Thought Theater

The following two video clips are from the PBS program, Bill Moyers Journal, and they are the second part of a two part posting at Thought Theater. The first half can be found here.

The first video clip is the completion of the discussion outlined below which appeared in the first posting. The second clip is Moyers own reflections on the war in Iraq. It is a poignant segment that highlights the service of a soldier who lost his life in Iraq against the statements recorded by Max Blumenthal at the College Republican National Convention.

It is startling to see the degree to which these young Republican's have adopted the rhetoric of the Bush administration. This final segment also leaves one to wonder how many of those who endorse this war would actually be willing to make the sacrifice to serve in the U.S. military. In using the Blumnethal clip, Moyers provides an illumination of these subtle but significant distinctions.

From the prior posting:

This latest edition of the Journal had an excellent segment titled Al Qaeda And Iraq...a discussion with Fawaz Gerges, author of two books, The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global and Journey Of The Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy and Brian Fishman, a Senior Associate at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

This is one of the most informative conversations on the situation in Iraq, the war on terror, and the many complex obstacles which the United States faces in dealing with the inhabitants of the Middle East.

Anyone who has listened to the Bush administration's simplistic characterization of the Iraq situation or the war on terror should watch this program. Frankly, I doubt anyone can come away from watching this discussion and feel better about the daunting task the United States undertook with the invasion of Iraq. Further, it would be very difficult to conclude that the latest strategy will succeed or that the President has faced up to the enormity of the situation.