How Cheaters Prosper (6/6/02)
by Dean Hartwell
If truth matters, then
falsity prospers. As Congress begins to investigate the handling of information
before the September 11 attacks, now would be a good time to put this matter
into perspective by reviewing past investigations.
In the mid-1970s, the Church Committee in Congress investigated the Central
Intelligence Agency. The public learned for the first time of many of our
nation's illegal activities in other nations, such as our participation in the
overthrow of Salvador Allende, Chile's legitimately elected president. Despite
the shattering of a myth that the United States always upholds democracy and
freedom around the world, Congress did not stop subsequent illegal activities
by the CIA in Pakistan, Nicaragua and El Salvador, among others.
When the revelations of the scandal that became known as Iran-Contra surfaced,
Oliver North of the National Security Administration stood before Congress in a
televised hearing and lied about the magnitude of the shipments. He also
admitted to lying to Congress on a prior occasion about where the proceeds from
the shipments went and to shredding documents.
Stunningly, many people who watched the hearing thought North was a
"hero." Furthermore, despite the fact that the executive branch broke
two laws, the Import-Export Terrorist Act and the Boland Amendment, Congress
did not move to impeach President Reagan. As for North, he later became a
Republican candidate for Senate and now enjoys a lucrative career on television
as a political commentator.
Not long ago, Congress subpoenaed a group of tobacco company executives to
speak before it. When asked whether nicotine is addictive, all of them swore
that it was not. Given the alarming number of people who die every year from
tobacco-related illness and the countless others who try to quit smoking, the
executives clearly lied to Congress. But with Congress still unwilling to
regulate nicotine like many other addictive drugs, the tobacco companies
continue to profit.
So, now we know what to expect: some of the people who appear before Congress
about September 11 will not tell us the truth. And, even though the public can
frequently tell when someone is lying, there is no guarantee that Congress
will. But those of us who pursue the truth ought to tell our leaders in
Congress that if it does not matter to them, we will make sure by our votes
that they investigate no more.