LETTER TO AL FRANKEN: Iraq, oil, & self-censorship

[yurbud]

I've written Al about this before, but the new angle should be self-explanatory in the letter:

October 15, 2006

Al Franken
The Al Franken Show
40 S 7th St Suite 212 #311
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Al,

I was just rummaging around Greg Palast’s website and noticed that you are one of the readers of the audio version of his latest book. I found that incredibly ironic because if you had read his work on Iraq, I would never know it from listening to your show. More than once, you have said you don’t know why we invaded Iraq although one time you curiously said “We invaded Iraq for—“ then caught yourself and said, “well, we don’t know why we invaded Iraq.”

Al, until Americans are tuned into the issues Palast brings up, they will not understand why we are in Iraq and therefore won’t know why we have to leave.

Although you criticize the false reasons given for the war, by accepting the false terms of debate the Bushies have set up you are essentially implying that economics aren’t the guiding force in our foreign policy. .As long as this critical piece is not central to the debate on Iraq, it isn’t a real debate, the public doesn’t know enough to make an informed decision, and therefore our democracy is short-circuited.

If Democrats aren’t talking about this, I am left to assume that they agree with seizing Iraq’s oil for American oil companies, and only differ with the GOP on issues of style.

Part of how we got in this crisis of our democracy was good people in the know keeping their mouths shut and looking the other way. You do no service to our country or our troops by being one of them.

Al, you are in a unique position to frame the debate. You have done an excellent job of covering the lies that led to the war. Now the other shoe needs to drop, and you need to tell America about the real reasons.

Sincerely,
Yurbud


Attachments: some of Palast’s articles on oil machinations in Iraq in case you didn’t read them for the audio book or absorb them if you did.


Iraq oil theft timeline:
http://mysite.verizon.net/myk15/iraqmeetingstimeline.html

Palast on war to keep oil price HIGH:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/4354269.stm