I have to write a blog today, because the news is just accumulating too fast this week. I've been wanting to blog about Donald Rumsfeld and his "accomplishments" for some time now. Realizing he is about to be replaced, I feel it is time to give Mr. Rumsfeld his due. He has been quite an interesting man through the Bush administration, but I remember running across some old newspapers when remodeling a house. He was also Gerald Ford's Secretary of Defense. He's been familiar with all the ins and outs of war and peace for a number of decades, but he's done so much more than give us a war with no strategy. What really caught my eye was his career following his brief time in the Cabinet in the 70's. He became the CEO of G. D. Searle & Company. This famous company had a wonderful little chemical that they just couldn't get the FDA to approve through the Carter years, but once the Reagan administration reorganized the FDA, CEO Rumsfeld and company gave us Aspartame. Interestingly, there were many safety concerns about this chemical, that were published at the time, but quickly forgotten, covered, or ignored. Remember when aspartame first became an available sugar replacement, you couldn't cook with it? That's because heat can cause this sweetener to become toxic and there have been hundreds and hundreds of neurological mis-diagnoses that are pure and simply toxic reactions. I also noticed some other recognizable names in reading about G. D. Searle & Co., when Monsanto purchased Searle. One noted attorney in the transaction was Clarence Thomas, another well known name was our last Secretary of Agriculture. Rumsfeld left Searle in 1985 after the Monsanto buy-out and let's not forget those pictures of none other than Mr. Rumsfeld with Saddam Hussein. And the report was that the meetings were friendly, of course that was in the mid 80's when we needed an ally against Iran. Saddam Hussein was found guilty on charges of killing about 140 people after an assination atempt on his life. But this situation happened before the "ally pictures" of Hussein with Rumsfeld were ever taken. And now our news reports that over 130 Iraqi civillians are dying every day . . . in a war that has gone on 3 1/2 years after the Mission was Accomplished! I just can't guess what Mr. Rumsfeld has planned next, but I can't imagine it to be retirement.
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
1 comment:
A nice history lesson here. I am always amazed (although I don't know why, at this point), at all of the high profile madness that seems to evaporate at will...
I'm surprised that more people don't comment on your posts. Most are very thought provoking, and it seems that the 'comments' section would be hopping with folks that remember this stuff...Where are our babyboomers, and why do there seem to be so few with the desire to teach the next generation to be leary (at LEAST!) of the folks in charge???
At least you are here. And I am very glad for it. Good post.
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