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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 2018)
December 12, 2018 Page 13 O PINION MCS Still in Business Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area and Hallway Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Pre-Spray) Scrutinizing the Record on Bush’s Passing I think that’s a good thing p eter C erto Our death rituals for public figures are evolving. For a moment, obituaries favored the late President George H. W. Bush with the banal pleas- antries usually afforded to de- ceased presidents. Well-wishers from both sides of the aisle hailed Bush’s patriotism, service, de- cency and other traits we think we want leaders to have. Then came the counter-narra- tives: Bush’s inaction during the AIDS crisis. The generation of war in Iraq he started. His accel- eration of the war on drugs and his race-baiting Willie Horton ad. His groping of women. Surely we should have reservations about celebrating such a legacy, many countered. Now, I’m partial to the latter view — more in that in a mo- ment. But what concerns me more is the third phase in this emerging ritual: the righteous in- sistence that death is no time to by examine a public figure’s life’s work. They’re dead. Be nice. Or worse: The centrist plea, typified by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, that “a mix of ap- preciations and censorious assessments is in order.” Even if you had loved ones die during the AIDS crisis, or a family member die in Iraq, Bruni thinks it’s “possible, even imperative, to acknowledge and celebrate” the late leader’s “valor galore.” Bruni calls this “nuance.” I call it the opposite. This being 2018, I get it. Pol- itics feels exhaustingly nasty. Even many lefties crave a con- servative foil to the crasser oc- cupants of today’s White House. Folks in the center may just want a break from the yelling. Team, I feel you. But look a little harder. Under Bush, the U.S. com- mitted genuine war crimes. In the first Gulf War, our bombers killed 13,000 civilians outright and 70,000 later by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure. Infants died in hospitals without electricity, while broken sewage systems led to preventable epi- demics. And like the younger Bush’s war, reporter Joshua Holland not- ed, the elder’s was also premised on lies. In Bush’s mostly forgotten Panama war, the U.S. reduced a civilian neighborhood to what lo- cals called a “little Hiroshima.” They did it execute a warrant for drug trafficking, even after the CIA itself collaborated with drug traffickers to fund right-wing death squads elsewhere in Cen- tral America. To cover up the related Iran-Contra scandal, Bush with- held evidence and pardoned six of its architects. Sound like someone you know? It’s easy to find other argu- ments elsewhere. Contrary to the “be nice” crowd, I think that’s a good thing. The terrifying fact is that our national security state is capable of terrifying crimes — no matter who runs the country. It’s unset- tling. So there’s a strong tempta- tion to focus on the private virtues of the individual who sits atop it rather than the messy machinery beneath. And just look what that ob- scures. If you don’t hang out with movement progressives, there’s a good chance you never heard anyone say the first Gulf War might’ve been problematic. If you didn’t live through it, you might not have heard of Panama at all, much less the deeper CIA intrigues during the Cold War. Personally, I believe these acts are crimes that should be atoned for and never repeated. Same goes for mass incarceration, the neglect that led to the AIDS cri- sis, and other legacies of the era. Taking a rare opportunity to scru- tinize them publicly seems more conscientious to me than observ- ing even a well-intentioned si- lence after their architect’s pass- ing. We all need a break from argu- ing sometimes. But new debates, especially on overlooked sub- jects, bring new vibrancy to our civic life. In death, even flawed politicians can do us that final service. Peter Certo is the editorial manager of the Institute for Policy Studies and the editor of Other- Words.org. Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949
