# Dick Cheney, Living Genius **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 7, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064 "2004-10-07T18:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/1 "2004-10-07T18:13:51Z")
You see, the fact that there aren’t any WMD’s in Iraq is precisely the reason that the war was justified. Got it? What are you guys, idiots? How can you not understand this??? [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Cheney.html?hp&ex=1097208000&en=4aaa4e3b0074933c&ei=5094&partner=homepage](http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Cheney.html?hp&ex=1097208000&en=4aaa4e3b0074933c&ei=5094&partner=homepage) Once again, the fact that there aren’t any WMD’s in Iraq is precisely the reason that the war was justified. Now keep repeating this until 50% of the population believe you. Unbelievable, that he said this. And they’re probably going to win again. If you made a movie about this administration, no one would watch it because they’d think it was too unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/2 "2004-10-07T18:20:31Z")
I didn’t really see any juicy quotes in that article. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/3 "2004-10-07T18:23:14Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > If you made a movie about this administration, no one would watch it because they’d think it was too unrealistic. National Lampoons American Govornment. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/4 "2004-10-07T18:43:25Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > Unbelievable, that he said this. And they’re probably going to win again. If you made a movie about this administration, no one would watch it because they’d think it was too unrealistic. Funny, before I read this I was thinking the exact same thing. “Who the fuck wrote this screenplay? Don’t they realize that the plot makes no sense?” This is just surreal. The president says we have to go to war because the bad guys had weapons. And the crowds ate it up. Then the veep says it’s a good thing we went to war, because they never had any weapons. And the crown wants to put Bush on Mt. Rushmore. Whoever dreamed up this shit ought to lay off the pepperoni pizzas before bedtime. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/5 "2004-10-07T18:47:29Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I didn’t really see any juicy quotes in that article. Yeah. Has anyone found a link the text of his remarks yet? It sounds like he’s saying we had to go to war with Iraq to uphold the honor of the United Nations, and that just doesn’t make a lick of sense when you consider how we rode roughshod all over the inspectors, and blew off the UN’s recommendations once major combat operations had ended. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/6 "2004-10-07T18:58:53Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > Once again, the fact that there aren’t any WMD’s in Iraq is precisely the reason that the war was justified. Now keep repeating this until 50% of the population believe you. 50%? You mean Bush is going to try to win the _popular_ vote this time? How ambitious. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/7 "2004-10-07T19:15:15Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > 50%? You mean Bush is going to try to win the _popular_ vote this time? How ambitious. 😃 Given the percentage that don’t vote in the US, he only needs 25% to believe in these lies. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/8 "2004-10-07T19:18:44Z")
Looks like [Dubya’s](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&e=12&u=/nm/iraq_usa_bush_dc) getting in on the act, too. Gotta love how they keep moving the goalposts for justifying the war. At first, it was because Saddam has WMD _right now_ and **OH MY GOD** HE’S ABOUT TO GIVE THEM TO **TERRORISTS** and WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!! Then, as the stockpiles failed to materialize, they shifted to saying Saddam had a **WMD** program, _but_ he was **actively** developing weapons and so we had to disrupt the program before he actually made something. Now, they’re admitting that OK, OK, Saddam didn’t even have an active program because he wasn’t able to maintain one under the effects of UN sanctions and weapons inspections… but– **a-ha**!–he might one day have _restarted_ his plans for a program **if** sanctions were ever lifted and when the world “looked away.” Just to be on the safe side, it was better to go in with military force in case one day in the future the sanctions stopped being effective and Saddam might then have restarted a program and maybe even would have developed some WMD without anyone ever noticing, and _then_ he could have theoretically supplied those WMD to Al-Qaeda even though he and the Islamists couldn’t stand each other and never had any kind of relationship and then the terrorists would have a nuclear/chemical/biological weapon on their hands and **they would blow up a city like New York** and we’d have to experience something even worse than 9/11!!! I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/9 "2004-10-07T19:27:40Z")
> [@Skopo](#): > > I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry. This is sad really. I got all excited over finally seeing some pictures of those ‘dual use facilities’, teddy bear plants, that at the push of a button convert into nerve gas factories, but this final report has killed all hope of that. ☹ -I wonder if ‘Transformers’ is on the tube this afternoon? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/10 "2004-10-07T19:28:27Z")
> [@Skopo](#): > > I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry. I recommend spreading the word and voting for Kerry. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/11 "2004-10-07T19:33:51Z")
Yep, Cheney’s a piece of work. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/12 "2004-10-07T19:38:07Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > You see, the fact that there aren’t any WMD’s in Iraq is precisely the reason that the war was justified. Got it? What are you guys, idiots? How can you not understand this??? It’s really quite simple. If they truly honestly believed Saddam was armed to the teeth, they wouldn’t have invaded. I mean, who wants to start a fight with an armed enemy? Think North Korea, no invasion there, no-siree-Bob! Now, on the other hand, if you’re pretty sure that he’s pretty much unarmed, UN sanctions, inspectors, and all. Well, hell! Let’s kick his ass! Just like the bullies that they are, it makes them feel tough to smack around a defenseless opponent. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/13 "2004-10-07T19:56:48Z")
When you’re caught in a lie, make a bigger lie. Why anyone in their right mind thinks these chowderheads deserve a vote is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/14 "2004-10-07T20:07:12Z")
