Like History

by Chris Maynard

Don Rumsfeld was both the youngest U.S. Secretary of Defense, and, thirty years later, the oldest.

Never having seen a tax dollar that didn't beg to be in the military budget, Rummy was even quicker to dodge responsibility than he was to take credit. Although he claimed to be deeply affected by military deaths in Iraq, he nonetheless used an automatic signature machine for about 1000 letters of condolence sent to casualties' next of kin.
                             
In October, three weeks before the midterm election, President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld stuck out their chins at the new U.S. Air Force Memorial in Virginia, approaching what the White House was hoping would be another cakewalk.

Even though this picture is less than a month old, it brings up that sense of unreality that always accompanies a file photo, as if storage on a computer server itself changes the facts of the image. Yet the facts themselves are never more than comparisons, little checks against our memories.

Given yesterday's election results, does the picture look more planned than before? Does it seem like they are actually looking at something, or just giving the cameras a right profile? Do the tough-guy squints reflect a care on our behalf? Or was it just overly bright in the autumn sunshine?

In October, we winced at shot after shot of graying guys in dark suits who had started wars for their own gain and blithely trashed the Constitution because they could.

Back then they were current events; suddenly they're looking a lot more like history.

(image:  Haraz N. Ghanbari/A.P.  U.S. Air Force Memorial dedication. Arlington, VA, October 14, 2006. Via Yahoo News)

Comments

[jt from BC]

Resembles a response to the military command "Eyes Right", instead these warriors are *eyes left* anxious about the Democrat hoards crowding their parade square.

[Ernest Tomlinson]

Blech. Rumsfeld is pretty unsavoury at the best of times but, boy, is he ugly in that photo.

He always was the worst of the lot. Even more than Cheney he exuded an air of utmost impatience with the obligations of democracy, answering all questions with a sneer and with obvious contempt for the questioner.

It's not as though his departure is going to improve anything but at least we won't have to put up with his insolent voice and attitude any more.

[weisseharre]

cadavaRice(?)

[weisseharre]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHEl81jFDhQ&NR

[donna]

They should have resigned all together. Now we have to finish picking them off one at a time. Fooey.

[Cactus]

The right profile necessitates them looking to the left. Deja vu all over again? I wonder was this photo taken after Jr. told him it was time to go?

The sad thing out of all of this is that his replacement (should he be confirmed by the democratic senate!) has tails back to the Iran-Contra scandal and was only a hair away from being indicted. So, another crook is appointed to this most corruptible of all administrations.

[jt from BC]

Cactus, your correct another vulture coming home to roost, maybe he can also fix that newly elected government in Nicaraqua this time around.
Robert Gates and Iran/Contra http://www.counterpunch.org/walsh11082006.html

[jt from BC]

weisseharre, I can't raise your video recommendation with,

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHEl81jFDhQ&NR) do you have the caption of this video ?

With the caption 'President Bush Talks Truth And Fiction', I locate it on their site search engine, but not with its link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhxGvaeQ4Ys)

this video is amusing btw, thanks, jt

[weisseharre]

sorry ): it's "Calvin and Hobbes Dance" heheh

[Dayv]

Definitely a bright day.  Look at the dark, crisp shadows, the spots of light focused on Rumsfeld's cheeks, and the way the flesh of these subhuman creatures of evil seeks to move away from the life-nurturing rays of the sun.

[lower_case A]

I can't recall ever seeing a worse photo of Rumsfeld. He looks like he just crawled out of his crypt!

[jonmac]

Knowing what we know now my first thought about the photo was, "Rummy, you hear something?" as they strain and squint to make out distant shapes on the horizon. But as I think further, and surely giving W far too much credit, this could also be a Michael Corleone/Fredo moment. DON'T GET IN THE BOAT DONALD!

[jt from BC]

Martial Artists lament the demise of a renowned Sensi.

Rumsfeld Fighting Techniques ( google-poe news)

I will miss his clear, concise, verbal fighting style as well.

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know"

"I don't know what I said, but I know what I think, and, well, I assume it's what I said"

[lytom]

Looking safe, not yet hearing...
Who's coming down...
Center for Constitutional Rights will be working hard to bring criminal charges against Rumsfeld in a German court over the abuse and inhuman treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo jails.