So Bush made the supreme sacrifice, returning from his vacation in Texas to Washington to inform Americans of his latest victories in the Middle East.
His comments at the State Department yesterday came close to breaking his previous personal best in both the delusions and drivel categories.
Bush began by declaring that Hezbollah was fully liable for every bomb that the IDF dropped, regardless of how many farm workers were killed and how far the victims were from any military-related target: “America recognizes that civilians in Lebanon and Israel have suffered from the current violence. And we recognize that responsibility for this suffering lies with Hezbollah. It was an unprovoked attack by Hezbollah on Israel that started this conflict.”
According to Bush’s logic, if Israel had exterminated every living thing in Lebanon, it would still be faultless.
For Bush, the latest Mideast conflict is another example of how America is bringing freedom to the world. Bush declared: “America’s actions have never been guided by territorial ambition.”
This would be news to the Mexicans, some of whom have not forgotten 1846. Or to the Filipinos, or the Puerto Ricans, or the Cubans (who lived under America’s thumb prior to 1959, after which they lived under Castro’s fist). By Bush’s standards, Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon was spurred by a desire for spiffing up his botany collection.
Bush’s declaration is as credible as when Stalin proclaimed that the Soviet Union wanted only peace. Yet, people in Washington – people at editorial pages – swallow this crap as if being the president of the United States automatically turned a man’s mouth into the Temple at Delphi.
Now, some people may look at the title of this blog and assume that I have been too harsh on America’s Commander-in-Chief. I rest my case with the following excerpt from Bush’s comments on the Israel-Hezbollah clash:
The world got to see what it means to confront terrorism. I mean, it’s a —it’s the challenge of the 21st century, the fight against terror.
A group of ideologues, by the way, who use terror to achieve an objective — this is the challenge.
And that’s why in my remarks I spoke about the need for those of us who
understand the blessings of liberty to help liberty prevail in the Middle East.
And the fundamental question is: Can it? And my answer is: Absolutely, it can. I believe that freedom is a universal value. And by that, I mean I believe people want to be free.
One way to put it is, I believe mothers around the world want to raise their
children in a peaceful world. That’s what I believe. And I believe that people want to be free to express themselves and free to worship the way they want to.
And if you believe that, then you’ve got to have hope that ultimately freedom
will prevail.
But it’s incredibly hard work, because there are terrorists who kill innocent
people to stop the advance of liberty. And that’s the challenge of the 21st
century.
But it’s incredibly hard work…
He really likes that phrase, doesn’t he? Hard Working George!
I thought I was through with being amazed by Bush’s addictions-induced neurological damage. And then you went and posted his new “personal best.” Damn. Back into it. It is amazing, isn’t it?
Qlipoth – yes, Bush portrays himself as a martyr anytime he has to do something like taking a flight that last more than 6 hours. He appears to be a Natural Born Whiner.
Bob – I read a fair number of Bush interview/press conference transcripts. This type of total fog is now his norm. And yet many people are convinced that his a sly fox, hiding his wisdom….
Bush’s personal propaganda is so banal that Goebbels would’ve canned him. He’s lucky that a person can’t be prosecuted for ignorance and imbecility.
“There are two paths, the path of life and the path of death, and there is a world of difference between the two.”
What we have is a cult of death, and a high priest who says one thing to the masses and another to his inner circle.
If his statements are sincere, however, then so much worse for him and all of us.
DJ – Even if there were a law against Bush’s style of babbling, it would be up to Alberto Gonzales to prosecute. If Gonzales can’t recognize torture when he sees it, I would not expect him to recognize hooey.
John – the sad thing is that as long as the president puts the FREEDOM label on his warmongering, many Americans believe that this will all have a happy ending – and that Bush is doing’s God’s work.
Let us not forget the virtual annhilation of the native peoples of this country. They, too, were killed as a result of the drive for more land.
I assume that Bush would define the treatment of the Indian tribes as simply liberation-in-action.
He was in Manila a few years ago and babbled about the role of the U.S. in bringing freedom to the Filipinos – not mentioning that US troops had slaughtered Filipinos en masse after they refused to become a US colony.
I’m a US Marine recently back from Iraq and blogs like yours make me sick. People like you claim to “support the troops” but all you do is belittle us.
I have neither belittled the troops nor proclaimed my support for them.
What were your Rules of Engagement for dealing with civilians in Iraq? Where were you deployed?
Free to secretly check out what you have been checking out of the library.
Free to wiretap all the people all the time.
Free to arrest anyone anytime. Free to torture(not mistreat).
Free to incarcerate anyone forever. Free to bomb the crap out of any country that disagrees with Neo-Con policy.
Free passes to the Superdome during Hurricane season.
