"We" forgot almost immediately. Item 4 of the impeachment articles (if memory serves me right), dealt with Nixon's illegal bombing of Cambodia, an act of war upon what had been up to that time a neutral country. The purpose of the "secret" massive bombing campaign was allegedly to destroy Viet Cong training camps and supply lines. None of this was or has ever been proven, nor in itself was a justification for this horrendous war crime. In any case, the particular article was swept under the carpet by all parties involved, its fate sealed with "Tricky-Dick" Nixon's resignation and eventual pardon. Just like the Reagan/Papa Bush/Ollie North crimes in Nicaragua, and (again), Nixon/Kissinger crimes in Chile. We forgot then, and are blind to now, the ugly truths that go against what we've been taught about this great country of ours.
More directly on Watergate: We trust politicians less. But we also depend on the press to do watchdogging. The corporate buyouts of U.S. TV news in the last decade led to more focus on money. That, combined with American apathy towards the rest of the world, led to great reductions in overseas reporters. That partially leads to a false sense of security and surprises like 9/11.
How little did the average American know about Afghanistan or the Taliban or al Qaeda over the last few years (myself included)?
This is not exactly sticking with the question, but here is a little bit of interesting trivia to go along with Watergate.
The only two presidents who have the proper letters in their full names to spell the word, "criminal," are the following: RICHARD MILLHOUSE NIXON WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
Posts: 5457 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-24-02
Thought I would take this old question out of the moth balls. Recently Jeb Magruder made the allegation that President Richard Nixon knew about the Watergate break-in from the start.
Interesting statement to make, considering Richard Nixon is no longer around to speak for himself.
With the Patriot Act, "Sneak and Peak"...What was once impeachable offense will now get you a slap on the wrist...If they get their way...
SPOKESMAN: It was Thursday, March 30, 1972 attorney general Mitchell attorney general Mitchell, head of the campaign to reelect the president, met with his deputy Magruder. Magruder had put Gordon Liddy's proposal to bug the telephone of the chairman of the national Democratic Party, Larry O'Brien, at the end of their agenda.
JEB STUART MAGRUDER: We didn't like the idea, it was going into Watergate Democratic National Committee headquarters and bugging Larry O'Brien's phone. So Mitchell said call Haldeman, find out do we really have to, is this really important -- so I called Haldeman and he talks to me, and I say, you know, we're not sure it's worth doing. And Haldeman said yes, the president wants it done. He said is John there? I said yes, and I give the phone to John, and Haldeman talks to him. And then the president comes on the line and talks to Mitchell.
I could hear the president talking to him, and it was simply, you know, John, we need to get the information on Larry O'Brien, the only way we can do that is through Lee's plan, and you need to do that. Nixon was saying we want Libby to break into the Watergate. Mitchell gets off the phone, and says to me, he says, well, Jeb, tell Maurice to give Libby $250,000 and let's see what happens.
Watergate was a serious and far-ranging assault on the Constitution by President Nixon. To begin with, it was a crime to concieve and carry out in the White House a plan to undermine democracy by creating a secret investigative unit intended to destroy political opponents the "Plumbers" unit broke into Democratic National Commitee headquarters to secure political intelligence. Nixon also suborned the perjury of witnesses by paying hush money and counseling false testimony; obstructed justice by withholding, concealing, and destroying evidence; interfered with the probes of the FBI and the Dept. of Justice; abused the CIA, the FBI, and the IRS against political opponents; and wiretapped members of the press and other citizens for political purposes. From the arrest of the White House Plumbers during their second break-in at DNC headquarters on June 17,1972, to Nixon's announcement of his resignation on Aug 8,1974, took a week less than two years and two months... ~ Sidney Blumenthal
Posts: 648 | Location: Deep South | Registered: 06-03-02
