March 02, 2005

Interview with General McPeak

Before Bush started his war, one of the most powerful critics of this folly was General Merrill A. (Tony) McPeak, retired former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. One of his quips then was how Americans should require an IQ test before someone could run for president. Today, This Is Rumor Control has a two part interview with General McPeak as we approach the death of 1500 US soldiers in the Iraq war. In today's interview, General McPeak expresses his frustration that the radicals have taken over the government and given conservatives a bad name.

The secret of the neoconservative movement is that it’s not conservative, it’s radical. Guys like me, who are conservatives, are upset about these neocons calling themselves conservative when they’re so radical.

And he believes that our country needs real election reform to rescue it from these radicals.

This is Rumor Control: Given what you’re saying about what may be the real reasons this country went to war in Iraq, how should we view these 1500 deaths — citizens being confronted with this level of casualties for a reason other than the one they were being told?

General McPeak: If you asked me to answer that question in one sentence I would say something that might surprise you. The answer is electoral reform. Not the McCain-Fiengold kind of finance reform where they are tinkering but a reforming change in the way we elect governments in this country. We have to restore democracy in this country. Until you do that you can always say somebody beside me is really in charge here.

I don’t why they would be dumb enough to re-elect George Bush president but we’re stuck with him. That’s the explanation for maybe a thousand guys being killed who might not have been killed anyway if things had been done right.

One of the reasons I knew this war was wrong from the beginning was because I heard people like General McPeak come out so forcefully against it. He was part of the reality-based community.

(via The Daou Report)

RIP for all the soldiers and uncounted Iraqis who died for Bush's folly.

Posted by Mary at March 2, 2005 01:39 AM | Iraq | Technorati links |
Comments

Thanks for the tip. I may bring it up over at Also Also. One thing you didn't mention which might bear saying, is that Gen. McPeak is a resident of Lake Oswego, OR, and his wife is on their City Council. I am proud to share a ZIP code with him!

Posted by: torridjoe at March 2, 2005 10:52 AM

Maybe you'd like to go stand on a soapbox in al-Firdos Square in Baghdad and suggest to a few Iraqis that "Bush's folly" has ruined their lives?

Oh yeah... don't forget to tell them that you're from the "Reality-Based Community."

Posted by: Alois at March 3, 2005 09:24 AM

I wouldn't think it was necessary to suggest the obvious.

Posted by: torridjoe at March 4, 2005 11:01 AM