If you’ve been on this site in the past you know that I’ve been lobbying ad nauseum for the investigations of the Bush/Cheney administration and all their alleged illegal activity.  That has been my MAJOR disappointment with President Obama (although there are others as well) and, my last post gave my position about the effect on our nation of all the lying that has become rampant on our airwaves.  Well, there’s further reasons why these investigations need to happen – and probably more, going back to at least the Reagan years (and, yes, if you’re a republican hack – I would include the Clinton years in this as well).  The reports of what has been done in the name of the United States of America – secretly – need to be made public before the internal healing that needs to take place in this nation is possible.  For example, if you read “Shock Doctrine” by Naomi Klein you will realize that torture by Americans wasn’t “invented” by Bush/Cheney (this FACT, in my view, does not make them innocent of what they authorized).  Now, I’m hearing reports that one “right wing” group is “rewriting” the Bible – to give it a “conservative” bent, I just read yesterday that someone in Texas is proposing rewriting history books to put “conservatives” in a “better light,” (I put conservatives in quotes because who knows what that word means anymore?), and you’ve got people like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney running around attempting to rewrite the history of their failed administration so that somehow the “history books” will consider the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq, the torture, and the failed economy (among other blunders) in a positive light.  I haven’t read Rove’s book, but I’m fairly confident that he’ll even find a way to claim that the Bush administration did “all it could” to help New Orleans during the Katrina hurricane, and to keep us safe by TORTURING “enemy combatants.”  The ONLY way to make sure this HOG WASH is stopped, is for a formal investigation of Bush/Cheney – and, like I said, it would be good to go all the way back to Reagan.  What is going on behind “closed doors” with our government?  Do we give these people some kind of sanctity when electing them to office?  I’m confused!

Why is this so important to me?  Well, have you ever heard the saying “Those who choose to ignore history are destined to repeat it?”  This isn’t my biggest fear, it’s a certainty – that by letting the Bushites “off the hook” President Obama has virtually guaranteed torturing by the United States of America is going to continue (in fact, I wonder if it’s not continuing as I write this – despite Obama’s claims to the contrary – why else would he block investigations of certain war crimes?).  The people of the United States have been under a barrage of propoganda for most of my adult life (I’m eligible of social security).  I started noticing it during the Reagan years with the advent of the right wing “talkers” on the radio – people like Rush Limbaugh – who were “spouting” what became known as “talking points” – where several people hit the airwaves saying EXACTLY the same thing OVER AND OVER again, until it was considered “truth” in the “mainstream media.”   The republicans figured this out, and they’ve become very good at it.  On occasion, it’s appeared to me that the democrats were trying to emulate them, but they’ve never managed to get into the same league as the republicans.  I’m not saying the democrats aren’t good at lying, but this is like men versus boys when we’re comparing the democrats’ lying ability to the republicans.  And, for some reason, our “liberal media” seems hell bent on ignoring all of this.

However, just the other day I was encouraged along these lines when I read an article in the Washington Post by Howell Raines that was a stinging rebuke of Fox “news” – which is owned by Rupert Murdoch (an Australian right winger) – with a strong minority interest from some sheik who resides in Saudi Arabia (where else?) – and which is run by Roger Ailes – who is nothing more than a republican hack.  Ailes was in the mold of Karl Rove back in the days of Richard Nixon and is now doing everything he can to undermine the President of the United States as an “arm” of the republican party masquerading as a “news” outlet.  While I have been ranting about Fox (and, I’m sure many other obscure people on the web), and they’ve been the “target” of Keith Olberman of MSNBC, for the most part Fox has gotten a “pass” on what is clearly BIASED partisan “reporting.”  Raines’ article is the FIRST thing I’ve read by someone who could be called part of the “main stream” media that has had the GUTS to call Murdoch and Ailes out for what they’re doing.  What has happened to unbiased reporters who are beholden to no one?  Does anyone else out there worry that there could be some kind of “conspiracy” to remove the “fourth” branch of our government – which is an unbiased, meddling, investigative media acting as “watchdog” for all of us?

