64 votes

Dick Cheney dies at 84

26 comments

  1. [2]
    AnthonyB
    (edited )
    Link
    And here I thought the only death I'd be celebrating today was Andrew Cuomo's career. Edit: To make this less of a shitpost and to preemptively address any efforts to humanize Mr. Cheney, a quick...

    And here I thought the only death I'd be celebrating today was Andrew Cuomo's career.

    Edit: To make this less of a shitpost and to preemptively address any efforts to humanize Mr. Cheney, a quick reminder:

    An estimated 3.6-3.8 million people have died indirectly in post-9/11 war zones, bringing the total death toll to at least 4.5-4.7 million and counting.

    At least 940,000 people have died due to direct war violence, including civilians, armed forces on all sides, contractors, journalists, and humanitarian workers.

    U.S. policymakers scarcely considered alternatives to war in the aftermath of 9/11 or in debating the invasion of Iraq. Many of those alternatives are still available.

    The cost of the post-9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and elsewhere totals about $8 trillion. This does not include future interest costs on borrowing for the wars.

    38 million people have been displaced by the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and the Philippines.

    The costs of caring for post-9/11 war vets will reach between $2.2 and $2.5 trillion by 2050 - most of which has not yet been paid.

    Post-9/11 war veterans are suffering a mental health crisis. At least four times as many active duty personnel and war veterans of post-9/11 conflicts have died of suicide than in combat.

    Source(s)

    47 votes
    1. culturedleftfoot
      Link Parent
      Thanks for this. I did not know about the Philippine tentacle of the "Enduring Freedom" octopus.

      Thanks for this. I did not know about the Philippine tentacle of the "Enduring Freedom" octopus.

      5 votes
  2. [6]
    vord
    Link
    I'll share my happiest memory of Dick Cheney: That time Dick Cheney shotgunned somebody then made them apologize for it. He'll fit right in at Reagan's poker table in hell.

    I'll share my happiest memory of Dick Cheney:

    That time Dick Cheney shotgunned somebody then made them apologize for it.

    He'll fit right in at Reagan's poker table in hell.

    46 votes
    1. [5]
      teaearlgraycold
      Link Parent
      Here’s my favorite
      25 votes
      1. [2]
        vord
        Link Parent
        Makes me wonder if your post will get an AI crawler stuck.

        Makes me wonder if your post will get an AI crawler stuck.

        13 votes
        1. 1338
          Link Parent
          It's pretty standard for a site's logo to link to the homepage, even on the homepage, so it's unlikely any crawler that can't handle cyclical links would get this far.

          It's pretty standard for a site's logo to link to the homepage, even on the homepage, so it's unlikely any crawler that can't handle cyclical links would get this far.

          12 votes
      2. hamstergeddon
        Link Parent
        teaearlgraycold, indeed. I nearly spit my drink out laughing.

        teaearlgraycold, indeed. I nearly spit my drink out laughing.

        7 votes
      3. TheMediumJon
        Link Parent
        That is a happy memory, thanks for sharing.

        That is a happy memory, thanks for sharing.

        4 votes
  3. kingofsnake
    Link
    The r/news comments always shine at moments like this. "The Halliburton flag will be flown at half mast today" "Cheney is survived by his wife, daughters and millions of Iraqis radicalized into...

    The r/news comments always shine at moments like this.

    "The Halliburton flag will be flown at half mast today"

    "Cheney is survived by his wife, daughters and millions of Iraqis radicalized into terrorist cells".

    25 votes
  4. [4]
    patience_limited
    Link
    Me: "So Dick Cheney died today." Spouse: "Completely?"

    Me: "So Dick Cheney died today."
    Spouse: "Completely?"

    20 votes
    1. [3]
      vord
      Link Parent
      We do need to check for any and all reincarnation tactics. We don't need Lich Cheney.

      We do need to check for any and all reincarnation tactics. We don't need Lich Cheney.

      18 votes
      1. hamstergeddon
        Link Parent
        Unfortunately they keep his phylactery in an undisclosed location, so we'll just have to see what happens.

        Unfortunately they keep his phylactery in an undisclosed location, so we'll just have to see what happens.

        4 votes
      2. patience_limited
        Link Parent
        I was thinking more along the lines of "RFK, Reanimator", but I don't think the families talk.

