Olbermann Responds to Rumsfeld's Rhetoric

POSTED BY: misbehaven
UPDATED: Friday, September 1, 2006 13:38
VIEWED: 6230
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MISBEHAVEN

Thursday, August 31, 2006 1:01 AM

This is only a portion of the article. Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12131617/

Edit: Glueman posted a link below, so you can watch Olbermann giving his commentary on Rumsfeld.

Feeling morally, intellectually confused?
by Keith Olbermann

The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning, is either a prophet, or a quack.

Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet.

Mr. Rumsfeld’s remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday demands the deep analysis—and the sober contemplation—of every American.

For it did not merely serve to impugn the morality or intelligence -- indeed, the loyalty -- of the majority of Americans who oppose the transient occupants of the highest offices in the land. Worse, still, it credits those same transient occupants -- our employees -- with a total omniscience; a total omniscience which neither common sense, nor this administration’s track record at home or abroad, suggests they deserve.

Dissent and disagreement with government is the life’s blood of human freedom; and not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as “his” troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile it is right and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.

That, about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this: This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely.

And, as such, all voices count -- not just his.

Had he or his president perhaps proven any of their prior claims of omniscience — about Osama Bin Laden’s plans five years ago, about Saddam Hussein’s weapons four years ago, about Hurricane Katrina’s impact one year ago — we all might be able to swallow hard, and accept their “omniscience” as a bearable, even useful recipe, of fact, plus ego.

But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own arrogance, and its own hubris.

Mr. Rumsfeld is also personally confused, morally or intellectually, about his own standing in this matter. From Iraq to Katrina, to the entire “Fog of Fear” which continues to envelope this nation, he, Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, and their cronies have — inadvertently or intentionally — profited and benefited, both personally, and politically.

And yet he can stand up, in public, and question the morality and the intellect of those of us who dare ask just for the receipt for the Emporer’s New Clothes?

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised? As a child, of whose heroism did he read? On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day to fight? With what country has he confused the United States of America?

The confusion we -- as its citizens— must now address, is stark and forbidding.

But variations of it have faced our forefathers, when men like Nixon and McCarthy and Curtis LeMay have darkened our skies and obscured our flag. Note -- with hope in your heart — that those earlier Americans always found their way to the light, and we can, too.

The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and this administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City, so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld’s other main assertion, that this country faces a “new type of fascism.”

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he said that -- though probably not in the way he thought he meant it.

This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed.

Although I presumptuously use his sign-off each night, in feeble tribute, I have utterly no claim to the words of the exemplary journalist Edward R. Murrow.

But never in the trial of a thousand years of writing could I come close to matching how he phrased a warning to an earlier generation of us, at a time when other politicians thought they (and they alone) knew everything, and b

CHRISISALL

Thursday, August 31, 2006 2:03 AM

Way to go, Keith!!!!!

What he said Chrisisall

GLUEMAN

Thursday, August 31, 2006 2:23 AM

This is a "must read" and Watch for every American.

Here's a Link to Video

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/08/30/keith-olbermann-delivers-one-
hell-of-a-commentary-on-rumsfeld/

MISBEHAVEN

Thursday, August 31, 2006 2:31 AM

Thanks for the video link.

"The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation."
-Bertrand Russell

SERGEANTX

Thursday, August 31, 2006 3:32 AM

Brilliantly stated. Facism is a powerful meme. It looks as though it will be stalking us humans as long as it has the power to move us swiftly to an ill considered goal.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

PHOENIXSHIP

Thursday, August 31, 2006 4:26 AM

I am totally on board with that.

I admit this is a bit of a thread-jack, but what do y'all think of LT Ehren Watada? He's the one refusing a direct order to go on what he sees as an illegal mission.

www.thankyoult.org

Is he legit? I think so.

"Why're you arguin' what's already been decided?"
Mal to Jayne, "Jaynestown"

SHADYGLEN

Thursday, August 31, 2006 10:24 AM

I think Watada is brave as hell to do what he is doing. If you have a chance, everyone should check out his site and his speech last week. It was heartbreaking in a way, but beautifully said.

The time comes when silence is a betrayal. MLK,Jr.

HERO

Thursday, August 31, 2006 12:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by misbehaven:

Thanks for the video link.

Perhaps they should consider this guy for some sort of TV show. Perhaps on a two-bit cable outlet with no audience...

H

MISBEHAVEN

Thursday, August 31, 2006 1:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hero:

Perhaps they should consider this guy for some sort of TV show. Perhaps on a two-bit cable outlet with no audience...

H

Perhaps you're unaware that O'Reilly is already taking care of that over at Fox. Please allow me to provide you with some of the recent ratings, so that you don't continue to make ridiculously uniformed remarks.

"Keith Olbermann's show Countdown has been increasing steadily in ratings for over a year. He slowly sneaked past Paula Zahn on CNN and now regularly surpasses her ratings. Guess who Olbermann recently surpassed in the key demographics on Friday? Bill O'Reilly.

Olbermann's Countdown on MSNBC had 244,000 viewers age 25-54 from while Bill O'Reilly's show had only 240,000. O'Reilly's ratings steadily dropped thoughout his Friday show while Keith's increased every 15 minutes.

It isn't only the ratings of O'Reilly that have taken a hit. Ratings at Fox News have dropped so much that Roger Ailes took out a 'help wanted' ad in a trade magazine that many think is a call for new talent.

I guess neither Ailes or O'Reilly realize that when you tie your entire show and network to a president, you become as popular or unpopular as the president."

"The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation."
-Bertrand Russell

DAYVE

Thursday, August 31, 2006 1:52 PM

Olbermann was right on with his remarks about the Rumsfeld speech.

Quote:
That, about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this: This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely.

And, as such, all voices count -- not just his.

President Bush and his surrogates are launching a new campaign intended to rebuild support for the war in Iraq. Not by stressing the positives of the war (if there were any), but instead by accusing the opposition of aiming to appease the terrorists. Charges that many Democrats say distort their stated positions. They will use tactics that won them the White House in previous elections. By appealing to the fear and, unfortunately, the ignorance of many in this country, they will make claims that Democrats are promising voters to block additional money for continuing the war. The strategy of equating Democratic dissent with defeatism worked in ’02 and ’04 but should prove more difficult now since some Republicans are lining up with Dems to seek a timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq.

Get ready for the Swift Boat Patrol to launch a full-scale attack on reason and sanity. Hopefully, this time around the public will not be so gullible.

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