Misery Gets Company

The only trouble with Seymour Hersh's recent exposé in the New Yorker (July 25) is just how unsurprising it really is. Last week, hersh reported on allegations that the United States engaged in a covert operation to funnel money and logistical support to certain candidates' factions during the Iraqi elections last January, thus showing a favoritism it had not only vowed to forego but that might threaten the administration's entire post-invasion project. It's not exactly democracy proper, that's for sure. It would make hypocrites of Bush and any number of subordinates, and it could make them criminals as well. It'd certainly rob them of whatever shreds of credibility they still possess.

The trouble is they're already criminals, and their credibility was shredded and burned a long time ago. In truth, this is exactly the kind of thing we expect from the Bush administration. They've shown themselves to be buffoons and arrogant snobs; they've shown themselves to be cynics and corrupt opportunists. That they should be liars and cheats on top of it all is anything but shocking. I'm glad Hersh did his research, and I'm glad the New Yorker published it. But it's been apparent for a long time that we're governed by thugs and criminals, and the only question that truly puzzles is what's to be done about it. We tried having an election already; you can see where that got us. You can see where it got the Iraqis. No shock could begin to compare with the results last November, and every day that passes in Bush's meandering, ineffectual, insultingly chaotic and destructive second term only makes this more so. Everything that everyone said could go wrong has gone wrong, and not just in Iraq. There is perhaps some cause for relief w/r/t supreme court nominee #1, though that remains largely to be seen — and besides, there will almost surely be another, and he or she will almost certainly be worse. I am more inclined to agree with Hendrick Hertzberg, who, this week, also in the New Yorker, sees Roberts as a sign of Bush's weakness. Bush, Hertzberg theorizes, knows he can't get away with anyone grander. And he also wants to pull the spotlight off Karl Rove and further evidence of corruption, thuggery, and ill-will (and in this the main stream media has been its usual accomodating self: seen Rove's name on the top of the fold in the last five days? Seen any demands for information or release of testimony, even for comment by the relevant parties?).

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On another note in the MSM song, what was behind the blanket of space-shuttle-launch coverage on Tuesday? When did everyone drink the space-program kool-aid? (Or should that be "tang"?) According to the Times (which ran picture after picture on its web site — not of the shuttle itself but of people watching the shuttle), the primary purpose of this mission is to test new safety equipment. So in other words, they're spending billions in taxpayer dollars not to locate a cure for cancer or HIV, not to end the war in Iraq or protect our subways, not to find health insurance for the almost fifty million Americans who lack it. They're spending hard-earned cash to test fresh brakes. But don't look for that in the New York Times.