Judging from the endless TV interviews I’ve seen about this book , its contents and the author’s self described “my eyes now see” comments I’ll offer my own “my eyes now see” commentary on the book and why he may have written it .
In my view, Scott McClellan’s late to the party moral awakening is, at best, an attempt at self-catharticism and perhaps a little reputation rehab -in the process .
That is my more charitable take on Scott’s, Whitehouse vetted, book “What Happened”. My more learned real world experience in this hyper-profit driven society we’ve become , tells me that this effort from Scott, amounts to yet more of – what is, at best, naive parroting of previously mentioned Whitehouse proffered war rationales . My PR instincts tell me that , at worst this is just more spin . Yet still more, calculated prevarication from Scott, a long time Bush loyalist, to keep discussion of the war’s true motivating factors off the table – a spin replete with a concomitant chorus of “how could you Scotty” that rivals anything we might hear on Sunday ,for its on key attributes and impeccable timing .
After all, given the choice, I’m sure the Bush Whitehouse would choose the taint of motivated by misguided ideology over that of callous war profiteers.Though the risk of that latter label being applied in the near term seems remote ,I suppose adding an additional layer of plausible deniability doesn’t hurt ,especially if you get a nice book contract for your efforts .
While Scott McClellan’s Book it is being heralded in the predictable corners – the same crowd that stood mum during the War’s build-up – as a revelatory and a damning “tell-all” about Whitehouse manipulation of the people via the Press . He nevertheless, still attempts to peddle the fiction, of the altruistic motive of “Spreading of Democracy To The Middle East ” as the true and unyielding motive for Bush and company’s taking this nation to war .
“Spreading of Democracy To The Middle East ” provides the Whitehouse quite the protective shield of “diminished laudability” among items on any list of the War’s motives , most will agree . A shield that while open to debate and even criticism is nevertheless , quite literally and figuratively – unimpeachable.
“Spreading of Democracy To The Middle East ” – so posited . That done , I suggest that we add it to our list of “historical reasons for war fictions” , right after the “Domino Theory” Viet Nam War connection .
In Scott’s view of the world, we should ignore the impact of , removing the Iraq oil supply, from the world market and its related contribution to record oil company profits . In Scotty world , we should likewise cleanse from our consciousness of defense contractors raking in still untold billions ,in perpetuity, from the Iraq War. Yea Scott, we buy all that -wink wink .
McClellan seems to think that just because war profiteering is still off limits ,as a topic , for the New York Times and Washington Post , that the American public does not understand that the Iraq War is first and last about making money for Oil and Defense industry interest . Were it not we’d never have lifted a rifle.
So, “spreading democracy to the Middle East “is Scott’s idea of revealing Whitehouse skullduggery? If so , he might try doubling or tripling whatever stimulant has brought him to this stage of moral awakening -clearly things are still quite foggy for dear Scott ,then perhaps his vision is quite clear.
