History Not Dead, Just Smells Bad

PEJ News - C. L. Cook - A Hooded man, standing on a box, arms splayed crucifix-style, wires dangling from his extremities... Here we are. Nearly five years into it; five astonishing years, a cascade of unprecedented malfeasance and moral turpitude. Five years that's left America's facade cracked. The 'Bastion of Democracy,' survivor of revolution, depressions, World and Cold Wars, now stands guilty before the world a pariah; a committer of crimes so stark they dare'nt be mentioned for fear of the global repercussions. But, their's no escape for one of the history-denying authors of the current disaster threatening humanity, History's grim ghosts gather round him like a shroud.

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History Not Dead, Just Smells Bad
C. L. Cook

PEJ News
November 16, 2005

Reagan's Evil Empire had fallen. Many uttered platitudes to the "peace dividend." George Bush I talked of a new world order of compassion and cooperation, while the then-unknown men inhabiting the periphery espoused the belief that "history is dead," a eupemistic allusion to America's singular Ascension and its proper place at the head of the global table. There in George the First's court, the nascent Dick Cheney plied and plotted his way to the apex of power.

At least, that's the platter he's being presented to the public upon; served up, as a last supper in hopes to assuage a suddenly slavering press, hungry for corruption and eyeing a Pennsylvania Avenue main course, a meal almost certain. Do a Google on "Cheney" tonight and you'll see the first steps of Dick Cheney's political Danse Macabre.


Smoke Screens

Of course, in Mr. Cheney's case, the evidence of an unrestrained campaign of murder, torture, and ignominious disregard for humanity is unprecedented, if not for its blatant barbarity, for its sheer scale. The current Outrage de Jour over Whiskey Pete, aka Willy Pete, and properly, White Phosperous (WP) is at this hour being debated and defined and considered in legal frameworks on T.V. A little lost is the fact, admitted by the military itself, the use of this grotesque chemical weapon against towns in Iraq, is a crime recognized as such and clearly defined in international jurisprudence.

Hundreds of thousands dead. Cultural devastation and environmental destruction whose effects will be felt forever, and the employment of weapons no tyrant in the world's history possessed: These are the sins of the great fiasco writ opaquely; the details within this vague campaign contain litanies of casual moral digressions, any single case examination of which would surely sicken most good tax-paying Americans.

Cheney's overdue debut on the sarificial altar will provide weeks of diversion; time George II must be finding running short, as scandal and litigation multiply, engulfing many of his closest associates. If Bush can no longer assure his collaborators the presidency will survive long enough to dish out pardons, he knows canaries will sing and he'll sink. Another Nixon.

History seems now, like a spurned partner turning all its irony on they who would deny it. Cheney will be first to fall, but he's no Agnew. Something about Dick's weak heart and subterranean proclivities, brings more to mind erstwhile CIA head during, William Casey the corpse of convenience when Iran-Contra closed in on another Bush presidency.



Chris Cook is a contributing editor to PEJ News. He also host Gorilla Radio, a weekly public affairs program, broad/webcast from the University of Victoria, Canada. You can check out the GR Blog here.

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