        I was thinking more along the lines of "RFK, Reanimator", but I don't think the families talk.

        2 votes
  5. [12]
    Dr_Amazing
    Link
    I'm surprised at how little everyone seems to care about this, considering everything he's done. It's interesting that there really doesn't seem to be much effort to play him up as a good person...

    I'm surprised at how little everyone seems to care about this, considering everything he's done.

    It's interesting that there really doesn't seem to be much effort to play him up as a good person the way they did with Charlie Kirk

    7 votes
    1. [6]
      CannibalisticApple
      Link Parent
      Well, he did criticize Trump a fair amount after January 6 and actively spoke against him for the 2024 election season. That's the one bit of respect I have for him. It might have been too late to...

      Well, he did criticize Trump a fair amount after January 6 and actively spoke against him for the 2024 election season.

      That's the one bit of respect I have for him. It might have been too late to really matter, but far too many Republican politicians continued to sing Trump's praises after January 6. And he did something right with his kids, because his daughter Liz torpedoed her own political career to investigate January 6 and actively speak against him. She was the only sitting Republican I remember being so critical against him while still in office.

      I disagree with much of Cheney's politics, but I can respect him for being willing to prioritize America's well being over the Republican party's twisted interests.

      24 votes
      1. [3]
        vord
        Link Parent
        It pains me to say I'd have taken a third Bush/Cheney before Trump 2020. At least it would have been normative evil.

        It pains me to say I'd have taken a third Bush/Cheney before Trump 2020. At least it would have been normative evil.

        14 votes
        1. [2]
          unkz
          Link Parent
          I honestly believe that Trump will go down in history for being known as the worst president in the entire history of America. Absolutely any previous president would be better.

          I honestly believe that Trump will go down in history for being known as the worst president in the entire history of America. Absolutely any previous president would be better.

          12 votes
          1. culturedleftfoot
            Link Parent
            I shudder to think of it, but it may turn out to be worst president thus far.

            I shudder to think of it, but it may turn out to be worst president thus far.

            7 votes
      2. [2]
        Drewbahr
        Link Parent
        You do not, under any circumstances, need to respect a war criminal.

        You do not, under any circumstances, need to respect a war criminal.

        10 votes
        1. CannibalisticApple
          Link Parent
          Generally I agree. The fact I can respect his willingness to speak against Trump feels like it says more about the state of the rest of the Republican party than his character. The bar should not...

          Generally I agree. The fact I can respect his willingness to speak against Trump feels like it says more about the state of the rest of the Republican party than his character. The bar should not be this low.

          11 votes
    2. Gaywallet
      Link Parent
      I mean, to be fair, he also wasn't murdered. It's a lot easier to martyr someone who was killed than it is to martyr someone who died of old age.

      It's interesting that there really doesn't seem to be much effort to play him up as a good person the way they did with Charlie Kirk

      I mean, to be fair, he also wasn't murdered. It's a lot easier to martyr someone who was killed than it is to martyr someone who died of old age.

      13 votes
    3. Monte_Kristo
      Link Parent
      While he was evil, he wasn't really a part of the Trump apparatus in that way. Insulting him isn't an attack on Trump, because he was not a representative of the Trump regime.

      While he was evil, he wasn't really a part of the Trump apparatus in that way. Insulting him isn't an attack on Trump, because he was not a representative of the Trump regime.

      10 votes
    4. [2]
      stu2b50
      Link Parent
      He died a natural death of old age as a free man. I think there are few martyrs who died in such conditions.

      He died a natural death of old age as a free man. I think there are few martyrs who died in such conditions.

      8 votes
      1. Promonk
        Link Parent
        So did Reagan, and there's no shortage of hagiography around his memory.

        He died a natural death of old age as a free man.

        So did Reagan, and there's no shortage of hagiography around his memory.

        6 votes
    5. culturedleftfoot
      Link Parent
      I think that's largely a function of the casual disregard of veeps. Does the public really care about VPs who never became president? If he'd been the head honcho at any point, with the exact same...

      I think that's largely a function of the casual disregard of veeps. Does the public really care about VPs who never became president? If he'd been the head honcho at any point, with the exact same war record, I'm sure the circlejerk would have been in full effect today.

      6 votes
  6. Aerrol
    Link
    Christ, what an asshole.

    Christ, what an asshole.

    4 votes