My contempt for George W. Bush and his administration and the lies that they had perpetrated had not abated. The war in Iraq was especially vexing. I sent this letter off to the Eugene Register-Guard in June.
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It was not a concern about national security that caused the Project for a New American Century think-tankers in 1998 to urge Pres. Clinton to use our military to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
It was not national security that prompted Dick Cheney to conduct a secret energy task force in 2001 to plan how, among other things, to gain control of approximately 783 billion barrels of Iraqi oil waiting to be plumbed.
It was not to protect the homeland that our Fearless Leader inquired of Richard Clarke immediately after 9/11, “Was it Saddam?”
It was not the thought of devastation of American cities that Bush and Rice in late 2002 raised the specter of “mushroom clouds.”
It was not to liberate the Iraqi people from a cruel dictator to give them God’s gift of democracy (WMDs not having been discovered) that Bush invaded Iraq.
It is not to vanquish al Qaeda, win the “War on Terror,” and “keep the terrorists from following us home” that our intrepid Decider/Liar keeps our dutiful soldiers perpetually in harm’s way.
Lift the lid of these flag-draped, fear-mongering demagogues’ deception to discover that it is still about privatization of untapped oil reserves, international oil companies, production sharing agreements (PSA’s), 160% return on investments, getting the Iraqi Parliament to swallow the Cheney group’s thieving oil bill, permanent military bases, and lasting oil field protection that will cause us – if they have their way – to remain in Iraq until at least January 2009.
Printed June 6, 2007, in the Eugene Register-Guard
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I was now experiencing some editorial revision. This paper’s editor chose to make the tone of the letter less harsh. He put the appropriate titles before “Cheney,” “Bush,” and “Rice” early in the letter and in the third to last paragraph he deleted “Liar” from “Decider.” In the second to last paragraph he deleted “lasting oil field protection.”
In addition to writing letters to newspapers, I was kept busy doing my job, being the chair of the Florence Area Democratic Club. One of my objectives was to inform the public about various local-to-national issues through the hosting of points of view offered by informed speakers at our club meetings and the screening of specific issue DVD documentaries. One such screening took place August 7. I wrote this letter to publicize the event.
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A substantial majority of the American public understands now that President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq was a horrendous mistake. A substantial portion of that majority supported the invasion and the first year of the resultant occupation. It is for these Americans that watching “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death” would be especially valuable.
The Florence Area Democratic Club is pleased to announce that it will show Norman Solomon’s quality documentary in the Siuslaw Public Library’s Bromley Room Tuesday evening, August 7, at 6:30 p.m.
“War Made Easy” does not delve into the reasons why our country went to war. It provides, instead, an insightful analysis of how we Americans were persuaded to back the invasion and how the administration has tried to keep our support since. The documentary draws parallels to the information previous administrations disseminated to justify their aggressions. The documentary strikes down several widely accepted myths. Most importantly, the documentary establishes a concrete basis of skepticism to help us forestall future, unwarranted aggressions.
“Learn history. Then change it,” the blurb on the back of the DVD case states. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, the people, if well informed, may be relied on to set them to rights.”
There lies the difficulty -- being well informed. Don’t miss this opportunity to be educated.
Printed August 4, 2007, in the Siuslaw News
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I reinforced the above letter with the publication of this announcement.
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War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death is the title of an important documentary to be viewed Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Siuslaw Public Library’s Bromley Room.
Featuring columnist and author Norman Solomon, the documentary analyzes propaganda patterns utilized by the current administration and past administrations to justify U. S. military actions. It delineates the various ways the press and radio and TV media assisted the Bush administration in the enactment and furtherance of its war agenda. It answers well the questions, why did the majority of Americans support the invasion of Iraq and why did it take so long for most to recognize that their allegiance was tragically misguided.
“What has occurred with one war after another is still with us,” Norman Solomon warns. “These dynamics are in play in terms of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, working in other countries such as Iran; and the future will be replicated to the extent that we fail to understand what has been done with these wars in the past.”
The presentation of War Made Easy is sponsored by the Florence Area Democratic Club.
Printed August 4, 2007, in the Siuslaw News
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Intent on informing local voters about taxation matters that Republicans never mention, I wrote this letter in August.
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Republicans extol low taxes and limited government. Let’s see what history tells us about their and Democratic Party stewardship.
The highest marginal personal income tax was 77% the final year of World War I. GOP President Herbert Hoover had it down to 25% going into the Great Depression. Franklin Roosevelt raised it to 63%, then 79%, financed huge recovery programs; and the country rebounded.
The rate reached 94% during World War II. It remained in the low 90s until 1964. Tax dollars rebuilt Europe, renewed our national infrastructure, and provided low cost college education. The highest tax rate stayed at 70% between 1965 and 1981, and the middle class flourished.
Ronald Reagan dropped the rate to 50%, then 38.5%, and finally 28%. His “voodoo” economics and huge defense spending increased our heretofore manageable national debt 260%. None of his deficit spending went to education, infrastructure, or programs to help the poor.
Bill Clinton raised the rate to 39.6%, lowered taxes for low and middle-income workers, established an economic environment that created 23 million jobs, and nearly halted the ascent of the national debt.
George W. Bush has given the rich a 35% tax rate and substantial capital gains, dividend, inheritance, and corporate tax cuts; spent billions on an immoral war; caused extensive unemployment; ignored depressed wages and out of control living expenses; and watched the national debt rise from $5.7 to $8.9 trillion.
Printed August 30, 2007, in the Eugene Register-Guard
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The editor changed the second sentence of the first paragraph to read: “Let’s see what history tells us about their stewardship compared with the Democratic Party.”
The following letter was the result of my failed effort to have the Siuslaw News print our club’s call for impeachment proceedings to be initiated against President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The paper would print what I wanted printed only as a paid ad. I decided, instead, to send this letter to our Congressman, Peter De Fazio. Here is that letter.
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Dear Congressman De Fazio,
We, the undersigned, call for the immediate impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Agreeing with the contents of George Myers’s letter printed in the Register-Guard September 10 (copy enclosed), we reject the argument put forth by you and other Democratic Party members of Congress that impeachment proceedings should not take place because the removal of the President and Vice President from their offices by the Senate would not occur and too much of the House’s important business would not be completed.
This administration has done great injury to our nation and Constitution. Grounds for impeachment abound. Doing what is right must take precedence.
We agree entirely with George Myers’s reasons for initiating impeachment.
One, impeachment proceedings might just persuade George Bush and Dick Cheney that “they dare not begin new, disastrous actions such as attacking Iran.”
Two, impeachment proceedings would demonstrate that the illegal Bush-Cheney expansion of executive power has not established “precedents for allowable behavior of future administrations.”
And, three, impeachment proceedings would demonstrate to the world that Americans “disapprove of the arrogant paths our country has taken over the last six years and that America can again become a focal point of democratic ideals and international cooperation.”
We urge you, sir, to recognize the will of the majority of Democrats in your district, in the state, and nationally and support impeachment.
Maude Brunette Michele Jean Hugh Schneider
Stephanie Chestler Garry Kelly Judy Schwartz
Bill Collins Jerry Nordin Mike Schwartz
Betty Crooks Doris Patterson Cynthia Stillman
Nancy Gardiner Wilber Patterson Harold Titus
Bill Henry Karin Radtke Janet Titus
Nadya Henry Harry Rickard Jenny Velinty
Lu Herr Nancy Rickard
Copies: to Senators Wyden and Smith
Letter mailed September 11, 2007
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