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Fallen Legion - casualties of cronyism

by Sven Triloqvist
Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 06:06:27 AM EST

Excellent reporting at TomDispatch lists key experienced professionals in top federal and military posts who have been demoted, forced out, sacked or who have resigned in disgust at the policies and methods of BushCo.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=28817

This is the real cost of cronyism - the loss of top management in every area. This is Fascism. This will affect the US and the world for years to come.

I have nothing to add. I just wanted to point out an excellent compendium of facts, and also that Tom Engelhardt is seeking further information on the Fallen Legion.

Fallen Legion - casualties of cronyism | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Fallen Legion - casualties of cronyism (4.00 / 7)

Wow, when you see the size of that list and realize it's only partial...and that anyone who dares suggest that the boy king is wearing no clothes needs to find new employment, it really brings home how truly screwed we are in every aspect of the word.

Thanks for pointing us toward this.

by CabinGirl on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 08:43:21 AM EST

Sometimes (4.00 / 7)

I'm serious ;-)

you can't be me

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 12:43:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sometimes (4.00 / 4)

I'm occassionally guilty of that myself. :)

by CabinGirl on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 12:44:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fallen Legion - casualties of cronyism (4.00 / 4)

very good article. It is good to review things once in a while. This administration has made things go by so fast and so bleakishly that we tend to forget the past of the bad things that have gone on.

Thanks so much for this. I enjoyed reading the tom dispatch article a lot.

by BrendaStewart (stormyweather1@hotmail.com) on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 11:18:38 AM EST

Good to step back (4.00 / 4)

and see the wider picture. The constant drip of outrageous small events is often depressing - but when you can see how big the whole (and hole) is, you can be empowered rather than frustrated.

you can't be me

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 12:46:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Good to step back (4.00 / 2)

This is so true!!!!

by BrendaStewart (stormyweather1@hotmail.com) on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 01:50:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fallen Legion - casualties of cronyism (4.00 / 7)

The most glaring example of someone who should have resigned but who's name is absent from the list is Colin Powell. His stature within the Administration could of possibly carried enough weight to swing opinion in the country had he done the right thing. Only now does he try to put distance between himself (his reputation) and his criminal employers. There are few republicans that I give a benefit of the doubt to and Powell was one, but he chose to remain silent, and loyal when there was still a chance to derail the the plans for our "New American Century". Any semblance of integrity that may have been applied to him was forever lost when he prostituted himself before the United Nations and the world.

"green grass and high tides forever"

by supersoling (colorsplash62@optonline.net) on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 11:43:31 AM EST

I imagine Powell was lonely (4.00 / 5)

He didn't have much of a power base to work from.

But I agree he allowed himself to be suckered into it. And, as a former Chief of General Staff (?) he had the information to understand the Iraq consequences completely.

you can't be me

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 12:43:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I imagine Powell was lonely (4.00 / 5)

Didn't the whole Iraq war plan/lack of plan go directly against his own doctrine of overwhelming force going in, and not getting entangled in long term occupation/nation building effort?

He may have been suckered in (questionable), but understanding the consequences for the country and the world required him to speak out forcefully and/or resign.

"green grass and high tides forever"

by supersoling (colorsplash62@optonline.net) on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 01:00:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I imagine Powell was lonely (4.00 / 4)

excellent exchange of thougths here.

by BrendaStewart (stormyweather1@hotmail.com) on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 01:54:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I had the impression (4.00 / 2)

That everybody else made the plans (or lack thereof) for the Iraq war, set them in motion, then called Powell in to give him his marching orders for the UN, rather than him being suckered. I don't believe he fell for that WMD crap-hell, I know I didn't, and I'm just an average suburban lacrosse mom! Powell was just just window dressing for their credibility, and he was a fool to go along with it.

Oh well, his credibility is in tatters now. Serves him right for not speaking up when he should have.

by CabinGirl on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 02:03:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I imagine Powell was lonely (4.00 / 4)

Well it is certainly a truism that not one of the whole bunch does what is required of them.

The idea of service as about as far from their minds as can be.

All they understand is the concept of self-service.

you can't be me

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 02:46:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Bush administration in a nutshell (4.00 / 5)

Colonel Douglas Macgregor retired from the U.S. Army and stated: "Arguments are [seen as] a sign of dissent. Dissent equates to disloyalty."

(One) must still have Chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. Nietzsche

by ATinNM on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 01:48:07 PM EST

Re: Fallen Legion - casualties of cronyism (4.00 / 4)

As is shown by Lord Acton's famous words..."power corrupts", what characterizes the history of man is the corrupted leaders blinded by their power and might. Throughout history, monarchs, religious and ideological leaders, as well as elected presidents go crazy. The French king Louis' claim "L'Etat, c'st moi" (I am the state) is typical to the leaders then and now.

From the Per Byland Archive, founding editor of the Swedish Libertarian Forum and Anarchism.net.

Oft times a bit over the top, but an interesting Northern European viewpoint.

Peace

lTMF'sA...the revolution will not be televised...Peace

by dada on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 03:49:38 PM EST

The view from Finland (4.00 / 5)

until 15 years ago was of a vast neighbour under Totalitarianism - where a command economy was 'run' by apparatchiks, a population was kept in place by secret police, where only party members got rich, where the press was under state control, the environment went to hell, and the military ate up the budget.

Sound familiar?

you can't be me

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Oct 15th, 2005 at 04:30:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Sound familiar? (none / 0)

Yeah! A little bit too familiar. However, most of the personal conversations I've been a part of on that topic reference a "little" problem the Germans had some years back.

Nonviolent Action information available here

by NorthDakotaDemocrat (NorthDakotaDemocrat at yahoo dot com) on Mon Oct 17th, 2005 at 03:47:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Fallen Legion - casualties of cronyism | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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