I wish CNN had a head so I could vomit on it

This letter is from a couple weeks ago.

I know that some of you think that I exaggerate. Occasionally, this is true. However, not right now.

I recently opened the BBC homepage, to check the headlines. I then checked CNN out of curiosity. The former top headline: “Gunmen seize 50 Iraq security men.” Along the side are the continuing reports, which rather than abating have escalated over the past several months, with lines like, “Chaos threatens troop withdrawal,” “Long path to Iraq’s sectarian split,” and “Edging to abyss.”

Sure, these sound rather bleak. But then again, things ARE bleak. The world’s superpower has invaded a country under false and/or mistaken pretenses, but repaired the situation with the justification that life would be better without Saddam Hussein. Well, majorities of Iraqis tend to agree: polls show that most think life will be better. Eventually. Unfortunately for right now, since the invasion things have gotten progressively worse. Indeed, according to all available sources I can find, Iraq’s basic utilities (sanitation, electricity, etc.) as well as basic public programs (education, police, fire, etc.) are not only in shambles but far worse than when we showed up. Make sure you note that last part: for all of his evil, apparently Hussein was much more capable of providing his people with schools, electricity, water, and basic security than we have been. Again, make sure you note that last one: for all of his evil, ironically people were astronomically more safe on a day to day basis when Hussein was running Iraq (as long as they didn’t piss him off or find themselves the target of one of his insane buddies’/sons’ caprice).

This is not a “blame America” email. Rather, it is just yet another reminder of what is going on in the foreign land that we invaded and still occupy. That place where we thought everything would be rosy within months, because our intelligence regarding pro-American sentiment and reconstruction efforts and standing infrastructure was about as reliable as our WMD intelligence. But everyone knows this, right? Everyone thinks about this daily, right? After all, the foreign medias with which I am acquainted cover the news from Iraq daily. They let their people know how many people were kidnapped and executed for the day. Our media does the same, no?

CNN’s “breaking news exclusive,” their top headline on their homepage, reads as follows: “New Orleans hospital operator has checkered past.”:

I wish that CNN could instantly be personified so that I could vomit on CNN’s head. Unfortunately, my only option is to vomit all over my keyboard or TV.

-W