Don’t ya remember the [good ol’ days?](http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/12/5/173622.shtml) Here’s a walk down memory lane… > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON – The White House said Thursday that it had “solid” evidence Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. > “Iraq has lied before, and they’re lying now about whether they possess weapons of mass destruction,” said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. > > " **President Bush has said Iraq has weapons of mass destruction."** British Prime Minister “Tony Blair has said Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.” Defense Secretary **"Donald Rumsfeld has said Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.** Richard Butler [the former head of U.N. weapons inspections] has said they do. The United Nations has said they do. The experts have said they do. > Snip > President Bush has vowed to lead a “coalition of the willing” to forcibly disarm Iraq if Saddam Hussein fails to do so voluntarily. [Bush to the UN](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020912-1.html) > [@](#): > > We know that Saddam Hussein pursued weapons of mass murder even when inspectors were in his country. Are we to assume that he stopped when they left? The history, the logic, and the facts lead to one conclusion: Saddam Hussein’s regime is a grave and gathering danger. To suggest otherwise is to hope against the evidence. To assume this regime’s good faith is to bet the lives of millions and the peace of the world in a reckless gamble. And this is a risk we must not take. > > Delegates to the General Assembly, we have been more than patient. We’ve tried sanctions. We’ve tried the carrot of oil for food, and the stick of coalition military strikes.\*\* But Saddam Hussein has defied all these efforts and continues to develop weapons of mass destruction.\*\* The first time we may be completely certain he has a – nuclear weapons is when, God forbids, he uses one. We owe it to all our citizens to do everything in our power to prevent that day from coming. [Address by Bush 10/7/02](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021007-8.html) > [@](#): > > The threat comes from Iraq. It arises directly from the Iraqi regime’s own actions – its history of aggression, and its drive toward an arsenal of terror. Eleven years ago, as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi regime was required to destroy its weapons of mass destruction, to cease all development of such weapons, and to stop all support for terrorist groups. \*\*The Iraqi regime has violated all of those obligations. It possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons. \*\* It has given shelter and support to terrorism, and practices terror against its own people. The entire world has witnessed Iraq’s eleven-year history of defiance, deception and bad faith. > > Snip > > First, some ask why Iraq is different from other countries or regimes that also have terrible weapons. While there are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone – because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place.\*\* Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction are controlled by a murderous tyrant who has already used chemical weapons to kill thousands of people. This same tyrant has tried to dominate the Middle East, has invaded and brutally occupied a small neighbor, has struck other nations without warning, and holds an unrelenting hostility toward the United States. \*\* > > snip > > The time for denying, deceiving, and delaying has come to an end. Saddam Hussein must disarm himself – or, for the sake of peace, we will lead a coalition to disarm him. > > snip > > There is no easy or risk-free course of action. Some have argued we should wait – and that’s an option. In my view, it’s the riskiest of all options, because the longer we wait, the stronger and bolder Saddam Hussein will become. We could wait and hope that Saddam does not give weapons to terrorists, or develop a nuclear weapon to blackmail the world. But I’m convinced that is a hope against all evidence. As Americans, we want peace – we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the will and whims of a ruthless and aggressive dictator. I’m not willing to stake one American life on trusting Saddam Hussein. [Everyone remember this gem from Ari Fleischer?](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030109-8.html) > [@](#): > > Q Can we presume that the President is very happy that Mr. Blix says there is no smoking gun in the search for weapons in Iraq? > > MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the problem with guns that are hidden is you can’t see their smoke. [Bush, March 17th, 2003](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030317-7.html) > [@](#): > > For more than a decade, the United States and other nations have pursued patient and honorable efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime without war. That regime pledged to reveal and destroy all its weapons of mass destruction as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War in 1991. > > Snip > > Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraq’s neighbors and against Iraq’s people. > > Snip > > It is too late for Saddam Hussein to remain in power. \*\*It is not too late for the Iraqi military to act with honor and protect your country by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. \*\* Our forces will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attacked and destroyed. I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, if war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life. [Ari Fleischer gives us THE SMOKING GUN](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030321-9.html) > [@](#): > > Q But Iraq is the sole goal? > > MR. FLEISCHER:\*\* The President has made repeatedly clear to the American people, as he said in his address to the nation the other night, that the purpose of this is the disarmament of the Iraqi regime. \*\* Repeatedly? Tee hee. ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/15 "2004-10-07T20:18:02Z")
Ok, that’s it. My mind is totally blown. Not unlike the South Park “Chubaca Defense” Look at the monkey! ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/16 "2004-10-07T20:22:03Z")
Forgive my double posting. I had another thought. From the OP’s link: > [@](#): > > Vice presidential candidate John Edwards called Cheney’s claim `amazing'' and accused his Republican rival of using `convoluted logic.’’ If Bush wins it is basically saying that more than half this country is flat out stupid. I am not kidding here. That is no kind of logic I’ve ever heard of - not even convoluted. Anyone who buys this is just stupid. I’m sorry. I really believe that. What is a wookie doing with WMDs? It just doesn’t make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/17 "2004-10-07T20:38:52Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > Unbelievable, that he said this. And they’re probably going to win again. If you made a movie about this administration, no one would watch it because they’d think it was too unrealistic. They may have… “Wag The Dog” ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/18 "2004-10-07T20:41:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Vice presidential candidate John Edwards called Cheney’s claim `amazing'' and **accused** his Republican rival of using `convoluted logic.’’ Accused? _Accused!_ That isn’t and accusation! It’s a stated fact! ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/19 "2004-10-07T20:50:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Vice presidential candidate John Edwards called Cheney’s claim `amazing'' and accused his Republican rival of using `convoluted logic.’’ Those fancy-pants Democrats and their “logic”. Why do they hate America so much? We don’t need no logic; we gots ta kill the terrorists. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064/20 "2004-10-07T21:02:36Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > They may have… “Wag The Dog” Listen, Old Shoe, that was just a movie. When I saw it I realized it was just a fantasy. Nothing like that could ever happen in real life. What? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-living-genius/268064.md?page=2)