Some of the best thought provoking politicial articles in the blogosphere in my opinion are posted at TomDispatch. American Fundamentalisms is a topic not often covered in the American media. TD wades right in with this recent James Carroll interview.
TD frequently conducts interviews with those who have written books about controversial matters and who think outside of the mainstream media’s take on current events. This fascinating interview by Tomdispatch with James Carroll about the background and renewed growth under George W. Bush of American Fundamentalism is a must read for those who wish to better understand the forces still driving George Bush and the thinking of many Americans, especially those in the military.
An excerpt from the interview follows. To read the entire interview go to TomDispatch.
“TD: When it comes to the Bush administration, complete collapse or not, we know that this man, without the possibility of changing his mind, and his vice president, without the possibility of changing his mind, with whomever they can still control in their own government and military, are there until January 2009. What does it mean to have people in a fundamentalist mindset, but thoroughly embattled and on the downward slide? I wouldn’t like to write off the next year and a half. It’s a potential nightmare.
Carroll: It could indeed be. But this issue involves more than the temperament of George Bush. It involves the structure of the fundamentalist mind. One pillar is bipolarity — the understanding of reality as divided between good and evil; you’re on the side of good and they’re on the side of evil. However, they can begin by being Osama bin Laden’s band, which then becomes the Taliban, which becomes Afghanistan, which becomes all the Muslims who ever talked about the Great Satan, which becomes Iraq, and now maybe Iran, and even critics in the U.S. “They,” “they,” “they.” We see that progression in Bush. A second pillar is an absolute allergy to doubt. The fundamentalist mindset doesn’t survive once you admit doubt or self-criticism. When asked for an example of a mistake he had made, Bush surprised people two years ago by claiming he couldn’t think of one. The tragedy of Bush is, if you ask that question of him today, I’m sure he would answer the same way.
In his television address to the nation last night President Bush continues with his big lies to the American public. Bush must think Americans are stupid. There is ample evidence which indicates that conditions in Iraq are far worse than Bush and his administration will admit.
Bush’s claim that the withdrawal of troops are “because of gains in Iraq” is another in a long series of lies. Bush must have a low opinion of American voters and think that they are a bunch of easily manipulated morons if he expects them to believe his nonsense.
The real reason for the withdrawal of American troops is because we have effectively run out of troops which we can deploy. In order to manage the surge troop deployments were extended from 12 to 15 months. In addition, troops were rotated back into Iraq with less than 12 months duty at home. Military expects and Bush’s own generals have warned that these practices can not continue without breaking our military.
In reality Bush had no choice. The US has to reduce the troop level in Iraq. The fact that the so called “General Petraeus Plan” will reduce troop levels back to about 130,000 by next July is a bad joke of a plan. This is almost exactly the same level that existed prior to the “temporary” surge that was supposed to last for only a few months. So now Bush is calling it progress that a year after the surge began we can, depending upon conditions on the ground, bring troop levels back to where they started from. What progress!
Poor General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Both men are honorable professionals with impressive credentials who have been called upon to do the impossible. They are expected to somehow repair the mess that Bush has made of the Iraq war.
No one can properly fulfill such a fools mission. What is broken beyond repair can not be repaired. At least not in a way that is acceptable to one George W. Bush.
It’s unfortunate that good men have been thrust into such roles.
General David Petraeus is widely thought of as one of the smartest and most able commanders in the US military.
Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker is a long time diplomat who has years of hands on experience in living in and dealing with some of the world’s hot spots. He cut his diplomatic teeth in Beirut during the civil war period in Lebanon.
You can imagine the tension that both men faced as they prepared for their testimony before Congress on conditions in Iraq. I’m sure both are men of integrity. They want to give an accurate report. Yet their master is one George W. Bush. Bush has a history of getting rid of those who voice opinions that he doesn’t want to hear.
As it turns out both men seemed to have toed the Bush line. Petraeus says objectives in Iraq are largely being met. As widely leaked in the days prior to the testimony he says that more time is needed but that a limited draw down of US troops can probably get the US back to pre surge levels by July 2008. Isn’t that great? By July of 2008 we can get back to where we were over a year ago. What progress.
No doubt about it. When Oprah Winfrey opens her private estate in California to a party and invites a star studded rich crowd of friends to honor Barack Obama and shower him with money it has to be love.
Well, love for Obama as a Presidential candidate, of course. The glamorous event is expected to raise at least $3,000,000 for the Barack Obama Presidential campaign.
What Obama should do is to convince Oprah that she should be his Vice President. Now that would be some ticket. No kidding. Oprah is wildly popular and one heck of a business women. She has more sense than all of the Bush crowd who at this very moment by their very unsavory presence are polluting Washington, D. C.
Come to think of it the weak kneed gutless Democrats who let Bush get his way are no better. The United States needs a complete overhaul of its political system from top to bottom. Perhaps its Oprah who should be running for President and Obama as VP. Now that’s a ticket that could likely win big time.
Yeah, man. Oprah and Obama. Why not? Look at the other choices.
Luciano Pavarotti, age 71, passed away on September 6, 2007 at his home in Modena, Italy after suffering from cancer.
Pavarotti was one of the greatest opera stars of all time whose music touched hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Today people in China miss Pavarotti as much as those in the United States or Italy.
I know that I feel a great sense of loss at Pavarotti’s death. I was fortunate to attend one of his concerts in New York City a number of years ago and it was a fantastic evening. One never to be forgotten. Pavarotti had an incredible voice and a larger than life presence.
One aspect of Pavarotti’s career that was truly outstanding was his ability to crossover and to perform with music artists from many different musical venues. Who else but Pavarotti performed with the likes of U2’s Bono, James Brown, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, and many others.
I will deeply miss Pavarotti as will hundreds of millions of music lovers around the world. There is no one who can possibly replace Pavarotti.Â
