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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

America's Latest Historical Revisionists

Hello Papamoka Bloggers! Did you hear the latest Republican gem? Dick Cheney has inked a book deal. The book is expected for the Spring of 2011 by Threshold Editions of Simon & Schuster. It's that charming division led by editor-in-chief Mary Matalin, a good friend and close aide to Cheney. Perhaps they should rename it to be more accurate. I would suggest the Propaganda Division. Once again, the Republicans demonstrate how close ties can help them create their own reality.

The really interesting thing is that Cheney's book comes out only a few months after President Bush's new book. I don't know about you, but something smells fishy. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wonders whether we have "dueling books" here competing for history's attention. That's my best guess.

Wow, both books should be shining examples of Republican historic revisionism, not to mention full of goodness and light. LOL! You know, they're very good at historic revisionism - that's what they call it, while the rest of us call it propaganda.

Did you guys know that Ronald Reagan single-handily pulled down the Berlin Wall? I hear that's why they named so many ships and freeways after him. That and for his famous ability to fly and use heat vision. There are also rumors that he helped George Washington cut down that famous cherry tree - you know, the GOP says he never told a lie. LOL!

The "Best of Cheney" (fine, kidding) is expected to be all about his long career in government, from chief of staff under President Gerald Ford to vice president under Bush. I wonder if that will make Bush feel less potent somehow. I doubt it. If he writes about his years at Skull and Bones and the subsequent drug years, his book should be a much bigger seller. Hollywood may even want to make a movie out of it. LOL!

What I find really hilarious is the way DICK told the AP "I want my grand kids, 20 or 30 years from now, to be able to read it and understand what I did, and why I did it." To achieve that noble idea, he needed $2 million dollars from Simon & Schuster. I guess Dick Cheney would need that kind of money to do a good deed for anybody - his grand kids or the nation. I hope he lies a lot in it, or his grand kids may get the wrong idea. LOL!

I swear, the man is a caricature of today's Republican. They make up their own facts, their own history, and their own reality. They always miss the irony. It's kind of sad really.

When they finally come out both books will be considered history by Republicans and complete works of fiction by Democrats and the rest of the civilized world. It's strange, but Republicans see themselves as the principled party of strong families, strong defense and strong economies - history and reality do little to cloud that perception. It's incredible, but they soak up their own revised history like a sponge in crude oil - slowly but surely.

In the end, they believe all of it. That's when they start fighting to name things after their great leaders, and their "achievements." It usually requires about a decade to pass before things calm down enough, thus allowing their propaganda to work. The funny part is they think we don't notice or remember. Unfortunately for them, we do. We remember Watergate, Iran-Contra, and the years of turmoil under George W. We also remember the Republican debt, no matter how many tea parties they try to hold. Despite their best efforts, they're getting a reputation.

While they pine away for guts and glory, and marvel at aircraft carriers named after themselves (I'm sure that's how they see it - don't you know they're all heroes), we Democrats sit down and work hard to find solutions to the problems of everyday Americans. While we try to draft solutions to health care, energy, finance and immigration, the Republicans bitch and moan about the workload and how we Democrats are changing America too much. All the while they never realize that America is always changing, and they are always trying to catch-up.

In the end it all works. Real history is about Republicans getting big ships named after them, while Democrats quietly enjoy a small and simple plague on a remote bridge - one that might have fallen down and killed somebody if we Democrats didn't fight to spend the money to rebuild it. Republicans love to see themselves as the world's "freedom fighters," yet real history suggests they ignore problems here at home to pay for those adventures - those frequent, very expensive adventures.

No matter what Cheney and Bush write about, we Democrats - and all Americans - will know the truth. Their spin won't be strong enough to hide their disasters. Their spin won't be fast enough to prevent history itself from praising all the successes and improvements since their departure. In the end, they will be left with a small group of fans. A group that will mean little to the rest of us.

