Sy Hersh plays Hardball with Tweety

[MiaCulpa]

Run time: 06:43 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynGShutIRhM   Posted on YouTube: June 18, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: June 19, 2007 By DU Member: MiaCulpa Views on DU: 1884

 

[JohnyCanuck]

1. Two military mindsets

From "Brainwashing America" by Norman Livergood, a former US Army War College Department Head:

Programming Americans to Accept New Views of War and the Military


My time of service at the Army War College also gave me the opportunity to study:

* the varied mind-sets in the military

* the dynamic relationship involved in the civilian control of the military

* brainwashing in the military


When our nation was created, its founders understood that all facets of the government, including the military, are created to serve the needs of the people. The American colonists had fought against a British army which did whatever its corrupt civilian monarch and other leaders told it to do. This is why Samuel Adams made the important distinction between the need for and the danger of a standing army.


"A Standing Army," Adams asserted, "however necessary it may be at some times, is always dangerous to the Liberties of the People."

From the beginning of the establishment of a standing military, military personnel have had one of two primary mind-sets:

Mind-set 1: I will remain loyal to my sworn pledge to uphold the U.S. Constitution, no matter what. If I consider a civilian or military order or operation to be contradictory to the Constitution, I will not follow the order and will do whatever is in my power to stop the unconstitutional operation.

SNIP

Mind-set 2: I will do whatever my civilian and military commanders tell me to do, without reflection on whether or not what they are ordering is permitted by the Constitution (since I want to get ahead in the military). This mind-set is represented by such people as:

# Colin Powell, Secretary of State during Bush II's first term and turned out for slight disagreement with the junta's imperialistic plans; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Bush senior's presidency (took over when Admiral William Crowe wouldn't agree to Bush senior's illegal invasion of Panama)

# General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the Gulf War against Iraq

http://www.hermes-press.com/brainwash1.htm

[berni_mccoy]

2. Tweety says: "Abu Gharab was bad news for our country wasn't it?"

Stating the obvious. What he should have said was those in charge creating Abu Gharab ARE bad news for our country STILL.

However, I give Tweety credit for asking are we ever going to bring those responsible (Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bush) be brought to justice. When Hersh says they still have to live with what they've done, Tweety responds that they are too comfortable with it.

[krkaufman]

3. Tweety's style reminds me of some sugar-hyped kid, unable to focus

... bouncing from question to question with seemingly no logical flow. Questions are answered, when not cut off, but never really heard and followed-up.

[hisownpetard]

4. Tweety Interviews Self

Wanted to listen to Seymour Hersh on Hardball
but Chris Matthews made me turn the tube off. He is
so obtrusive and overbearing, it makes me want to
put my fist through the wall! Whoever his guest du jour
is really makes no difference; it always winds up
with Tweety asking half-questions all over the board
and then interrupting the answer I've leaned forward
to hear so that he himself can insert his own opinion
in that space, instead.

It's impossible to learn anything from listening
to his show - except perhaps how the formation of spittle
in the corners of his mouth increases in direct proportion
to the number of words spoken (unintelligibly) per minute.

[onethatcares]

7. I join you in that

he won't shut the fark up.

[ooglymoogly]

5. good to hear investigations once again are starting. NOM

[Time for change]

6. Great interview by Hersh

Tweety was even more obnoxious than usual. Rude, overbearing, would give Hersh a chance to finish a thought. God, what a jerk!

[bleever]

8. One bright spot: he wants Rumsfeld brought to justice,

as his questions indicated.

[Time for change]

9. I believe NOTHING that he says

True, he made a lot of comments over the years that I agree with, including the one that you mention. He even argued against the Iraq war a number of times before the invasion.

Still, IMO his overall effect is very bad. For all I know, his espousing of moderate or even somewhat progressive positions from time to time may specifically be for the purpose of trying to position himself as a moderate so as to give himself credibility. In that respect, he may be more dangerous than Ann Coulter or Bill O'liely.

The thing that I will probably never forgive him for is how he continually castigated Al Gore every chance he had during the runup to the 2000 election. His constant comments like "Al Gore would lick the bathroom floor to be President" were sickening in the extreme, were specifically meant to hurt Gore's chances of winning the election, and no doubt succeeded in bringing his vote count in Florida down low enough that the election could be stolen. I ask, what right does a so-called "journalist", using the public airways to air his views, have the right to make comments like that? Totally unsupported by anything, he makes them sound like he's reporting facts, when they are nothing more than his personal opinions at best, or attempts to sabatage the election at worst.

Please excuse the rant, but the mention of Chris Mattews' name makes my blood boil.