Myth Busting

"...and Tinkershrubs can fly...if they snort enough magic dust first..."

Apologies for the late start today--no excuses...just found it difficult to get going today for some reason.

A while back, I came across a quote from of all people, John F. Kennedy--and, let me note for the record that my feelings towards the 35th president are, well, at best, ambivalent...anyway, here's the quote:

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.

That's actually one of the few citations from JFK that I can agree with wholeheartedly. And it seems that everyday something comes along that confirms the central point of his statement.

The myth of "incremental progress" in Iraq continues to get the big push from Team Bush and their media syncophants even as Tony Blair's presence as the latest "secret visitor" underscores the absurdity of the whole sorry operation. Other myths surrounding Operation Enduring Clusterfuck are routinely pushed, as I've sure you've seen recently at Atrios or other big blogs: the whole "six month window" nonsense...and, more sinister, the idea that Democrats or war opposers are hoping for bad news (aside: we are not hoping, and indeed, don't NEED to hope for bad news from Iraq--the bad news is occurring--fuck that, hemorrhaging...literally, on a daily basis from the region).

And, while I'm thinking about it, no, Ms. Rice, we likewise don't "wish Saddam was back in or still in power," or whatever absurdity I heard spewing from your pie hole the other day. Our position wouldn't comprise national security. Your position has caused a huge numbers of casualties, an over-extended military, a waste of some $300 billion dollars--and counting--and an unstable, fragile, soon-to-be irreparably fractured Iraq, which will generate greater instability in the Middle East--I could go on but, to use a metaphor, watching the way you've handled Iraq, Ms. Rice--and the whole lot of y'all--must be like watching a medieval surgeon at work.

Another myth promulgated ad naseum by Team Bush and their horde of dwarfs is that it was "corrupt/incompetent" local and state politicians here in the Gret Stet who bear responsibility for the national disgrace that was the response to Hurricane Katrina. That one is so deep rooted I'm not sure it will ever manage to be effectively countered, particularly in light of Nagin's reelection, which, as plenty of bloggers noted yesterday (apologies for only citing Suspect-Device here, but take a look at my blogroll...that is, if you haven't already visited their sites)...anyway, the national myth of corruption/incompetence at the state and local level re: Katrina and Rita is, in a word, bullshit...bullshit from on high (i.e., a giant Rovian turd) designed to obfuscate not just a little bit of corruption and incompetence on the part of the national government. Aside from the fact that the real damage resulted from levees breaching and not the storm itself (and, guess what? the levees are a federal responsibility, via ACOE), the thruth is that the federal government is the only entity with the resources to deal with a major disaster...to continue citing this superb post by Billmon, the Bush administration, when an election was on the line, managed to mount an effective, organized response to four major storms in one region--which should put to rest any lie about local or state shortcomings, given that Jeb is NOT any more competent than Blanco or Nagin (e.g. check out his handling of the Terry Schiavo case).

The federal government has explicity acknowledged its major role in disaster response for over a decade and DHS is presumably there for something beyond providing corner-offices-with-a-view for political appointees. A glance at budget figures also speaks volumes: The United States' budget for FY 2005: $2.3 trillion (including $423 billion for DOD and $28.9 billion for DHS); the State of Louisiana Budget in its entirety for FY 2005-06 (.pdf): $18.2 billion; New Orleans city budget pre-Katrina: $600 million.

Note: according to this website, Louisianians paid some $20 billion dollars in federal taxes in 2004, and some $300 billion dollars over the last twenty years. So, it's not like we're panhandling--we're requesting help in a time of need, just as, say, California benefitted from federal help in 1989 and 1994. And, if I remember right, the motto of the United States is E Pluribus Unum...not "you're on your own."

There are many other myths pushed daily from the wingnut swarm like so many crack rocks, but I'll leave it at these two for now, particularly since they bookend the Shrub administration so conclusively: massive failures at home and abroad...lame excuses...petty, but nonetheless vicious attacks on political opponents, at the expense of actually getting to work and accomplishing something...and a legacy that is utterly shameful. History's glare is gonna be harsh.