Primary Factors [View all]

[H2O Man]

“Even the president’s father had confided that he was unhappy with Rice. ‘Condi is a disappointment, isn’t she?’ the former president had offered, adding, ‘She’s not up to the job’.”
-- Bob Woodward; State of Denial; Simon & Schuster; 2006; page 420.


In the midst of the two major political parties’ presidential primaries, reports on a new biography of Bush the Elder should be of some interest. It isn’t the first time that the Elder has blamed others for the dismal failures of his son. More, the acrimonious relationship between the Elder and Donald Rumsfeld went back decades. What was “new” was the Company Man’s attack on the reputation of Dick Cheney.

This could easily be dismissed as a minor conflict between two old republicans. It might be viewed as some lingering tensions between the more corporate republican machine, and the Frankenstein monster of the neoconservative movement of the late 1990s to 2008. But it is actually more than that: it is the dried snakes skin, dropping off as an institution wrestles with the re-emerging neoconservative grasp for power within the republican party.

While on its surface, it lacks the entertainment value of The Donald Trump Show, or Dr. Ben Carson’s scientific melt-down when caught in a series of lies, it really has more important undertones. One must put it into a context that includes Cheney and Libby attacking two CIA employees -- Ambassador Joseph Wilson, and Valerie Plame -- one who had “official cover” with the State Department, and one who did not. And to fully appreciate that, one must know the full relationship between Bush the Elder and the CIA, which was not at all limited to his brief service as Director of the agency. (More, one should understand what “Arbusto Energy” really was, and the son’s failed attempt in the “energy”/intelligence field.)

It’s tempting to say that Dick Cheney is such a repulsive, evil human being, that we should simply ignore him. It is a disgrace that he wasn’t prosecuted for the many, many crimes that he committed as Vice President. If this was actually only about Cheney, it might be that simple.

But it’s not that simple. The fact that Cheney was “considering” the use of WMD in Iraq isn’t just a long-past episode of one deranged individual. No, it is about a sub-group found primarily within the republican party, that continues to pose a substantial threat to humanity. And some of these people are still found in and around Washington, DC, waiting to be re-cycled into government positions.

Indeed, well-informed people no doubt have noticed the manner in which Cheney’s “Dr. Strangelove” desires were presented in the classic two-step manner: first, the report that Bush the Elder vocalized criticism of VP Cheney; then, second, that Cheney had considered WMD for possible tactical use in the war. This is not the mere recollections of an aging politician, noting where there were minor policies differences being advocated in his son’s administration.

As strongly as people here on this forum feel about the two leading Democratic Party candidates -- and it is safe to say that both positive and negative passions are routinely expressed for and against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders -- it is important to understand this, and its implications. One does not have to be either “pro-” or “anti-” Hillary Clinton to appreciate a number of factors. These go beyond what candidate that Joe Wilson and/or Valerie Plame currently support.

A person might think about some events connected to the Benghazi hearings, for example. I’m thinking about how a republican “leaked” that Ms. Clinton had released the identity of an important asset; the following day, a CIA official corrected the record, noting that this did not happen. More, I’m thinking of how republicans hint at, but never really pressed the issue, regarding the possible transfer of arms to non-“official” military combatants.

I have zero interest in suggesting that readers should vote for or against any individual in the Democratic primary season. But I cannot stress enough that we all look very closely at who among the republican candidates that the various factions in that party are pushing -- and, obviously, why.

Surely, some of the republican candidates are -- to use a term I learned years ago on this forum, and that I think captures their essence perfectly -- ass-clowns. Others are just downright terrible. But two of them are extremely dangerous. And I’m not saying we need to settle for the old “lesser of two evils.” Not even close. I am saying that we are at an extremely dangerous and volatile period in human history. Be aware, be awake.

Peace,
H2O Man