History will shine brightest on those Americans who fight to improve the country. History will be kindest to those with truth and justice on their side. History will ultimately credit the Democrats with helping Americans cope in this challenging and difficult world. In the end, Americans will know truth from fiction.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

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8 Comments:

Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

First of all... I dont trust "Slick Dick"(Cheney).. this guy is so smooth... I used to call the ole boy "Silk",I been ranting about this guy for a few year's actually, I think he is all about "game", this guy is a real hustler and sharp... I dont even buy that wheelchair crap at Obama's inaugural event.Dick and his daughter Liz,recently done some media interview's concerning Obama wanting to close Guantanamo, why his daughter Liz is interested all of the sudden in Guantanamo catches my attention as well. I also believe as I stated in post's of mine... that Cheney is the "mind" that was very inspirational during decision's in the Oval Office.He is sharp compared to Bush... many of Bush's business ventures before he got in the limelight were failures,mom and dad bailed him out.Cheney is all about business... and he is good too!I been ranting about this contracting in Iraq for at lesat 5 year's or so.... because I "made" it that long ago, along with the marked up invoives and also the subcontracting oversight being handled directly and indirectly by and with Halliburton, who I also believe relocated from their lifelong home of Houston to Dubai because they seen that alot of investigative action is going in play.... been for a few year's now actually... so they move themselve's like they move their fund's, and use alot of channel's and back door's... doing it all offshore... just like financial investing does... complicate's the matter's for those investigating. There was also over $12 billion cash lost... with no trace of American dollar's in Iraq... that was shrink wrapped and sent to Iraq in the beginning of the war... cash because Iraqi bank's were inoperable(their excuse), which is when I first started to "make" this. I was initially opposed to the Iraqi invasion simply because of the contracting oversight that would be involved and because I seen it as a big contract milking deal... even on worthless defense contract's, this is so deep I cant really detail it all here. basically I think Halliburton sensed the "heat", you have to understand how the contracting business work's in this country.... our gvmt let's the main contractor's do all the "sub" work, and pay's them one lump sum, so there is never no oversight of the tax dollar's actually in our country...To say how I know this would be somewhat incriminating... but many know what the "score" is here, we all know how this business work's. And Iraq was not only a planted seed for the spraed of democracy in the region, but also a move for future investment, it also sat on 30% of the world's oil reserve's... and Saddam refused to play ball with the head's of the industry... going black market...and Bush was an easy mark for all this... he hated Saddam from day one... for this... and also threatening his dad's life when he was VP/Pres. I could go on and on here, but it's too lengthy and deep.Bottom line is Cheney has quite a few "worries" that he is not talking about... bank on it.When he also was running for office notice how he pulled out his Wyoming Driver's Liscense to say he was a resident of Wyoming, why is because he wouldnt be able to run with Bush being from the same state. Sure he has a home in Wyoming.... but he lived here in Dallas... my daughter's boyfriend and college mate... his mom was their house maid, she and her son are from Monterey,Mexico, but live here now. And another thing... on this war... we been "had" and took the bite like a trained seal... bank on it! I'm not some "conspiratal theorist", I just know how the game work's is all. I live in Dallas for instance...and have a Texas Driver's liscense too, but I also had liscenses that said I was a resident of...Chicago,Toronto,Los Angeles,New York, and Miami as well. We work our own petty personal investment's as well, but not using bank's in the US,for instance... anyone can do whatever they want... if they just "think"... why do you think so many never pay taxes? The only people that actually play by the rules are the working classes.

4:56 PM  
Blogger B.J. said...

We have all attended funerals where the eulogies of great praise did not seem at all to fit the deceased. I call it “deification of the dead.” I saw this happen during the week of Ronald Reagan’s funeral coverage. Not one word about the multitude of scandals during his administration. Now, he has become the beloved standard-bearer of the GOP. Remember the Republican presidential debate at George H. W. Bush’s presidential library? Each candidate, to the man, repeatedly brought up the name of Ronald Reagan while not once mentioning their host’s son, the current president at the time. It is at once comical and tragic: the mythology around Reagan.

This is an aside: one of my journalism heroes is Andrea Mitchell of NBC News. In her book, “Talking Back - To Presidents, Dictators and Assorted Scoundrels,” she writes about how her access to the inner circles of politics has never affected her reporting. She also writes of her romance with former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, and how the two were married at the hearth in the Wyoming home of Dick and Lynn Cheney.

To Ms. Mitchell’s credit, in all of her reporting I have never detected one instance where the two couples’ friendship affected her reporting about both the Bush administration and Dick Cheney.

On the other hand, Mary Matelin has a decided agenda.

BJ

4:24 AM  
Blogger Michael Boh said...

Wow Ranch and BJ - two very interesting perspectives. I would like to add that I still find it fascinating - and sad - that today's rank and file Republicans cannot see these men for who they are.

Watching recent old video of how Nixon got away with his BS makes me feel sad that our country will never prosecute leaders who hurt us. Bush and Cheney killed thousands and bankrupted millions of Americans for reasons that are still mysterious. They hurt this country like few have, and the only thing Republicans can do today is criticize Democrats for spending money to fix what they broke.

