Medal of Freedom for Iraq
December 17, 2004 8:47 AM Subscribe
Medals of Freedom awarded and I'd like to make some smart comment about current Iraqi conditions and the award and the presenter, but why bother - make your own.
I thought the Medal Of Freedom was for civilians. Why didn't the just give Franks a medal when he was a general?
posted by jonmc at 8:57 AM on December 17, 2004
posted by jonmc at 8:57 AM on December 17, 2004
> but fucking Tenet!?!
Soooo, the actual value of said Medal of Freedom is now somewhere around that of a plinko chip.
posted by oflinkey at 8:59 AM on December 17, 2004
Soooo, the actual value of said Medal of Freedom is now somewhere around that of a plinko chip.
posted by oflinkey at 8:59 AM on December 17, 2004
I wonder why Tom Ridge didn't make the cut.
posted by the Real Dan at 8:59 AM on December 17, 2004
posted by the Real Dan at 8:59 AM on December 17, 2004
Devoter
The CIA did its job, but the evidence was ignored because it wasn't what the neoconservatives wanted to hear. There were constant warnings prior to 9/11 that were systematically ignored (remember Ashcroft on terrorism that summer?), and the intelligence about Iraq didn't come from the CIA, but from Rummy's personal spy ring, hired when the CIA refused to tell them what they wanted to hear. Of course, Tenet made an excellent and willing fall guy when that intelligence turned out to be total bullshit.
posted by jefgodesky at 9:02 AM on December 17, 2004
The CIA did its job, but the evidence was ignored because it wasn't what the neoconservatives wanted to hear. There were constant warnings prior to 9/11 that were systematically ignored (remember Ashcroft on terrorism that summer?), and the intelligence about Iraq didn't come from the CIA, but from Rummy's personal spy ring, hired when the CIA refused to tell them what they wanted to hear. Of course, Tenet made an excellent and willing fall guy when that intelligence turned out to be total bullshit.
posted by jefgodesky at 9:02 AM on December 17, 2004
jefgodesky so would have been my hero if that fall guy link had led to a Lee Majors site.
posted by Cyrano at 9:10 AM on December 17, 2004
posted by Cyrano at 9:10 AM on December 17, 2004
Ever heard of McGeorge Bundy?
He was a national security advisor to Kennedy and Johnson. He was involved in the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam. He was a strong proponent of the war in Vietnam in the early 1960s.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 by Lyndon Johnson.
Bush giving Tenet the award is a slap in the face to America and the world, but there is presidence. We've been slapped before.
posted by Arch Stanton at 9:18 AM on December 17, 2004
He was a national security advisor to Kennedy and Johnson. He was involved in the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam. He was a strong proponent of the war in Vietnam in the early 1960s.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 by Lyndon Johnson.
Bush giving Tenet the award is a slap in the face to America and the world, but there is presidence. We've been slapped before.
posted by Arch Stanton at 9:18 AM on December 17, 2004
My thoughts when I heard this the other day were, "Bush is an ass."
There are people far more deserving of this award, who have risked their lives for the shifting concept of freedom, but instead, he awards it to the people who were just doing their jobs, and doing them poorly (except maybe Franks).
posted by drezdn at 9:31 AM on December 17, 2004
There are people far more deserving of this award, who have risked their lives for the shifting concept of freedom, but instead, he awards it to the people who were just doing their jobs, and doing them poorly (except maybe Franks).
posted by drezdn at 9:31 AM on December 17, 2004
"The bravest of the brave."
So, Bremer spends his entire time in Iraq hiding in the Green Zone, and is on the first plane out of there the same day his job closes.
None more brave if you ask me.
posted by scaryduck at 9:36 AM on December 17, 2004
So, Bremer spends his entire time in Iraq hiding in the Green Zone, and is on the first plane out of there the same day his job closes.
None more brave if you ask me.
posted by scaryduck at 9:36 AM on December 17, 2004
All I know is that my four Medal of Freedom's I've already won have just lost about 90% of their value to me because of this.
And the next time the world needs saving, you all are just going to have to go get Superman to do it. Oh wait, he's dead. Looks like my prices just went up.
posted by fenriq at 9:41 AM on December 17, 2004
And the next time the world needs saving, you all are just going to have to go get Superman to do it. Oh wait, he's dead. Looks like my prices just went up.
posted by fenriq at 9:41 AM on December 17, 2004
Would you like a side of Freedom Fries with those medals, gentlemen?
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:45 AM on December 17, 2004
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:45 AM on December 17, 2004
To pinch the quote Atrios posted yesterday, I hear Bernard Kerik is one scandal away from winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
posted by Remy at 10:13 AM on December 17, 2004
posted by Remy at 10:13 AM on December 17, 2004
that visit my bar
Captaintripps, you own a bar?
posted by thomcatspike at 10:41 AM on December 17, 2004
Captaintripps, you own a bar?
posted by thomcatspike at 10:41 AM on December 17, 2004
Shouldn't that be Medal of Freedom©™
I hear Bush recently staged a successful coup on the word's connotation.
Or perhaps Medal of "Freedom" would be more typographically accurate?
posted by wah at 10:55 AM on December 17, 2004
I hear Bush recently staged a successful coup on the word's connotation.
Or perhaps Medal of "Freedom" would be more typographically accurate?
posted by wah at 10:55 AM on December 17, 2004
thomcatspike: No. I would love to and actually had an opportunity to buy into the bar I work for, but I don't own it myself. I do feel somewhat proprietary about it, however.
posted by Captaintripps at 11:29 AM on December 17, 2004
posted by Captaintripps at 11:29 AM on December 17, 2004
Presidential Medal of Freedumb
Nope, the Presidential Medal of Fuckups is reserved for civilians only (which raises the question of what Tommy Franks has done since retiring except shill for Bush during the presidential campaign).
And they aren't too discerning about giving these out: the Wendy's guy got one.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:50 AM on December 17, 2004
Rumsfeld was totally robbed!
Nope, the Presidential Medal of Fuckups is reserved for civilians only (which raises the question of what Tommy Franks has done since retiring except shill for Bush during the presidential campaign).
And they aren't too discerning about giving these out: the Wendy's guy got one.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:50 AM on December 17, 2004
And they aren't too discerning about giving these out: the Wendy's guy got one.
Mr. Wendy was robbed.
posted by Arch Stanton at 1:10 PM on December 17, 2004
Mr. Wendy was robbed.
posted by Arch Stanton at 1:10 PM on December 17, 2004
During his speech, Bush listed as one of his reasons for honoring Bremer that Bremer is a "fashion pioneer."
posted by mudpuppie at 2:51 PM on December 17, 2004
posted by mudpuppie at 2:51 PM on December 17, 2004
Rumsfeld didn't get one only because he already has one, from 1977. (see last line.)
posted by fungible at 3:27 PM on December 17, 2004
posted by fungible at 3:27 PM on December 17, 2004
Bremer is a "fashion pioneer."
Freedom through shallow catwalk models!
I can see Bush's thinking. When did you last hear about Baghdad Fashion Week?
posted by scaryduck at 4:05 AM on December 18, 2004
Freedom through shallow catwalk models!
I can see Bush's thinking. When did you last hear about Baghdad Fashion Week?
posted by scaryduck at 4:05 AM on December 18, 2004
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YOU FAILED. YOU WIN NOTHING!
Anyways, there are six Vietnam vets that visit my bar who I think are more deserving than any of these men.
posted by Captaintripps at 8:52 AM on December 17, 2004