Cooked Books

"mmmm...just like mom used to make"

Scott Ritter (h/t Suspect Device and Juan Cole) talks about parboiled intel, fries instead of facts, and a host of other things in this interview. One small sample:

But today, pretty much the symbol of America is the military. That’s what many Americans use to define who we are and what we are. If you look at how the State Department has seen its position erode vis-à-vis its interface with the rest of the world, and how the Pentagon has become the preeminent ambassadorial representative around the world. It’s the military that’s taking the lead. M-1 tanks, F-15s, B-2s—these are the symbols of national pride. What an absurd situation to be in! I would have thought that the statue of liberty, the flag—so many other symbols out there that stand for the basic precepts of what this nation is—would be the symbols we would rally around, but it’s the military. And why? Because it’s reflective of the sad reality that America today is a society that has been militarized in so many ways, shapes and forms, staring from our economy, which has fallen into the military-industrial-complex trap that Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about, all the way to our entertainment, where we glorify war on television and in the movie theater.

You know, I think that's true. Unfortunately, it's becoming the world perception of the United States.

Now, there are literally dozens of countries over the last hundred and fifty years or so who've seen this dark side of our country (and, to be fair, a number of places--Western Europe and parts of the Pacific in the 1940's come to mind--where our military presence WAS seen as a liberating force). However, and yes, this is just my opinion...but...I really think the world had a different perception of "America," or at least was able to distinguish between "the government" and "the American people." I'm beginning to wonder if that's still the case.

Anyway, check out the entire interview. Ritter, regardless of whether the rumors about his personal behavior are true or not (and, let's face it, in the days of Rovian swiftboating-for-fun and political gain, it's VERY possible he got the swiftboat-on-steroids treatment)...anyway, Scott Ritter was RIGHT on Iraq...but, sadly, the administration chose to ignore him...at OUR peril.