Let’s Get Fooled Again!

As we blithely stumble toward a nuclear confrontation with Iran, two more favorite Bush lies were put to rest this week. The first is the absurd notion that “everything’s just great” in Iraq, only Katie Couric and her co-horts in the “Main-Stream-Media” won’t report it. The second is the oft-quoted Bush lie that he “listens” to his military. Six retired generals came out this past week and called for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign, basically for gross incompetence. Here are the six, several of whom were directly involved in Rumsfeld’s Excellent Adventure, and none of whom are known Michael Moore fans:

General Anthony C. Zinni, United States Marines Corps, former Commander in Chief of United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold, former Director of Operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Read more about him in this week’s TIME Magazine.

Major General Charles H. Schwank Jr., Commander of Army 82nd Airborne Division, led ground troops in Iraq.

Major General Paul D. Eaton, was head of training for the Iraq military 2003 – 2004.

Major General John Batiste, former commander, 1st Infantry Division in Iraq.

Major General John Riggs. Read about his demotion and forced retirement here.

Here’s some of Newbold’s article:

In 1971, the rock group The Who released the antiwar anthem Won’t Get Fooled Again. To most in my generation, the song conveyed a sense of betrayal by the nation’s leaders, who had led our country into a costly and unnecessary war in Vietnam. To those of us who were truly counterculture–who became career members of the military during those rough times–the song conveyed a very different message. To us, its lyrics evoked a feeling that we must never again stand by quietly while those ignorant of and casual about war lead us into another one and then mismanage the conduct of it. Never again, we thought, would our military’s senior leaders remain silent as American troops were marched off to an ill-considered engagement. It’s 35 years later, and the judgment is in: the Who had it wrong. We have been fooled again.

Meanwhile, massive planning is underway, including the use of tactical nuclear weapons, for regime change in Iran.

Cyril Rugby is cyberkrunk’s senior political correspondent.