John Kerry and Our Political Comedy
P. Schultz
December 6, 2014
I do
believe our politicians are capable of marvelous comedy, some times even better
comedy than most standup. Take this example from a recent NY Times article,
linked to below.
“WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence
Committee on Friday faced a new obstacle in its efforts to make public its
report on the torture of prisoners once held by the Central
Intelligence Agency after last-minute warnings from the Obama
administration that the report’s release could ignite new unrest in the Middle
East and put American hostages at risk.”
Now,
let me get this straight: This report should not be released because it might
“ignite new unrest in the Middle East.” Gee, exactly what would be “new” about
“the unrest” Kerry says would arise? Seems to me the Middle East is being
consumed by war, a war funded by and participated in by the United States. Is
Kerry trying to convince us that “the unrest in the Middle East” is not fueled
by our funding and making war there? I would think if the goal is to limit
“unrest” in the Middle East and to end the taking of hostages there, we would
want to end these practices of funding and making war in the Middle East.
But,
of course, as everyone knows or should know by now, the Obama/Bush
administration wants this report kept secret not because it would increase the
danger in the Middle East but, rather, because it is, at the very least,
embarrassing and probably reveals just how inhuman our actions in the Middle
East have been. Kerry’s argument is about as sound as the argument, way back
when, that the Pentagon Papers would harm national security. As was eventually
admitted by one of the officials who made this argument, this was a bogus
argument, that the papers would not compromise national security in any way.
But
then, hey, there is nothing much wrong with a little comedy every so often, is
there?
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