Meanwhile in Iraq, the trial of Saddam Hussein goes on, and Richard Cohen laments that it has become a "sputtering charade." Instead of bringing to light Saddam’s horrendous crimes, the trial is becoming more about George W. Bush:
I suppose the handwriting was on the wall when Michael Moore failed to mention Hussein’s crimes at all in his movie "Fahrenheit 9/11." Years from now, someone coming across the film could conclude that the United States picked on the Middle Eastern version of Switzerland. Now, all the weight is on one side of the moral scale.
Cohen would also like to know how many of those who opposed the Iraq War on moral grounds can, with clean consciences, support U.S. intervention in Darfur. Come to think of it, so would I.
I’d wager a week’s pay that the average fan of Fahrenheit 9/11 had some awareness of Saddam’s crimes before watching the Moore documentary. I’d wager another week’s pay that a majority of 2004 Bush voters thought that Saddam’s greatest atrocity, via his direct or indirect involvement, was the terrorist attacks of 9/11 itself, and that, sadly, this faux history will be passed along in conservative families and in books published by right-wing houses like Regnery. Moore’s film followed the trajectory laid out by the Bush White House 9/11-Crusade Against Terror-Afghanistan-Saddam-Iraq. Seeing that we invaded because of Condi’s warnings about "mushroom clouds" and other such frenzied nonsense, and not because Saddam was a vicious dictator, it wouldn’t have been following the Bush connect-the-dots for Moore to detail Saddam’s crimes. So, "years from now" I don’t think anyone will be looking at Iraq as a Swiss equivalent, but far too many ignorant people will be saying that invading it - and executing Saddam - was well-justified vengeance for 9/11.
If the Bush administration cares so much about human rights and bringing torture-loving dictators to justice, why is Cheney having amiable chats with leaders in Kazakhstan?? Hmmmm.....I wonder....