think big | 2002-03-01 - 10:07 p.m.

I read a news story hoy about how the National Archives just released another 500 horas of previamente secret Nixon tapes. Seg�n one of the historians who lined up to listen to the tapes, they are "replete with Nixon blurting out outlandish remarks. It's a frustrated, angry, confused president lashing out and calling on what he had access to, to defeat an intractable enemy."

Hijos, when I think about outlandish remarks, la primera cosa that comes to mind is el busero at Curly's and his airplane-glue-enhanced pick-up lines. Vaya loco, �se. But if what I read today es la verdad, my would-be suitor is Mr. Spock next to this outlandish, loco Nixon and his staff of co-dependent, enabling henchmen. De hecho, Nixon makes every crazy villain ever portrayed by Chris Walken seem as wholesome as horchata.

Get this: una semana or two before ordering a major escalation en la Guerra Vietnam, Nixon is having a chat with Henry Kissinger, his national security advisor. The two of them are presumably charlando -- on tape, recuerden -- about whether to send more troops to 'Nam or order out for pizza when Nixon suddenly goes, "I'd rather use the nuclear bomb."

�Whoa! Talk about a conversation stopper! Kissinger, deftly averting World War III, quietly responds, "That, I think, would just be too much." To which Nixon, saving face, replies, "Does that bother you? I just want you to think big."

At another point in the tape, just in case his position on the bomb is not clear enough, Nixon tells Kissinger he doesn't care if civilians die in a potential U.S. bombing. "You're so goddamned concerned about the civilians and I don't give a damn," dice Dick. "I don't care." To which Kissinger, siempre pragm�tico, if not bleeding with compasi�n, responds, "I'm concerned about the civilians because I don't want the world to be mobilized against you as a butcher." So much for world peace.

Sabes que, knowing this all took place hace treinte a�os is not as comforting as it should be. Because it's not over. Sure, ya s�, Nixon est� muerte, but there's a whole new set of Nixons and Kissingers in the White House hoy d�a, and they've got the same bombs, the same inviolability, and the same "intractable enemy" to defeat (albeit de una nationalidad diferente this time). The doomsday clock has not been this close to midnight since the end of the Cold War.

No, it is not comforting to consider that ahora mismo, right this very second, a certain "frustrated, angry, confused" presidente could be lashing out and calling for the nuclear annihilation of America's newest enemigos, with only Condoleezza Rice to calm him down. Nor is it comforting to consider that if ese maestro de secretos Cheney has his way, the only way we'll ever find out about the conversation is if Condy is unable to talk el presidente out of "thinking big."

pride and prejudice - 2004-09-07
wherein I become a Yahoo! Search Result - 2004-06-23
like 9-11 all over again - 2004-06-20
enough said - 2003-02-05
tirar por la calle de en medio - 2003-01-28

newest entry

older entries

contact me

diaryland

�Favor de Sign My Guestbook!

powered by SignMyGuestbook.com

about me -- my profile

design by kjtorres

read other diaries

Diary Rings