Great Timing for Movie, “Good Night & Good Luck”
I went to see George Clooney’s new movie about Edward R. Murrow and his stand on McCarthyism. The timing is perfect. It is high time that journalists all over the country reflect on their duty to stop the deceit that the current administration has gotten away with. Thank God they indicted Libby. Let’s just hope it goes to the two who are obviously behind the lies – Rove and Cheney.
It is refreshing to hear people like Senator Bill Nelson talk lately about how, as a member of congress and a member of the Senate intelligence committee, he was lied to about the threat from Iraq and the involvement of Iraq in the 9-11 attacks. He says the administration told them before the war that they had intelligence that suggested Saddam Hussein was ready and able to launch poison gas on American cities. It’s no wonder that good, honest, respectable representatives in congress voted to support the administration.
I believe they also need to get George Tenet, the former CIA chief, on the stand. He was one of the first I remember to point out that the sketchy intelligence the administration was using was severely flawed. He took a fall for them and I’d bet he’d love to set the record straight. But, it comes back to some brave reporters who are willing to lay it on the line like Murrow did, who are willing to not only speak out against a standing powerful administration, but to do it within the confines of a media that is primarily now controlled by five rich white men (according to Ted Turner upon selling Turner Broadcasting).
Isn’t it interesting that, just as with Nixon and McCarthy, the most deceitful, dangerous leaders of this free and glorious country are always the most arrogant and smug. It makes you want to see them fall all the more.
It is definitely time for change. Who now can be as brave and heroic as Edward R. Murrow?
