The Betrayal of America

[kentuck]

The new book by Scotty McClelland only affirms old truths that many folks knew already. It is useful in that it validates what so many Americans thought all along. It is not just a "culture of deception" as McClelland says, but a conspiracy of betrayal. We see the front line in the conspiracy as they march in front of the TV cameras to denounce him as someone they no longer know. All the traitors line up to defend what they know is wrong, just as Scotty McClelland knew it was wrong. Condi Rice, Dana Perino, Ari Fleischer, Karl Rove, Dan Bartlett line up to defend the "culture of deception".

We know that this White House treated every issue as political, even war. The job of the White House and all those that wished to join the team, was to sell whatever the White House offered. You were either for them or you were against them. In their world, it was easy to divide the nation up between Republicans and Democrats. The worst that could ever happen would be a partisan standstill. It was about message. It was about "selling" the program. Morality or truth were not factors in the equation. Unfortunately, reality finally intervened.

As usual, like trained seals, the media resorts to reporting on the personal aspects of the book. He did it for money. (By the way, it is reported he received only $75,000 up front) Or he was a disgruntled employee. It's all a "puzzle" to everyone that he used to work with.

But it is more than just a "culture of deception". It is a betrayal of everything our nation stands for and against. "What Happened".? Is that a question or an answer? Why did it happen? And how did it happen are more important questions? How could so many people, including people of the stature of Colin Powell, be drawn into this "culture"? If, as Karl Rove says, that Scotty McClelland was not in the circle of knowledge about what was really happening, why should Dana Perino or Ari Fleischer think they would be in that circle?? Surely, they know better, but they continue to defend their positions as defined by those in charge, Dick Cheney and George W Bush.

The media also became a part of this culture, as members of well-established press traditions, such as TIME magazine, were drawn into the deception. As were reporters for the NYTimes and other newspapers. It was a betrayal of yet undefined proportion. It is difficult to define what we do not understand. We cannot understand that which is kept secret from us and "sold" to us as something it is not. So it has been with this White House. And so it continues today because we do not know the truth. The book by Scotty McClelland opens the door just a little but enough to let out the stench. It is up to others, including ourselves, to look further behind that door and expose completely the betrayal of America.