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How the US Lost its Moral Authority
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind explores how America lost its moral authority, leaving it acutely vulnerable to nuclear terrorism, in The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism. The book also includes a number of explosive disclosures about the Bush administration and the US intelligence community.
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FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD SOMEONE ELSE SAY WHAT I HAVE BEEN TELLING MY KIDS FOR YEARS. JUST WATCHING THE MANNERS OF NEWER IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS IN MANHATTAN HAS BEEN EYE OPENING.
An opening question:
What moral authority? Slavery, genocide (against native Americans), war after war, the atomic bomb, Chile, Iran, Central America, 40 years of villifying Arabs in the Middle East -- when did the US ever have moral authority?
Foreign leaders may pay lip service to American "moral authority" to toady up to US leaders. Not so regular citizens abroad.
Just as the British have their delusion of the "special relationship", so do the Americans have their delusion of American "moral authority".
Does Mr Suskind agree with former CIA terrorism expert Michael Scheuer (and author Joe Klein)that pro-Israel neocons and the Israel Lobby were the progenitors that started the Iraq war and now have the United States locked into an endless occupation which they want the US to expand the war into Iran,Syria,Lebananon, on behalf of Israel?
Hugh,
I think "moral authority" is defined as power in realpolitik.
Impeachment needs a Super-Majority. They just don't have the votes.
Yes, this is all the Jews fault...John.
lol
Condi, Rummy, Bush, Cheney -- all those Joooz
ps: I don't know about Scheuer
but you're very sloppily mischaracterizing Joe Klein's view...
No smoking gun? What about Kucinich's impeacable offenses? Besides, isn't that what is supposed to be uncovered in the investigation stage after impeachment? There's certainly plenty of probable cause to start an investigation.
Sure, this might provide a true violation of the law on the part of the Administration... if only there was something more than unfounded accusations to back it up...
Nancy Palosi did not say congress would not impeach because there was no time. She did say that they would not impeach Bush because the democrats want the repubican party to self destruct and if the democrats impeach Bush it will rally the republicans together and strengthen them. There is plenty of time to impeach
Scotty Watson @ 5
Of course they dont have a super majority before the investigation, but they would after it. The problem is that Pelosi wont even let the investigation take place.
Sorry, I have to make a small-minded criticism about something Mr. Suskind just said:
You don't have to be a lawyer to know or have an opinion about the meaning of a law (I think the importance of lawyers goes to the question of who can give "legal advice," which is another ball of wax), so to avoid the question of whether something is impeachable because one is not a lawyer is really just a punt. Just say you're a journalist and don't want to take a specific side.
I could barely find Iraq on a map in summer 2002, but 6 months later I knew there were no WMD. All you needed to know was in the public domain, and not that difficult to find. My only doubt (naive me) I couldn't quite believe that they would tell the big lie.
i have a basic question: why did it take everyone so long to figure out how incompetent the neocons are?
seriously, why does everyone give these guys a pass except for the few who like Mr. Suskind, and a few other other individuals with a proven track records?
What don't they get?
Iraq never had WMDs?
Tell that to the people of Halabja Iraq - Mustard Gas IS a WMD.
Um, Edward @14, that was 10 years previous. THAT case for invasion left the barn a long time ago.
#14
Disingenious argument at best
That was prior to the events that led to the current needless conflict...and you know it (or you should know it!)
Saddams WMD gassing of the Kurds of Halabja Iraq was in 1988. 5,000 died.
eCAHNomica, you believe the words of past user of WMDs Saddam that he no longer had WMDs?
You are too kind for the good of others.
#17
Exactly...1988
Then there was the gulf war and Iraq was largely disarmed
To date...no WMDs found...none...zippo..nada...zilch
Please pay attention to the facts, thank you
Edward @ 17
Well, if we would all be held accountable for things we did decades ago, you might, for example, go into slavery in the U.S. The POINT is that there was NO evidence that SH still had them. Can't imagine why that point escapes you.
Facts?
Facts are that Saddams Iraq DID have WMDs and DID USE WMDs.
Anyone who acknowledges Saddams past use of WMDs and believes that Saddam would not reconstitute its past WMD program is either too naive or an apologist of Saddams regime.
During the days of "SHOCK & AUH", an in-bedded journalist witnessed the discovery of 4 billion dollar$ (+-) neatly stashed in trailers, and left in the middle of nowhere...like a pay-off (?)
After this brief, televised report, I never heard another word about it.
What happened to the money?
eCAHNomics, if you bring up slavery in the US that ended 150 years ago, please bring up the current day slavery that goes on in Sudan which was elected to the Human Rights Commission despite its slavery.
Bill & Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Carl Levin,most democrats and all international intelligence agencies believed that Saddam had WMD's and said he had to be confronted. It was US policy since the Clinton Admin. for the overthrow of Iraq. When will the liberals stop this Bush lied bull crap? Pres. Bush has prevented numerous terrorist attempts at attacking the US despite being harassed by the left & aclu and for that he deserves our thanks!
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