I spend a lot of time surveying articles from independent sources and, thus, avoid much of the crap put out in mainstream media. So, I am catching up a bit on the popular controversy generated by the deal the US government made with the people of Afghanistan, the Taliban, who are fighting the occupation of their country by the forces of the Empire. This controversy, unlike so much trivia that our corporations spew on the American people, is real. It has generated a lot of hateful responses, even death threats against the Bergdahl family in Idaho, by people who have been thoroughly indoctrinated by the Empire's propaganda machinery. It was encouraging for me to read this article from another Idahoan who has not succumbed to this propaganda.
Trying to find their footing amid a gale-force outpouring of largely manufactured outrage, officials in Hailey, Idaho canceled their long-planned homecoming for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. They were understandably intimidated by the prospect of dealing with thousands of protesters who planned to besiege the tiny central Idaho town to demand the blood of a young man they now regard to be a deserter, and a father they consider a terrorist sympathizer.
To understand the kind of welcome the War Party has been preparing for Bowe and his family, it’s useful to consider the treatment given to the family of World War I-era conscientious objector John Witmer.Also, I recommend this posting from Common Dreams entitled "An Impossible Mission: Bob Bergdahl Explores the Darkening of the American Soul", particularly the 11:46m video on Bergdahl's father who has had to grapple with all the issues related to his son's five year captivity.