I personally will never forget or forgive most Republicans for failing to see their own crimes, as well as Pelosi and the congressional Democrats for failing to investigate those crimes. We may try to move on, but I will never forget what they did. Thanks - MB

12:12 PM  
Blogger B.J. said...

Michael: I’ve probably said this before, but if the Democrats in Congress had attempted to impach Bush, that would have left Cheney. If they then had tried to impeach Cheney, Pelosi would be next in line for the presidency, and half this country would have screamed “coup d’etat.” Perhaps in the long run, it is best to leave the judgment of these two men to history. BJ

12:32 PM  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

BJ ... I have alway's admired Ms.Mitchell myself! Infidel753 was talking a scenario once of Pelosi getting in a position to be President... heh,heh,heh... I loved that! Dont get me wrong... I think Pelosi is one of the sweetest gal's on the Hill... but that is the problem... she is a "softee", and all the folk's on the Hill know it, she can be played like a puppet by the right player.Example: The stunt Henry "Bank of Hank" Paulson pulled on her in his last stand, getting down on one knee in front of everybody asking/pleading her to go with the proposed "bailout". I seen this coming quite a way's before it went down... I had posted much about this and how it would go down a few month's before, and only because I knew the Bush Administration as I wrote needed to act fast to get everything in writing and law before he and his crew were going to leave office, because they didnt feel secure about anyone who would become next President. Sure they backed their boy McCain.... but he was still going to be in the way... he's not too solid in their game... and they knew if Obama get's in.... this guy is like a boyscout... and will propose thing's that make's everybody mad, and really be an interference... they already knew Obama's agenda before any of us... and knew him better than he knew himself. Paulson and all these character's are the best of the best when it come's to hustling. The war was a great deal when first thought up for these guy's... why? because when Bush first got in office... we had a nice surplus... and the way they seen it... was why not invest this somehow... to make money from the money? And you know... the trickle down effect... and everyone will win etc., beside's... they look at the surplus as would have been wasted by dem's on senseless spending that dont make a dime in return... art's,research of why cow's fart or whatever(that's their mentality)... it was a "win-win" in their eyes,what they didnt see was... you need a watchdog and regulatory factor's to be in place...why? Look what happen's when you let those govern themselve's.

5:24 AM  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

Mr.Boh hit the nail on the head too! Alot of folk's didnt see this crap coming in the GOP... and alot just dont want to see the reality. As I stated... I voted over three quarter's of my life republican here in Texas ...only because of a few reason's too...low taxes, no state income tax,pro 2nd amendment,and pro-business. On sex issue's like SS marriage for instance I am very left.. for one... I see it as great business! I am also left on enviromental issue's... and to because I alway's have seen the green technologies as the big business of the future as well. And I am very pro military... but not for this invasion to set up camp for raping their land's for resources and cheap labour... when I say defense... I mean just that only, what we have a bad habit of doing is getting into everyone's business around the world and indirectly dictating, and we wonder why we anger those abroad?

BTW BJ ... I'm a fan of Ms.Mitchell too!

PS: As far as the religious right's big hand in the GOP... well I never been a christian or religious... so most of them SOB's I dont like to begin with.

5:37 AM  
Blogger B.J. said...

Ranch Chimp:

It’s Sunday, the 28th. I have spent the entire day (so far) reading articles and email and defending Barack Obama and his policies. (And, I strongly supported Hillary, LOL.) My poor eyes are bleeding! I am Christian, but I might lose my religion if I have to read another word!.

I will read more closely and respond to your comments when I give my eyes a rest!

BJ

11:09 AM  
Blogger B.J. said...

Ranch Chimp:

You covered a lot of topics.

I agree that everything that happens in the world is not about the United States. As for the invasion of Iraq, don’t get me started on the neocons.

As I said earlier, I am Christian, and I detest the Religious Right’s distortion of the true tenets of Christianity, which are more closely aligned with liberalism. When I was an editorial editor in the 1980s, I read everything that came across my desk about the Religious Right. I paid particular attention to the takeover of the Southern Baptis Convention and Baptist college boards of trustees by fundamentalists. I had been Baptist all my life, but wanted no part of it. I didn’t leave my church: my church left me. Now, I’m content with a one-on-one situation in my spiritual life. No surprise that the fundies aligned themselves with the Republican Party – the same anal mentality exists in both.

Have a good week! BJ

12:43 AM  

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