J.K. Rowling didn’t get the Medal of Freedom because Bush Administration ideologues thought she might be promoting witchcraft in her Harry Potter books!
George Tenet, the former CIA Director who missed both 9/11 and WMD in Iraq, got the Medal of Freedom, presumably because he killed thousands more people.
Gorilla says: “Better to be a total failure than a great success, keeps the evil spirits at bay!”
Another vacation era story that just doesn’t make sense is the outrage over the decision by Scotland to allow a terminally ill, convicted terrorist to return to Libya to die.
Another round of Freedom whiskey anyone?
The insensible is why this should cause the slightest shred of controversy. Scotland has laws allowing clemency for dying murderers. In the US, we continue with capital punishment, keeping pace with barbarian dictatorships worldwide.
The deal with Libya (nearly 15 years ago!) was quite simple: in exchange for a large payment to the Lockerbie families, the provision of the guilty by Tripoli to international trial, and a promise by Libya not to use terrorism in future, the West would get access to Libya’s vast oil resources. Both sides have certainly lived up to this bargain.
Gorilla says: “Scotland reminds us that we are supposed to be human beings with the capacity for humanity. George W. Bush’s torturers and the Lockerbie bombing remind us of just how difficult that is!”
Robert McNamara died today, and Gorilla feels the same way as he did when Nixon died (well, except for his exhortation at the funeral: “Open the casket, we’ve got to be sure!”).
These were accomplished men who couldn’t get past their own egos, to the detriment of our country.
Both spent the rest of their lives trying but not succeeding to overcome their devastating character flaws.
That’s precisely the way it should be. What they did was unforgivable.
And that’s what Gorilla will be saying when our last President goes the way of all flesh.
