Wednesday, June 01, 2005

"Deep Throat" Revealed

No, it's not about the movie! Get your mind out of the gutter, you perv!

I'm referring to the fact that the identity of the infamous "Deep Throat" from the Watergate scandal is finally known (probably).

Reaction is mixed, of course. The right wingnuts are vilifying him, calling him a traitor or worse. The lefties are praising him as a courageous hero.

And a substantial portion of Americans--at least, according to an informal poll taken in my office--don't seem to give a shit one way or the other.

I suppose this is understandable on some level. Many of the people in my office either weren't even born when this thing broke, or were too young to care about it. I include myself in that latter category--All I remember about it is wondering why everyone was making such a big fuss over a water gate!

I can't help but feel somewhat sad over the general apathy over this rather significant revelation. I mean, this guy was the chief informant in a scandal that eventually led to the resignation of a sitting President--something that had never happened before, nor has it happened since (despite my most fervent wishes in a few cases!)

Watergate is an important part of our history. It illustrated the importance of openness in a Democracy, and the power of a free press. It also graphically illustrated the dangers of placing too much power in too few hands, a lesson we should all re-examine in the light of today's political climate.

I salute you, Mr. Felt. What you did was brave and dangerous, but it needed to be done. Now, if we could only find someone like you to dig up the dirt on the Bushies...

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