Free trips to sunny Cuba for protesting about all you freedoms that have been stolen.
Yes this is the freedom he mumbles on about. Crawford Tx. gets it’s village idiot back every summer. Sad really.
I’d worry less about his shuckin’ and jivin’ than in the very real fact of his attempts to govern via the feuhrerprinzip. Keep your fingers crossed that we’ll still have elections in November. Another 9/11 and I’m not convinced that we will.
Yep, it certainly sounds like freedom is universal.
It is sad to see how many folks are so desperate for a Great Leader that they have put Bush on a pedestal – at least in their own mind.
It is surprising how brazenly Cheney and other GOPers are trying to smear Democrats as being pro-terror, or soft on terror.
George Bush is fighting the war on drugs.
And those screw-ups in the White House can’t even get the dosage right.
“A group of ideologues, by the way, who use terror to achieve an objective — this is the challenge.” Wow, that’s a slip-of-the-tongue if there ever was one! His handlers ought to know better than to let him make off-the-cuff remarks.
Are not the Bushists “a group of ideologues who use terror to achieve objectives and who kill innocent people to stop the advance of liberty” (PARTICULARLY in democratic, “sovereign” Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon)?!
Wes, there was a time I would have agreed with you on Bush’s handlers.
But my impression is that the White House press corps almost always ignores Bush’s inanities.
Remember Bush’s behavior during the first presidential debate with Kerry? And he still got reelected.
As long as Bush doesn’t publicly bite the head off of a bat, Ozzy-Ozborne-style, middle America will remain in his pocket.
To the Marine who’s come back from Iraq: Who can support those who have given us Falludja, Abu Ghraib, Haitha and God only knows how many other places of your glory?
The only support you will ever deserve is to come back ASAP from that martyred Country. Hang your head in shame and don’t talk to anybody about ever being there.
Pero
Jim,
You’re right. Dubdub – I’m not sure where I got that nickname, but it’s alliteration of guttural syllables seem to fit Bush’s puerile behavior – is effectively a boy king. Congress is little more than a group of barking, clapping seals, and the Supreme Beings have been playing in the sandbox making sand castles for years.
At least George III’s core collection began the British Library and his interest in farming helped British farmers, our crazy George can offer little more than feel-good, trademarked words at military installations or NASCAR races.
Jim,
Your observation on the cult of death matches my own. When reading or listening to anything that the high priests say, remember that projection is the most common of human behaviors. When they are describing “terrorists”, or “the enemy”, or whatever their object of fear-mongering of the moment is, they are describing themselves first and foremost.
Bush is right about everything he says regarding terrorism. The only thing that is missing is that powerful states like the US are the biggest terrorists and they are most responsible for the sub-national violence the doctrinal system calls “terrorism”
Wes – I didn’t know that George III’s collection led to the British Library. So not only was that sonuvagun the Oppressor of America, but he was also to blame for Marxism.
Jonathan – It is amazing that the US media strictly avoids mentioning the facts that governments do far more terrorizing than do private entities. I hammered that point in Terrorism & Tyranny (Palgrave/St. Martin’s, 2003), and have squeezed it into radio shows and a few op-eds since then. But it would be an understatement to say that this statistical comparison is unpopular with American op-ed editors.
Pero – I disagree on the notion that Marines should hang their head in shame. Some of the Marines and soldiers have done their best to help the Iraqi people.
It would have been far better if the U.S. had never invaded. But there is no collective guilt for all service members for the crimes of Abu Ghraib etc.
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF ANTI-WAR HAD A PRINTER FRIENDLY KEY.
DOESN’T ANYONE REMEMBER WHAT WAS ON
OUR “CORPORATE NEWS STATIONS”…1 TO 2
DAYS BEFORE ISRAEL INVADED????? PEOPLE
IN THE NEWS WERE…TOM KEAN/LEE HAMILTON
OF THE SOCALLED ORIGINAL 9/11 COMMISSION
PLUS TWO OTHER 9/11 INVESTIGATIVE
BODIES….OPENLY SAYING TO THE PRESS:
“WE DON’T HAVE THE FULL TRUE STORY ON
MANY THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE ON 9/11”
MY GOD..DON’T PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS
INFORMATION JUST COULDN’T BE BLABBED
ALL OVER TV AT THIS TIME WHEN IN FACT
LIBERMAN HAD BEEN DUMPED BY “THE
PEOPLE” ETC. DOWN THE MIDDLE
POLITICIANS ON GOV 9/11 COMMISSION
PLUS TWO OTHER BODIES…TO BE TELLING
THE PUBLIC “WE HAVEN’T HAD THE WHOLE
TRUE STORY YET”….ARE YOU NUTS!! OF
COURSE THEY HAD TO “COVER THE AIRWAVES”
AND WHAT A GREATJOB THEY HAVE DONE….
