(Former) Republican: This War Is Based on Denial

This piece was written by Paul Craig Roberts, Cairman of the Institute for Political Economy and Research Fellow at the Independent Institute. He's also former associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, contributing editor for National Review, and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration.

It's an intense piece. Here's an excerpt:

Americans who get their propaganda from Fox "News" or are told what to think by right-wing talk radio hosts are outraged at news reports that US troops planned and carried out the rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman. They are not outraged that the troops committed the deed; they are outraged that the media reported it. These "conservatives," who proudly wear their patriotism on their sleeves, dismiss the reports of the incident as a Big Lie floated by "the anti-American liberal media" in order to demoralize Americans and reduce public support for the war.

Playing to this audience, Col. Jeffrey Snow, a US brigade commander in Baghdad, told AFP News that news coverage could cause the US to lose the war. In other words, what we are doing in Iraq cannot stand the light of day, so reporters must not report or the word will get out.

Many Bush supporters believe that truth is not on our side and must be suppressed. Yet, they support a war that is too shameful to report.

I have made it clear in my columns that Bush supporters are not true conservatives. They are brownshirts with the same low intelligence and morals as Hitler’s enthusiastic supporters. And they are just as resistant to facts.