In my last post I went off on Chris Matthews of MSNBC for his ill informed rant attacking President Obama and Eric Shinseki because of a VA Hospital which was lying about the wait time for its patients – and, apparently other medical issues for our service personnel which became public. I pointed out that, first of all, anyone paying attention for any length of time KNOWS that our Vets have been getting SCREWED since the Viet Nam war, and secondly, if anyone in America cares deeply about our troops its Eric Shinseki. It’s the “same old same old” with people like Matthews; “shooting from the hip” to get the headlines and thinking later (that is, if there’s ever any thinking later). I listen to MSNBC on my car radio and it’s really discouraging to hear people who should know better going off like Matthews. This attempt at making the news instead of reporting it is, in my view, one of the reasons America finds itself in this perennial political circus – almost as if those in the media are simply there to stimulate “scandals” because of the HUGE amount of money it generates for their corporate interests.
Well, today I thought Matthews did himself one better, as he lamented the Obama administration’s decision to negotiate the release of Bowe Bergdahl, an American Army Sergeant who has been held in captivity by the Taliban in Afghanistan (or Pakistan) for the past 5 years. There are NO clear facts about the circumstances relating to Bergdahl’s capture – although, if you listen to those on the “right” he’s being portrayed almost as a traitor. Of course, no one knows exactly what happened to our soldier, but I’ve heard only a few (these are actual people in the military) who are speaking positively about “getting him back.” To get him back, the Obama administration enacted a prisoner exchange with 5 prisoners (Taliban leaders) who’ve been incarcerated at Gitmo for the past TWELVE years with NO charges being filed against them. Keep in mind, there’s NEVER been a WAR declared in Afghanistan – we supposedly went there to get Osama bin Laden and members of al Qaeda who were responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.
Except for the most HAWKISH of Americans people in the United States have wanted Gitmo CLOSED for many years. Most Americans don’t believe in randomly capturing people (which is exactly what happened in Afghanistan in the early part of the “war on terror”) and even more believe that people shouldn’t be incarcerated indefinitely without charges being filed. Essentially, in the case of Gitmo (and other “black holes” created during the Bush/Cheney regime) America threw out her constitution and her belief in human rights in exchange for torturing “enemy combatants” (and, remember, if the president considered someone an enemy combatant – they essentially lost all normal human rights most of us take for granted) and keeping people locked up for over a decade with no plan for what to do with them. Gitmo – along with Abu Ghraib and the other places the Bush/Cheney crowd sent “prisoners” to be tortured or, in some instances, murdered – have left a stain on the United States of America that will take a LONG TIME to remove. And, with people like Matthews in important places in our “media world” we may never shed the disgrace that, I’m sure, is how we’re considered by most civilized people around the world.
President Obama, to his credit, pointed out that it’s really IRRELEVANT the circumstances in which Bergdahl was captured. If he deserted, as some have claimed, then he will be held accountable upon his return to the states. At this point it’s no more than pure speculation as to what REALLY happened five years ago in Afghanistan. What’s important is that our military code of honor says that we DON’T ABANDON any soldier, no matter what! If a soldier is captured, we are obligated to remember them and try to get them back. That’s exactly what our president just did.
Matthews is all up in arms because we “gave up” the five members of the Taliban (remember, it was al Qaeda who attacked us) who he claims could “kill Americans.” The fact they’ve been held for over 12 YEARS with no charges being filed doesn’t seem to resonate with him. Additionally, as I listened to him, I got the feeling he was suggesting we keep these people for the rest of their lives – of course, we are scheduled to bring home ALL “combat” troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and it would create an even GREATER firestorm of international condemnation if we choose to keep these “enemy combatants” after there’s no enemy! That is, these five and any others who have been held for all these years with no charges need to go back to their homelands. I not only “get” that they might be dangerous, I believe they are probably way more dangerous than when they were captured because we’ve taken twelve years of their lives because our president at the time decided that they had NO RIGHTS! What’s gone on at Gitmo has been shameful. How could anyone who’s been put through that NOT be angry?