Fox has given a platform to people like Dick Cheney (and his repulsive daughter Liz), Rove, Glenn Beck (another repulsive one), Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly (I guess repulsive is in vogue at Fox), and these people are using this “stage” to undermine the very government that we all depend on.  And, they must be considered quite powerful, because I almost get the feeling that the reason Obama and the democrats continue attempting to placate republicans is because they’re worried about how they will to be portrayed on Fox.  The end result of all this is we have two wars going on that the people seem to be powerless to stop – two wars which are bleeding our nation’s “coffers” while we’re debating as to whether we can afford to provide health care for our own people.  Again, I’m confused about how we have so much compassion for the Iraqi and the Afgan people, but so little for our own.  Doesn’t make ANY sense to me.

Just for the sake of argument, let me share a bit of “knowledge” I’ve gained recently in my bibliophilia (love of books).  Let’s start with 9/11 because recently I’ve heard both Karl Rove and Dick Cheney (among other former “Bushites”) continuing their “fairy tale” that they kept America “safe” during their 8 years in the White House.  They’re not even, at this point, acknowledging that 9/11 happened while they were in office – the usual “storyline” is to blame 9/11 on Bill Clinton.  (again, the fact we even have to listen to these liars is reason enough to hold the investigations as far as I’m concerned, but now Rove is doing this overseas!)  OK, if you’ve read many of my posts, you are aware that the NSA, the FBI, the CIA and the other intelligence branches were at odds with each other – kind of in a “turf war” during the “run up” to 9/11.  The NSA had a “bead” on the first two hijackers soon after they entered the country – phone numbers, addresses, etc.  In fact, there was no need to violate FISA to follow these two, because their whereabouts was no mystery.  And, the others would have been easy to follow had they followed the first two.  Part of the “angst” between the different “intelligence” branches was due to Donald Rumsfeld.  The guy could make a laughing hyena angry!  By the time Rumsfeld was in office a couple months all these agencies were at each other’s “throats.”  So, for starters, the reality is that the terrorists who flew the planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were in this country and “noticed” by th NSA soon after Bush took office.

Additionally, Bush and company were warned about al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden by the “transition team” of the Clinton administration.  They knew where he was and they knew what he had done.  In fact, they soon began “negotiating” with the Taliban to get the Taliban to “out” bin Laden in return for the US recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afganistan (I’ll tell you in a bit what Bush and company really wanted from the Taliban).  Now, what most people don’t know is that the Taliban were fully supported by our WONDERFUL “ally” Saudi Arabia – because their form of “Islam” mirrored the Saudi’s – an extremely fundamental interpretation of the Koran – Wahhabism.  Remember, 15 of the 19 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia – and, of course, the Taliban had no intention of “giving” us bin Laden.  Was our real motivation to get bin Laden?  Well, when you look a little farther, it makes you wonder.

The United States was in negotiations with the Taliban to get the rights to build a gas and oil pipline accross Afganistan to Pakistan so that we could get the oil and natural gas from Central Asia – and bypass Russia in the process.  (you can imagine how the Russians looked at this)  Keep in mind who was in the White House at the time.  Both George W Bush and, MORESO, Dick Cheney were emersed in the oil business prior to taking office.  Just think of what a “gold mine” it would have been for Cheney’s former company (remember he still had MILLIONS of shares of their stock in a “trust”) Halliburton if the United States could have pulled off getting this pipeline.  We’re talking about a multi-billion dollar deal – that was right up Halliburton’s “alley.”  Which do you think was more important to the US – getting the pipeline or getting bin Laden?  Additionally, Condoleeza Rice was a director for Chevron for the eight years prior to joining Bush/Cheney and they also had a significant interest in the US getting this pipeline.

Up to that point bin Laden’s attacks on the United States had come on foriegn soil.  Bush, Cheney, Rice, and all the others were warned ahead of time – MULTIPLE TIMES – that bin Laden was going to “strike” America – and, they ignored each warning!  In fact, do you remember how the Bush administration and all the cheering republicans were condemming the French because they wouldn’t go along with the invasion of Iraq when Bush/Cheney broke off the chase for bin Laden?  Well, about one month prior to 9/11 the French intelligence authorities gave the Bush administration intelligence on Zacarias Moussaoui, a Frenchman who was suspected of being the 20th hijacker, and who had been in flight training with the other hijackers.  This, like all the other clues, was not acted upon.  So, do you really think these guys should be going around now claiming they kept us safe?  I’m not claiming that it was a “slam dunk” to “connect the dots,” I’m just pointing out that Bush/Cheney/Rice and the others DIDN’T connect the dots, and SHOULDN’T be “bragging” about keeping America safe.  The worst attack in our history happened on their “watch.”  Again, investigations would eliminate all this speculation and Americans would KNOW the truth.

Well, there’s more.  Remember the Saudi’s?  Of course, virtually everyone knows that bin Laden is from one of the wealthiest families in Saudi Arabia.  Supposedly, he lost his citizenship in the mid nineties.  If so, how does he continue to fund a worldwide terrorist network?  How does the saying go? Three guesses and the first two don’t count.  I don’t think this will surprise you, but these Saudi’s are about as brazen as our republicans in their “underworldlike” dealings – so, is it any wonder that they’re such good “buddies” with Bush/Cheney?   How good? you might ask.  Well, the connection between the former president – I should say presidents – named Bush, is startling.  It’s like the Bush family is connected at the hip with the bin Laden family.  Both George HW Bush and George W Bush are, or have been, directors of an “American” investment company called the “Carlyle Group.”  This group includes former cabinet officials of the first Bush administration, and other prominent republicans from administrations past, and one of their prominent investors comes straight from the bin Laden family.  Additionally, George W Bush was a director of an energy company called Harken which encountered financial difficulty (everything Bush touched prior to being president, it seems, turned to “stone”) and was bailed out by a Saudi investor directly connected to Osama bin Laden (and recruited by GHW Bush).  Now, some might suggest that because there were about 50+ sons of Mohammed bin Laden who was the patriarch of the bin Laden fortune, and that they’ve “excommunicated” Osama bin Laden, that there’s no connection.  However, the truth is that these other brothers, in conjunction with other prominent Saudi’s have established banks, businesses, charities, and other fronts all over the world which have been, and still are, funneling Osama bin Laden all the money he needs to run his al Qaeda organization.  Essentially, the Saudi’s are saying to the United States, we’ve got the oil and the money, what are you going to do about it?  They do it very discreetly, but has anyone noticed that bin Laden is still alive and well despite supposedly being a target of the United States now for over 10 years? (even if bin Laden would be dead, as some suggest, al Qaeda is stronger now than when they pulled off 9/11)

Back to the investigations.  Am I the only one who wants to know the who and why of bin Laden being allowed to escape from Tora Bora?  This could lead to an entirely different discussion.  Like, how about Bush/Cheney switching “gears” and sending all of our “assets” into Iraq at a still untold expense that could conceivably TOTALLY bankrupt this nation – based on lies and cherry picked intelligence.  Did Bush’s connection to the bin Laden family have anything to do with this?  Why did the Saudi’s get a “free pass” when almost all of the hijackers and the mastermind of the attack come from their nation?  Does anyone out there really believe that the 9/11 attacks weren’t funded by the Saudi’s?  There’s a Saudi named Khalid bin Mahfouz who was helping to fund bin Laden for years before 9/11 and he had something like 50 banks, businesses, etc. all over the world which he used to launder money going to the terrorists (this info is based on a book by Jean-Charles Brisard and Guillaume Dasquie called “Forbidden Truth” – a couple French reporters who attempted to “connect the dots” from all these Saudi businesses to bin Laden’s terrorist activites) and bin Mahfouz was by no means the only Saudi supporting bin Laden.   I believe investigating all of this, RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN, is a necessity for the survival of this nation. 

Are we going to continue pretending that we’re the “bright light” of the world, why our leaders are committing crimes against humanity behind our backs?  I don’t think most Americans understand that our standing in the world has been virtually destroyed by Bush/Cheney and, as long as we continue to believe the propoganda we’ve been “fed” for the past 30+ years, America will be moving toward second class status.  Just because our leaders keep hammering it into our heads that “we’re the best” doesn’t make it so.  Our nation is being destroyed from within by the corporate greed that is totally out of control, and people around the world hate us because of actions of our government that most people in America don’t even understand.  For some reason President Obama decided that knowing the truth wasn’t in the best interests of the American people.  I’m assuming he felt the “distraction” would sidetrack his agenda of health care and his attempts to “jump start” the economy.  To me, that is short sighted.  America became great through courageous leadership during World War II and the next couple of decades.  I don’t believe America can return to true world leadership until we prove that our leaders are not above the law!