Two white men with considerable power to shape the thoughts of Americans in the past half century, Bob Dole and Fred Hiatt died over the past couple of days. Dole, was one of the last WW2 vets in Congress and always had the benefit of participating in what many people agree was the last "good" war. A cranky old bastard, his biggest accomplishment was his bipartisan support of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In his case it was a no-brainer as his war wounds left him with serious physical issues.
Fred Hiatt, who died last night after a heart attack in November left him in a coma was the editorial page editor of the Washington Post. The power to feature viewpoints inimical to progressives was used to maximum effectiveness in the run up to the Iraq War. Hiatt became the go to guy for the pro-war faction in the Bush Administration and its apologists. More than any other single institution, the WaPo beat the war drums and helped facilitate the horrors of the Shrub's war of choice in the middle east. For this, if nothing else, Hiatt earned a place in the lower chambers of hell.
Why must we waste time praising men (or women) who in life either espoused or facilitated unjust or racist viewpoints or at the very least were not particularly admirable people. The local meals on wheels coordinator is probably more praiseworthy.
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