If Beale Street Could Talk - Part 1

By David Swanson
Created Jan 15 2007 - 9:29am

Bush's Escalation Speech: Remarks at the National Conference for Media
Reform in Memphis, Tenn., January 13, 2007.

I'd like to request that nobody shout during this event, and I'll tell you
why. I watched Bush's speech with some people who thought it would be a good
idea to take a sip of liquor every time he told a lie. Three days later my
head is aching.

But it aches mostly because of the media's coverage of the speech. Idiots
don't offend me as much as smart people following idiots do. The Washington
Post printed Bush's speech for those who missed it, and then printed some
analysis of it. But the analysis was provided by the White House, which
published a glossy brochure that so-called reporters could plagiarize.

If you went to online sources like Foreign Policy in Focus, you found
analyses of Bush's speech that pointed out the lies. If you turned on your
television, you heard how smart Bush was to admit his mistakes. But you did
not hear the long list of mistakes that he has not admitted to or gone to
prison for. You just heard about his mistake of not having yet done exactly
what he now wants to do.

The following is what I would like to have heard on the TV and radio after
Bush's speech (and similar reporting on Congressman Dick Durbin's so-called
response):

__________

Earlier this evening we aired a speech by President George W. Bush that may
have left you with some false impressions. We need to correct these matters
of fact.

The President's speech did not mention WMDs or Saddam Hussein or attempt to
explain why we are occupying the nation of Iraq or what it would mean for
that occupation to "win" or "lose." This may have left you with the
impression that no justification is required by law to forcibly occupy
someone else's country and kill a significant portion of their population.
That is not the case.

The President made no reference to the permanent military bases he is
illegally constructing in Iraq. This may have left you with the impression
that he plans to leave Iraq some day. This, combined with his references to
democracy, may have given you a certain idea of his plans for Iraq that does
not seem to be suggested by the President's actions.

Bush also expressed support for a number of Middle-Eastern nations allied
with the United States, notably Saudi Arabia. This may have given you the
idea that these nations are democracies. They are dictatorships.

Bush began his speech by connecting Iraq to 9-11. In fact, Iraq had nothing
to do with 9-11. We apologize to the millions who have lost loved ones
because of this lie. When Bush said that al Qaeda was "still" active in
Iraq, he failed to add that it had only become active in Iraq as a result of
his invasion and occupation of that nation.

Bush said that he would see that the people of Iraq profit from its oil.
This statement bears no relationship to actual U.S. policy, and Bush has no
legal right to decide what happens to another nation's resources.

Bush suggested that most Iraqis want the occupation to continue. This is
false.

Bush suggested that occupying Iraq was making Americans safer. His own
intelligence analysts disagree.

Bush implied that he can escalate wars at his own discretion. In fact,
Congress can prevent him from doing so if it chooses to.

Of course, Bush has escalated this war in the past. We have not reported on
that as such because he did not make a big deal of it. The reason he is
making a big deal of it this time was not addressed in his speech.

What was new in the speech was a threat to Iran and Syria. Bush claimed that
Iran is providing material to Iraqi resisters. There is no evidence of this.
Bush said he was sending ships and missile defense systems to the region.
These steps have no clear connection to Iraq and may be seen as part of a
threat to Iran.

Bush said not one word about all of the Iraqi blood he has spilled.
Approximately 655,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the United States'
invasion and occupation of Iraq, thus far. And the death rate is increasing,
not diminishing. Here is video showing many of the people killed and injured
in this war and their family members..

.Americans can support or oppose this war by contacting their Congress
Members. There will be a march in opposition to the war in Washington D.C.
on January 27th followed by lobbying of Congress on the 29th. For more on
that, see www.unitedforpeace.org [1]
_______
http://www.davidswanson.org [2]

About author David Swanson is a co-founder of After Downing Street, a writer
and activist, and the Washington Director of Democrats.com.

http://www.davidswanson.org [3]

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"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson