Krugman: A Culture of Cover-Ups

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/opinion/26krugman.html?hp=&oref=login&pagewanted=print&position=

Aides to John Kerry say that if he wins, he'll replace Porter Goss as head of the C.I.A. Let's hope so: Mr. Goss has already confirmed the fears of those who worried about his appointment by placing Republican staff members from Capitol Hill in key positions and raising fears about a partisan purge.

But the flap over Mr. Goss is only a symptom of a much broader issue: whether the Bush administration will be able to maintain its culture of cover-ups. That culture affects every branch of policy, but it's strongest when it comes to the "war on terror."

Although President Bush's campaign is based almost entirely on his self-proclaimed leadership in that war, his officials have thrown a shroud of secrecy over any information that might let voters assess his performance.

Yesterday we got two peeks under that shroud. One was The Times's report about what the International Atomic Energy Agency calls "the greatest explosives bonanza in history." Ignoring the agency's warnings, administration officials failed to secure the weapons site, Al Qaqaa, in Iraq, allowing 377 tons of deadly high explosives to be looted, presumably by insurgents.

<snip>

The story of the looted explosives has overshadowed another report that Bush officials tried to suppress - this one about how the Bush administration let Abu Musab al-Zarqawi get away. An article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal confirmed and expanded on an "NBC Nightly News" report from March that asserted that before the Iraq war, administration officials called off a planned attack that might have killed Mr. Zarqawi, the terrorist now blamed for much of the mayhem in that country, in his camp.

[Dudley_DUright]

1. I am very glad to hear that Porter Goss is toast

when Kerry wins. He, by his own admission, has no business running the CIA.

[acmavm]

2. Krugman has beat on the bush* administration almost everyday during

this election. And with total justification. Funny how some journalists still have ethics, but the high profiled rightwing dingbats not only are totally lacking same, they're reasoning abilities are sorely lacking as well.

What possible benefit can there be for a journalist to support this administration? It's like committing suicide in a way. They have to understand that this is an administration who's strategy is to cut the legs out from under anyone who really wants to present an accurate and truthful news story about anything. This is the most secretive administration in the history of this country. Why would they support thugs and liars like this? bush* and the boys are all about the supression of the news media. Why support the very people who would rather look you in the eye and lie to you than tell the truth about what is really going on? Why support an administration that will punish you, one way or another, if you print a story that is truthful and vital to the interests of this country but doesn't paint a 'flattering' picture of the buffoons who lost 380 tons of explosives?

I just can't understand the blind obedience to a cabal who's motive is the total supression of the truth.

[ixion]

3. blind obedience to a cabal...

who's motive is the total supression of the truth.

The * regime that they're not supressing the truth as much as shaping reality for those of us in the 'reality-based community' to ponder over.

The reason people follow them is fear or intellectual weakness, coupled with a heavy dose of denial.

These psychological structs, apparently a flaw in our basic wiring, have been used by hundreds or thousands of regimes throughout history to cull 'the masses'. Humans fear the unknown, collectively speaking, and as well lack the curiousity to understand something. Fear produces a flight or fight response -- no higher brain functions involved. This response can be over-ridden of course, but most people don't become intellectually strong enough to do so. Humans are also apt to believe the people who lead them are moral and just. They will deny themselves the 'luxury' of questioning their leaders, especially if their leaders make asking questions a punishable offense.


Every BushCo supporter I've ever met exhibits these characteristics.

[Raster]

4. perspective: just one pound of this stuff can blow up an airliner...

377 *TONS* is missing. One ton contains 2,000 pounds. Total missing explosives: 754,000 pounds.