was just sent to Iraq, and he enlisted well into the conflict, so he knew what he was up for, and he fully agreed to it. My friend Marcus, he enlisted well into the war, aswell. He said "I want to fight. I have no fears protecting my people and people who need the help. I'm not afraid to die, I'm afraid of oppresion." and i'll be honest, but that just tears my heart up to know he truely believes that.

All i'm saying is theres much, much, MUCH more facts. I cant call this man a good journalist... i can barely call him human for some of the crap he spilled outta his mouth... but HE used this 9/11 incident to OPEN attacks on the president. How did he different from the president?

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and no, i dont take this too personally, just the part about the troops because i'll be honest... i'm scared for those guys, and i'm scared for my little cousin. But i hope you dont take this personally as well.

[typicaljeff]

Sorry.. you cited Glenn Beck the leather pants wearing knee-jerk conservative tard who I can scarcely watch for more then ten minutes so I can't really go with that.

As for supporting the troops? YES YOU CAN SUPPORT THE BOYS OVER THERE BUT DISAGREE AND NOT SUPPORT THE WAR! I KNOW PEOPLE OVER THERE TOO, NICKIE. I refuse to agree with the reasons that those people, including some I know, were put into harm's way for. Liberating Iraq from the tyranny of an unjust ruler is a good thing, sure, but the aftermath of such is that Iraq could be in for a very long and very bloody transition to something RESEMBLING a free state. That's just like saying.. "You don't support this war then you are unpatriotic." SAYING THAT IS, in itself, UNPATRIOTIC and just another one of the many talking points that is parroted by so many of the RIGHT-LEANING talking heads that dominate the mainstream political thorough-fare.

He used the setting because, well, it was the day of 9/11 when he made the comment. The comments he made AFFIRM his humanity for the fact that he was speaking not just as a journalist but as a human being to. He differed from the PRESIDENT BECAUSE he didn't spin 9/11 to justify an unjustified invasion and occupation of a sovreign nation. He didn't use the tragedy of September 11th to JUSTIFY breaking the Geneva Convention, or, rather using some rather terrible interpretation of it. Keith Olbermann didn't spin September 11th to further denigrate the image of the United States on the world stage. What he DID was ASK FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. The President has been, indeed, handled with kid gloves when it comes to what happened on September 11th. The people rallied 'round their President and didn't think to blame him for it. The luster of that insta-patriotism faded and what we're left with is a President who DID NOT learn the lessons of September 11th as Mr. Olbermann so ELOQUENTLY stated. There STILL is a hole in the ground where America's mass grave is on display. It INFURIATES me as an American that there is nothing but a HOLE there five fucking years later. It further enrages me that every drop of blood spilled in the name of this war on terror, every life that was lost in September 11th is used to oil the cogs of the military-industrial complex that Bush is so fervently behind. I cannot and will not believe he went into Iraq just to free their peoples, nor will I give him a pass on outright lying to the world as for reasons to justify our presence in Iraq. I refuse to.

[ninjafetus]

Yes, Bush did go to war in Iraq because at the time there was evidence of possible WMD, BUT they didnt find it...

FYI, they found tons of uranium in the process of being enriched, as well as some chemical wmds. I'm not posting opinions, since I think watching you two is more entertaining, but I wanted to point that out for factual accuracy. Not surprised you missed it on the news, though.

[ladykyra275]

you're right i'm sorry... i think i was actually in your car with you when we were listening about that... O.o

[typicaljeff]

Pre 1991 weapons that were found. The whole Republican spin machine tried to sell the fact that they "found" WMDs after all but the weapons were aged and of little to no use. That you can look up and find out about for yourself. : )

I don't miss anything.. I just don't feel I need to point it out. : )

[ninjafetus]

... I'm torn because I don't really want to get involved in a convo, but I just wanted to point out something earlier. I should have avoided saying anything if I didn't want to get involved. However, I am aware of what you said, so no worries about someone spinning it to me.

[typicaljeff]

Oh I know you were just adding an observation in, Jon. I didn't mean to come off as an asshole or aynthing :| That whole point with the "found WMDs" was a big deal with the talking heads for a little while until it got debunked.