Spoon's Rant

Flags & Coffins

"Bush Criticizes the Release of Photos of Solider Coffins"..

Let's see if I get this right -- "we must pay attention to the privacy and to the sensitivity of the families of the fallen" - a White House Spokesman is quoted as saying.. Yet it's perfectly okay for Bush to use the imagery and footage of 9/11 for his political campaign gain... If we are to be sensitive to those families that have fallen - then where is the sensitivity to those who lost loved ones in the attacks of 9/11??

Double standard..

It's okay to blame Clinton for not going after Bin Laden -- yet Bush was clearly advised of potential attacks as well.. I keep hearing everyone saying that the PDB was merely a "historical" document.. Yeah, well - anything we read in the newspaper is also a historical document.. Typically this is how we learn new information - and apply it to the future.. Hmm.. Learning from historical documents - wow.. I'm having a vision.. Let's see now...

WAIT WAIT - I GOT IT I GOT IT!!!!

Let's LEARN from these historical documents so that we can be better PREPARED for these contingencies.....

To say that the FBI screwed this up - falls on everyone, not just Bush - not just Clinton.. What pisses me off more though is how no one fesses up to their part of the mistakes that happened.. For some reason - taking ultimate responsibility for your actions is no longer considered the socially, personally acceptable moral high ground anymore.. Being able to pass the blame is much more accepted and even encouraged..

Remember how all of the conservatives were jumping up and down about how Clinton was promoting sex to our children??

What about the promoting Bush is doing: push blame onto others accordingly, don't accept responsibility, and do what you want - because you do NOT have to listen to anyone else around you!!

This all ties back to the beginning portion of today's rant..

If we can't show the coffins and flags coming back - then why should Bush be able to use 9/11?? The major argument is that anyone who sees these flags are going to question why we're in Iraq to begin with.. Actually - liberals would love to air that out because it makes Bush look bad.. The same reason why the conservatives want those pictures to be lost and never shown publicly.. You can bet if it was Gore in office, the conservatives would be clawing to try and get those photos circulated - and they would be the ones that would be criticizing the war in Iraq....

That's why I hate politics - that's why I hate all of this self-absorbed "gotta blame the other side" for everything.. But I really don't like the tactics of either side basically waging a war predicated on fear.. Unfortunately that's how our next president is going to be elected: who is gonna win the war on terrorism.. Moreover, the public is entrenched between to sides vying for the big seat.. AS though either side can really win the war on terror....... *sighs*

One last political rant before I close this out for the night.. I heard a very disturbing news report today: Bush is not going to call upon Congress to fund the war in Iraq before the elections..

Excuse Me.. Maybe I need to have my hearing re-checked.. Maybe I heard that wrong.. No.. On Wednesday, the administration told the press that "Scott McClellan said that while the administration did not expect to submit a request for more money this year, he did not rule out the idea." Bush is essence saying "I won't ask for more money, but if you need it - just ask..." Um - that's problematic.. When the Senate and Congress are questioning the administrations underestimated the cost of the war.. If this is a global war on terror - and we're the ones paying for it - then it's not really a global war on terror, is it?? It's a war on America.. Bin Laden even said so - when he tried to get the EU to call a truce earlier in the week..

So - my rant tonight basically says this: bring out the coffins and the flags.. Why hide this from the American people?? Again - quit playing the double standard.. If we're to keep the flags out because of "sensitivity reasons" then the same should be said for all of the footage associated with 9/11.. It doesn't cut both ways..