PLUS THE GROTESQUE PAYMENT IN LIVES AND
PAIN….I DON’T THINK THEY JUST WANTED
ISRAEL TO DO THEIR ENTRE’ SO U.S. COULD
INVADE IRAN.. QUITE FRANKLY I’VE BEEN
PERPLEXED FOR 15 YEARS AT LEAST…WHY
THE ARAB COUNTRIES ALL OF THEM HAVEN’T
THROWN THE GAULTLET AND SAID ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH…BACK TO 242 AND NO MORE
ARAB BLOOD AND PAIN….DOES ONE REALLY
THINK…THAT ISRAEL WOULD H BOMB THOSE
COUNTRIES OR THAT THE U.S. WOULD????
COME ON FOLKS FACE THE FACTS…”THIS
COUNTRY AND THEIRS ARE PAST MASTERS AT
“LET’S MAKE A DEAL”….THERE WOULD BE
A DIFFERENT WORLD STAGE HAD SOMETHING
LIKE THAT HAPPENED.
please, please, please-read “The March Of Folly” by the late Barbara Tuchman.
All the snappy observations about gb may be humurous, but it is not funny.
I have been voting since LBJ and if we cannot bring reality to the voting public, we are lost.
Jkebeti – I suspect the media would have ignored the 9/11 commissioners confession of fraud (admitting that they ignored apparently government perjury) even if Lebanon had not ignited. The official version of 9/11 has long since been canonized, and regardless of how often the government revises its version, the government remains sacrosanct.
Tomas – I have read some of Tuchman’s March of Folly and found it not up to her Distant Mirror. Her analytical skills were inferior to her narrative ability.
I agree that a means must be found to make voters face reality. I wrestled with that issue in Attention Deficit Democracy. Unfortunately, I see no silver bullet.
Israel Fakes a Provocation for WAR (the “kidnapping” of Cpl Gilad Shalit)
The following passages in italics are from this article published in the Telegraph on 26/06/2006.
Last night two Israeli soldiers were killed and another kidnapped in a dawn attack by Palestinian militants who tunnelled under Gazas heavily protected border.
The attackers, believed to number seven or eight, surprised Israeli forces when they appeared at first light through a tunnel on open ground 300 yards inside Israel near a kibbutz.
Gaza is built on old semi-consolidated sand dunes. It is extremely unlikely that anyone could tunnel 500, or more, yards in the sandy ground of Gaza (300 yards into Israel plus 200 yards of no-mans land plus more to the tunnel entrance), without the tunnel collapsing at some point, or the Israeli listening equipment, hearing their tunneling activity.
They split into three groups before launching simultaneous attacks on three Israeli defensive positions – a look-out tower, plus a tank and an (unoccupied) armoured personnel carrier, both dug in, facing Gaza.
If you were only seven or eight, would you split into three groups? If you were only two, or three, would you attack a tank over flat ground, manned by four soldiers waiting inside to kill you?
They blew open the tanks rear doors (this probably means it was a merkava) with a missile fired from point-blank range before tossing grenades inside. Two of the tank crew died and another was severely wounded but the final crew member, the gunner, was forced out of the wreckage at gunpoint.
The rear doors are blown off and a few grenades popped inside. Tanks are not made to fall apart. Blowing off the rear doors would have taken a blast sufficient to seriously hurt those inside. The grenades would have then made mincemeat of them.
One wonders, if it is standard practice to wear a bulletproof vest inside a hot tank. One would think that the tank would be bulletproof enough not to require such a vest. Can Israeli tanks stop bullets, or not?
Later reports, from the New York Times and others, tell us that Shalit suffered only minor injuries to his abdomen and one arm, even though everyone else in the tank was severely wounded or killed. Shalit would have been very close to those killed (there isn’t much spare room in a tank). And, how exactly did the Jew press find out about this, when no one else seems to have known.
Israeli trackers said they found his blood-stained bulletproof vest close to the Gaza perimeter fence.
The militants force Shalit to take off his bulletproof vest and leave it close to the Gaza concentration camp fence, in order to help the Israelis with their investigation.
By the way, whose blood is it on his bulletproof vest? Did his minor wounds bleed profusely, or was it the other soldiers blood and guts all over him. Pity their bulletproof vests didn’t save them.
Meanwhile, two other militants attacked a nearby concrete watchtower…. The troop carrier was also damaged in another attack but it was unoccupied. The attackers then escaped back into Gaza by cutting their way through the perimeter fence.
Interestingly, the attackers escaped easily by cutting through the (electrified) perimeter fence, yet cutting through the perimeter fence in order to get in, was so hard to do, that they burrowed through half a mile of sandy ground instead. Something wrong with this story, perhaps?
