Former US Vice-President Cheney Dies

Cheney’s Legacy and Accountability

• Strong consensus that his record—especially post‑9/11 policy—is deeply negative and morally stained.
• Some argue it is fitting he lived to see his family sidelined within the modern Republican Party, though others say that exile was about opposing Trump, not his earlier record.
• Minority view sees him as a “lesser evil”: a dangerous but ultimately system‑bound operator who handed over power peacefully and “didn’t blow it all up,” provoking sharp pushback as callous toward victims.

Wars, Profiteering, and Casualties

• Iraq and Afghanistan labeled “forever wars” that helped fuel the rise of Trump and damaged U.S. strategic standing.
• Heavy emphasis on Iraqi civilian deaths (hundreds of thousands) versus the more commonly cited U.S. military toll.
• Halliburton is repeatedly cited as emblematic of the military‑industrial complex and alleged war profiteering, including its role in Vietnam and Iraq and its massive payout to Cheney preceding his vice presidency.
• Some see his daughter as continuing a hawkish, pro‑war line.

Executive Power and Civil Liberties

• Cheney portrayed as perhaps the most powerful vice president, driving expansion of executive authority and the “unitary executive” theory.
• Detailed criticism of his role in warrantless surveillance, torture, secret prisons, Guantánamo, and turning the “war on terror” into a near‑global battlefield.
• Successor administrations are criticized for decrying these power grabs rhetorically while “pocketing” most of them in practice.

U.S. Parties, War, and System Design

• Dispute over whether war profiteering is uniquely Republican: several argue both parties support Pentagon spending when it’s “their” war (e.g., Ukraine).
• One thread links Cheney’s actions to the inherent dangers of presidential systems: dual mandates, difficulty removing leaders, and personality cults, arguing the U.S. constitution is showing its age.

PNAC, Foreign Policy Agendas, and Influence

• Commenters highlight Cheney’s involvement in the Project for the New American Century and its pre‑9/11 advocacy for regime change and U.S. dominance.
• Some connect this to broader Israel‑aligned policy networks; others push back against the idea that a foreign state “controls” U.S. policy, framing it instead as aligned interests and domestic lobbies.
• Noted that such agendas are often published openly (PNAC, “Project 2025”) yet still surprise the public when implemented.

Public Memory, Humor, and Death

• The hunting‑accident shooting of a lawyer is recalled as a symbol of his power, especially the victim publicly apologizing afterward; it also fueled enduring jokes and pop‑culture portrayals.
• Brief thread compares reactions to Cheney’s death with those to other controversial figures (Castro, Jack Welch), arguing HN sentiment reflects political alignment and perceived personal impact.
• Several comments reflect on the “equalizing” nature of death, noting that no degree of power spared Cheney from it, even if he died surrounded by family, unlike many he affected.