We're living in Nixon's Revenge

[Armstead]

Watching the PBS Documentary The Dark Side brought home a key point in the present situation.

We're living through Nixon's Revenge. We thought we were done with the bastid when he rode off on that plane to California. But Noooooooooo....

It may be 30 years later, but we're living in a reprise of his administration. There's an unbroken line between the White House then and now. Chapter 2 of the bad old days of the 70's.

Nixon got his revenge in the form of the present administration, especially Cheney and Rumsfeld. They're the termites of democracy that we thought we were rid of, but they've returned. Thery're taking care of Tricky Dick's unfinished business, they're pulling out his ole Enemies List, they're restoring his Imperial Presidency....

This really sucks. Once was enough for Gawds sake.

[Erika]

1. Yeah, their dirtiness and secrecy is in tune to the Nixon debacle

While claiming to be Christian and morally superior. Good point.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. I disagree

I rather believe that Cheney and Rummy were out to get Nixon and bring him down. If anything, they both benefitted in terms of power when he went down. The program also detailed the manner in which they basically took over Ford's administration including putting their own guy in the CIA -GHWB...who would ultimately become VP 6 years later.
Remember, Nixon was set to sign the biological arms treaty when he resigned. It didn't happen...now remind me...what aspect of private industry did Cheney and Rummy pursue?

[Erika]

3. Also a good point

The right wing has been pro corporate since that time.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. The right wing has ALWAYS been pro corporate

it's their raison d'etre

[Armstead]

6. I think they were more rats deserting a sinking ship.

Cheney and Ruimmy were (are) Nixonian all the way. Proteges of the dark GOP kingdom of the 70's. ..Actually, they had Nixon's dark qualities without his few redeeming ones.

I tend to think that they and Nixon were all part of the same club. Which also included otehr charactacters we've comne to know and love since then. They may have had their share of infighting, and on a personal level may have helped show Nixon the door when it became inevitable.

But when push came to shove (comes to shove) they all pull together for the same dark political/corporate interests. And they're settling Nixon's old scores and resurrecting the form of government that Nixon was trying to build.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Nixon was just dishonest, these guys are evil.

I think Nixon is rolling over in his grave.

[Armstead]

7. Nixon was pretty evil

He maybe was a little more palatable politically. Back then there weas still enough of a liberal force in the land that he had to occasionally placate them. And there wwere still these strange creatures called journalists.

But what we're seeing now is just Nixon without restraints. The same damn playbook.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. Nixon effectively ended the Vietnam War. These guys are just

getting started.

[Armstead]

12. That was just cutting losses

After a decade of fighting, tens of thousands of American lives lost and no end in sight, by that point, there wssn't a whole lot of choice.

These guys now aren;t just starting. They continuing with the endless war. Same shit, different cast of enmemies.

[charlie]

14. Yes

Nixon's sabotage of the peace talks, harbinger of Poppy's October Surprise; his "ratfucking", currently SOP for his party; his secret southasian bombing, his use of federal agencies on the citizenry for espionage and revenge, his odd Chinese exception to the "we don't coddle Communists" rule, his implacable paranoia... today's Republicans are Nixon Unbound.

[Erika]

8. You're right.

He was born and raised a Quaker. He would shiver at this administration.

[Canuckistanian]

9. Is that like Montezuma's Revenge? Nasty.

But I think they've far surpassed what Nixon would even dream of - a quasi-dictatorial presidency, freedom to make war anytime, a compliant, even enthusiastic press - and money for everyone who's in on the whole deal.

They've taken Nixon's dream, squared it and made it happen.

I think even Tricky Dick would be scared of these vampires.

[Brigid]

11. At least Nixon had the decency to resign.

He had enough of a sense of patriotism to realize that the only honorable thing he could do was to step down. The bunch we are stuck with now make even him look better by comparison.

[Armstead]

13. They do make him look better....

but only because they're better at what he tried to do.