01-21-2010 – 17th Century Precious Moments Statues

In 1988, a story in a Beirut magazine led to information that Ronald Reagan’s administration had been secretly selling arms to Iran, the declared enemy of the United States, and using the proceeds to give military aid to counterrevolutionaries (the “contras”) in Nicaragua, thus violating an act passed by Congress. Regan and Vice President Bush denied involvement, although the evidence pointed very strongly to their partipations. Instead of impeaching them, however, Congress put their emissaries on the witness stand, and later several of them were indicted. One of them (Robert McFarland) tried to commit sicide. Another, Colonial Oliver North, stood trial for lying to Congress, was found guilty, but not sentenced to prison. Reagan was not compelled to testify about what he had done. He retired in peace and Bush became the next president of the United States, both beneficiaries of plausible denial. Machiavelli would have admired the operation.