Former Vice President Dick Cheney's death has sparked a peculiar phenomenon in the US media landscape. While some have been quick to hail him as a "strong leader who fought for the country at all costs," it's clear that this eulogy is nothing more than a convenient exercise in nostalgia, glossing over the dark legacy of his time in office.
Cheney's record on war and foreign policy is one of unapologetic brutality. He was instrumental in pushing the US into two devastating wars in Iraq, which resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, widespread destruction, and destabilization of the region. The "surge" of US troops into Iraq, touted as a solution to pacify the country, only led to further chaos and contributed to the rise of extremist groups like ISIS.
In fact, Cheney's role in promoting the war has been grossly exaggerated by many in the media, who have worked overtime to whitewash his reputation. His manipulation of the national media during the 2003 Iraq War, including spreading false information and misleading statements about Saddam Hussein's alleged ties to 9/11, remains a shameful chapter in the history of US journalism.
Cheney's later opposition to Donald Trump has also been thoroughly sanitized, with many media outlets portraying him as a "resistance" figure who broke with Trump's America First foreign policy doctrine. However, this narrative conveniently ignores Cheney's own role in shaping and supporting a post-truth politics that ultimately paved the way for Trump's brand of divisive rhetoric.
The irony is that Cheney himself was willing to say whatever it took to push his agenda, including ignoring clear legal constraints and attacking perceived enemies as "terrorist" sympathizers. This kind of rhetoric has been all too familiar in recent years, particularly from those who claim to be fighting against authoritarianism – but conveniently conveniently overlook the dark corners of their own past.
In short, Cheney's legacy is one of bloodshed, destruction, and death, which must be reckoned with rather than reduced to a footnote in the career of a so-called public servant. His eulogies, such as they are, only serve to paper over the truth about his time in office and the damage he inflicted on US institutions and foreign policy.
Cheney's record on war and foreign policy is one of unapologetic brutality. He was instrumental in pushing the US into two devastating wars in Iraq, which resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, widespread destruction, and destabilization of the region. The "surge" of US troops into Iraq, touted as a solution to pacify the country, only led to further chaos and contributed to the rise of extremist groups like ISIS.
In fact, Cheney's role in promoting the war has been grossly exaggerated by many in the media, who have worked overtime to whitewash his reputation. His manipulation of the national media during the 2003 Iraq War, including spreading false information and misleading statements about Saddam Hussein's alleged ties to 9/11, remains a shameful chapter in the history of US journalism.
Cheney's later opposition to Donald Trump has also been thoroughly sanitized, with many media outlets portraying him as a "resistance" figure who broke with Trump's America First foreign policy doctrine. However, this narrative conveniently ignores Cheney's own role in shaping and supporting a post-truth politics that ultimately paved the way for Trump's brand of divisive rhetoric.
The irony is that Cheney himself was willing to say whatever it took to push his agenda, including ignoring clear legal constraints and attacking perceived enemies as "terrorist" sympathizers. This kind of rhetoric has been all too familiar in recent years, particularly from those who claim to be fighting against authoritarianism – but conveniently conveniently overlook the dark corners of their own past.
In short, Cheney's legacy is one of bloodshed, destruction, and death, which must be reckoned with rather than reduced to a footnote in the career of a so-called public servant. His eulogies, such as they are, only serve to paper over the truth about his time in office and the damage he inflicted on US institutions and foreign policy.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the nostalgia-fueled tributes being paid to Dick Cheney's legacy 
. It's like we're living in a parallel universe where facts and accountability take a backseat to retroactive patriotism 
. The sheer audacity of glossing over his role in perpetuating two disastrous wars that ravaged innocent lives is mind-boggling 
. And don't even get me started on the blatant whitewashing of his track record on foreign policy and journalism – it's like we're rewriting history to suit a convenient narrative 
. Can we please, for once, acknowledge the complexities and controversies that define our leaders' legacies instead of resorting to wishful thinking? 
. And don't even get me started on his role in manipulating the media and spreading false info about Saddam Hussein - that's some SERIOUS journalism fail 
. We can't just erase all the bad stuff he did and present him as a hero just because he's no longer around...that's just not fair to the people who were affected by his policies 
. I wish we could have a real discussion about Cheney's legacy without all the nostalgic nonsense...can't we just tell the TRUTH? 
his whole "strong leader" thing is just a bunch of hype tbh the media should really do some digging on him instead of just spewing out nostalgic nonsense 
. And don't even get me started on the "resistance" narrative - Cheney was part of the problem, not the solution 
. We need to have a more nuanced conversation about his legacy and how it continues to shape US foreign policy today 
like what happened in iraq? thousands of civilians killed, destabilization of the region... all glossed over in these nostalgic eulogies 
meanwhile, his role in spreading false info about saddam hussein and manipulating the media is still a major scandal 
anyone else think we're just whitewashing history again? 
Anyway, I guess it's kinda interesting that people are suddenly remembering him as some kinda "resistance" figure now that he's not around anymore 
. Not cool, Dick 
.
and let's not even get started on his role in spreading false info during the 2003 war 
. We need to stop sanitizing his image and start telling the real story about how he wrecked Iraq 
and it's not fair to the people who actually suffered from those wars. we need to remember the dark times, not just celebrate some dude's "strong leadership" 
I'm really saddened by all the nostalgic vibes around Dick Cheney's passing... it feels like we're trying to forget or downplay some pretty dark stuff