Several years ago there was a report that lasted about one news cycle about either two or three “enemy combatants” at Gitmo who managed to hang themselves – with their hands tied behind their backs, their feet tied, and a wad of cloth crammed down their throats so far that no human could survive for more than a minute or two. I didn’t hear Matthews complaining then – that was still during the Bush/Cheney era. There are multiple reports of “enemy combatants” MURDERED during “enhanced interrogation.” Is that what he thinks should be done with these “prisoners?” Bush/Cheney were paying people to identify “enemy combatants” and the large majority of them should NEVER have been in any captivity! Where has Matthews been on all of this.
Worst of all, the last comment I heard Matthews make tonight as I was driving home was preposterous – although, I’m sure the right wing chicken hawks were cheering in the isles. He suggested the solution to his concern that the prisoners released might “kill Americans” was to get them with drones! I’m not kidding! This guy’s got a screw loose upstairs! It’s precisely the type of thinking he’s putting out which has blackened the reputation of this great nation and is turning us into military pariah! Matthews has even had sensible guests to interview who’ve tried to talk some sense into him, and he lashes back out at them – irrationally. I have no idea what is motivating this man, but as far as I’m concerned he needs to have a vacation from his show called “Hardball.” (Remember, Matthews and most of the politicians who created this fiasco – Iraq and Afghanistan – never served a day in the military – or in the case of GW Bush, had his daddy get him into a “rich boys” Air Force reserve squad where there’s NO EVIDENCE that he even attended many of the meetings)
Matthews’ arguments are intellectually lacking and lazy – it’s like he’s too lazy to actually research the issue so that he has information which is accurate. Instead, it’s as if he’s trying “gin up” the masses as if he was a member of Fox “news.” Seriously, we only need one outlet doing that ( I say that facetiously because, if it was up to me, Fox “news” – and people like Matthews – would be a thing of the past – maybe it’s ratings time???). I can guarantee you that once there’s FACTS to go by, the only way you’ll hear a whimper out of Matthews is if he can find some little shred of evidence that Bergdahl actually deserted his post. Short of that, should the FACTS prove him to be the buffoon he appears to be, he’ll move on to other topics and we’ll never hear a retraction.
For some reason Matthews has joined the people who seem to be looking for any reason to attack our sitting president. As I’ve stated many times on this site, I have my own issues with Obama, but when it comes to foreign policy decisions, the tradition in America is for Americans to stand together. It took several years of folly in Iraq before the public turned on President Bush, and President Obama was left a mess that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. In this case, and in the case of General Shinseki, I believe America would be much better served by waiting to find the FACTS – in both “scandals” – and pulling together regarding the solution. I certainly believe that those who are essentially proponents of abandoning our soldier who was a prisoner in Afghanistan, would be setting a precedent that would be a much WORSE scenario than what will be the case – NO MATTER – what the circumstances of Sergeant Bergdahl’s capture. For six months in 1967 (until I was medically discharged due to a bum knee) I was a member of the United States Marine Corp. I was going to be what were called at the time “90 day wonders” and was destined for duty in Viet Nam. I can tell you that had I thought my country would even consider abandoning me had I been captured by ANY enemy for ANY reason, I would not have been interested in volunteering.
I believe Americans should be thankful that one of our troops who was in “enemy hands” is now free and on the way home. Let the “cards” play out as they may regarding what he did or didn’t do while serving his country in Afghanistan (I don’t even know how many times he was deployed there – there’s a lot most of us – including Matthews – DON’T KNOW) What I do know is that America will be a better place when media people like Chris Matthews start reporting news instead of creating it! This guy is out of control and his diatribes of the past few days are making me sick to my stomach!
Personally, I look forward to the day when there is no more Gitmo and all the “prisoners” have either been released or had the opportunity to answer to charges If they’re guilty of some provable offense, then so be it – but, the idea of holding people captive for a lifetime because someone labels them an “enemy combatant” is dangerous territory for a “free” society to tread! When was it OK to hold someone indefinitely because someone – like Matthews – thinks they MIGHT commit a crime?
