Fundamentalism (General)

by dhw, Monday, November 10, 2008, 13:10 (5653 days ago) @ Walter

The Iraq War has led to a skirmish between Walter on the one hand, and Carl and David on the other. - First of all, let me say that I stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Walter (an expression used ad nauseam during the unholy Bush-Blair alliance). The facts he has listed are indeed incontrovertible. However, I can't help wondering ... especially in view of certain remarks made by Carl ... whether the American government didn't make a better job of deceiving people during the run-up to the war. Why else would Carl make the extraordinary statement that "it is dishonest to judge Bush and Blair with 20/20 hindsight" ... as if prior to the invasion there had not been worldwide condemnation, massive scepticism over their unsubstantiated claims about Iraqi WMDs, and well documented warnings about the consequences from many specialists in the field, including academics and health experts. - Walter's main point, however, is by coincidence echoed in today's Guardian. An article by Max Hastings castigates the government for wasting £182 million pounds on an inquiry into 'Bloody Sunday' (in January 1972, 14 innocent people were killed in Ireland by British soldiers). Hastings concludes: - "By contrast, there is a real argument for an inquiry into how Britain became engaged in the 2003 Iraq invasion, to ensure no future prime minister makes the same mistakes or perpetrates the same deceits, and that the intelligence service never again becomes entangled in such chicanery." - This, if I have understood him correctly, is what Walter is demanding. The words "deceits" and "chicanery" would be libellous if untrue. I very much doubt, however, if this government will set up an inquiry, or if Blair (widely known as Bliar) will sue Max Hastings.