Don’t You Dare Blame Us

by paradox

I’ve been startled the last few days by observations from intellects I vastly respect that the time is soon coming where liberals are blamed and scapegoated for the debacle in Iraq. My first reaction was puzzlement—since when has it become accepted fact among our chattering literati class that this horrifying vast war crime is something to be ashamed or deserving blame of?

I’m still extremely skeptical that view will ever take hold among the shamefully unprofessional US journalism corps. Exhibit A was the manifestly noxious excrement Michael Kinsley dropped on the editorial page of The Washington Post last week, pathetically and incredulously defending the US journalism’s corps inability to cover the DSM. Joe Conason professionally eviscerates Kinsley today for such gross arrogance, admirable work if it weren’t so depressing. Hacks like Kinsley are directly responsible for the war, they’re never going to admit their complicity in creating this monster.

I continue, however, to be prepared to be surprised. After ranting for years and irrationally pounding keyboards about our shameful journalism suddenly, in just six weeks, a mainstream movement is born to bash US journalism silly with the DSM and, amazingly, this mass movement is having a real effect.

If in fact reality is finally acknowledged and the process started to put Bush, Cheney, Powell, Rice, Perle and Wolfowitz in barred cells for rest of their lives the scenario that liberals who opposed the war can be to blame for it all is so far beyond outrageous, my God, I barely know how to put it into words.

War opposition never made Saddam out to be some evil incredibly dangerous freak who would spawn mushroom and nerve gas clouds. We never ignored generals and invaded with half the force we needed. We’re not the ones who had not a clue as to govern in occupation and instantly let Iraq degrade into anarchy. We’re not the ones who sent our troops—hell, our reserve of ill-equipped/trained grandfathers and kids—over there with lousy armor. We’re not the ones who tortured prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. We’re not the idiots who ignored Iraq’s fractious past or made up the felonious rationale for “pre-emptive attack.”

We’re not the ones who lied’n covered up all these crimes like Kinsley continues to do. In case these incredibly arrogant, evil conservatives and journalists don’t get it, times have changed. With http the press is back in the hands of the people (where it always belonged) and we will never take this lying down or let the historical record bear any filthy stain that somehow war opponents are responsible for losing the war.

Historians will see the truth in the archived Daily Kos posts from 2003 at the Library of Congress—the librarians saved them. We still have all the old quotes at an instant’s notice. We have blogs and a few good journalists like Conason and Alterman to help get and keep the truth out.

We also have power, far more than we realize. Do not read The Los Angeles Times. Do not place classified ads with them, do not link to them, do not mention their columnists. Tell all that you know the editorial editor Kinsley is a war crime propagandist and that it really is too bad there isn’t a way to convict him like Bush and Cheney eventually will be. The quack can put a brave face of indifference all he wants—don’t be fooled for an instant, soon he’ll know his reporters read this and he’ll burn with shame to his deathbed for it. This is not 1972, welcome to the internet, Michael.

Bush, Cheney and the US journalism are responsible for and lost the war, which we correctly predicted was unnecessary and unwinnable from the instant all the lying started. Don’t you dare try to blame us for it—it can’t be done and we’ll make you pay.