woensdag 16 mei 2007

The Empire 248


'The Cost of War
By Bill Moyers B
ill Moyers Journal

TRANSCRIPT:
Finally, at the beginning of its fifth year, let's take a look at the cost of this war.
Bob Woodruff (ABC): "It was an impressive sight from the deck of the Abraham Lincoln, this war time president soaring overhead."
Cynthia Bowers (CBS): "The White House has sent a clear signal. It is pulling out all the stops, choreographing this finale to the War."
Bill Moyers: Yes, the war was over, the winner was George W. Bush, hailed by the press as a conquering hero.
Chris Matthews (Hardball): "He won the war, he was an effective commander, everybody recognizes that, I believe, except a few critics."
Lou Dobbs (CNN): "He looked like alternately Commander in Chief, rock star, movie star and one of the guys."
Tom Brokaw (NBC): "Here, now, is the President of the United States as he walks across the deck with 2000 sailors and officers on board for his address to the nation on the recently completed war in Iraq."
President George W. Bush: "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."
Bill Moyers: By this point - 140 U.S. troops had died during the mission.
But back in Iraq, reality was writing the script.
Every day since that choreographed victory lap, violent act has followed violent act.
This April was the cruelest month of the year. The deadliest so far.
Even the supposedly protected heart of American power in Baghdad, The Green Zone, was shattered by an al Qaeda attack. Al Qaeda was not a presence in Iraq before the mission but it has a firm foothold there now.
Entering its fifth year, the war's costs are soaring so fast the Web site costofwar.com uses a non-stop digital counter to keep up with the spending. In today's dollars, it's projected to become the most expensive war in recent history - reaching nearly one-trillion dollars.
According to the National Priorities Project, the money spent on the war so far could have provided America:
1.8 million new teachers.
Over 20 million college scholarships.
Health insurance for over 60 million children.
Or nearly 4 million new housing units.
But no price tag can be put on the lost human lives.
Our government hasn't wanted us to see the human cost of the war.
It took grieving families and friends and veterans to create their own memorials like this one - crosses all in a row - on a California beach.'

Geen opmerkingen:

Peter Flik en Chuck Berry-Promised Land

mijn unieke collega Peter Flik, die de vrijzinnig protestantse radio omroep de VPRO maakte is niet meer. ik koester duizenden herinneringen ...