After all this commotion, the soldiers in all the nearby Gaza concentration camp guard-towers, manage to miss a few Arabs running the 300 yards, over flat ground, back to the perimeter fence, miss them when they cut through it, and miss them running across no-mans land to safety. And why, you may ask, did they not return through the tunnel they had painstakingly dug?
Not only did the Israeli watchers sleep during the explosions and pandamonium, but our heroic freedom fighters did not put a foot wrong as they ran through the no-mans land minefield. Allah, was truly with them.
If you believe this sad tale, I have a bridge to sell you.
The Hamas political leadership sought to distance itself from the incident last night when a spokesman said it had no knowledge of the fate of Cpl Shilat. Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman, said: “We are calling on the resistance groups, if they do have the missing soldier to protect his life and treat him well.”
Yes, the Hamas political leadership had no idea of the fate of Cpl Shilat, as the story is a total fabrication.
[[redacted from here to end]]
This blog is still in evolution so I am not sure of how strict a policy to follow as far as screening comments.
I think the way that Bush has sought to claim that the entire round of recent violence in the Middle East began with the capture by Hamas of the Israeli soldier is totally bogus. But my impression is that the actual seizure of the soldier did occur.
I deleted the final two-thirds of this comment because of ranting against the “Jewish press.”
I deleted the final two-thirds of this comment because of ranting against the Jewish press.
Why? Are you a Jew? Why do you care?
Why do you care if someone talks about the Jew press, or the Arab press, or the British press?
Everyone knows the Jews own a large chunk of the press. What is your problem?
POSTING FOR ‘JONATHAN’ [emailed to me directly; Jonathan OKed my posting to the list]
Well, I don’t know exactly what you mean by “private entities” but there’s no doubt that state terrorism is vastly greater than subnational terrorism (for the simple reason that states have more power). Since states have a lot of control over the doctrinal system, their violence is not called “terrorism” (except when dealing with the official enemy). Furthermore, subnational violence often occurs as a consequence of state actions ( e.g. Hezbollah was created in reaction to Israel’s 1982 invasion of lebanon, Al Qaida as a result of the US arming and training of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan etc) In my view, concentrations of power (with theآ autocratic institutions they create) are the root of most problems, and tend to magnify the worst aspect of human nature. This, of course, is also true of economic power, and totalitarian institutions like corporations, which, naturally, rely heavily on states to protect them from the ravages of the market and to provide them –especially in the 3rd world–with a good investment climate (e.g. low wages, no unions etc) which often means welcoming and supporting repression, torture, murder and dictators. This, in turn, creates resistance that will also be labeled “terrorism” and socioeconomic disparity that will give raise to gangs, crimes, 3rd world farmers who grow coke or opium because they can’t compete with the west’s highly subsidized agriculture industry, people who’ll be willing to do anything for a few $ etc. These illegal actions can then be used to justify/legitimize state power and continue the vicious circle of violence and repression.
POSTED FOR PERO RISTOW – send directly to me & OKed for posting:
First, they are overpaid mercenaries who have no allegiance
except to themselves and their “buddies” and go on rampage for any excuse.
Second, they are not real soldiers who bear stoically discomfort and go hysterical at the sight of danger.
Third, from their overprotected position they are probably the most trigger happy sobs who shoot civilians for any reason.
Fourth, they shoot prisoners for fun.
I could go on for a while..
There is no secret any longer about their abominable behavior towards unprotected in Iraq and Afganistan.
Mr. Bovard, I lived under nazi occupation and have seen
lots of blood and war crimes but have never heard that even nazi soldiers have entered a house and executed the whole family after a raping orgy.
It is no excuse that not all are committing crimes, the shame must be borne by all.( Not even all ss-troupers were criminals).
Helping Iraqis? dont make me laugh. The only way an occupator can help the occupied is to get off his back.
American soldiers have disgraced America.
Replying to WHYDOYOUCARE – which, coincidentally, is the same person as JohnnyBGood.
I don’t bar folks from mentioning ethnicity or criticizing ethnic biases on this blog. The standard for comments is obviously not limited to what I agree with.
But endless rants make lame reading. And repeated ethnic comments serve no good purpose.
Bush declared: “America’s actions have never been guided by territorial ambition.”
L’État, c’est Moi. Since he has never been about territorial ambition, America has never been about territorial ambition.
“I believe that freedom is a universal value. And by that, I mean I believe people want to be free. One way to put it is, I believe mothers around the world want to raise their children in a peaceful world. That’s what I believe. And I believe that people want to be free to express themselves and free to worship the way they want to.”
Note he doesn’t say about believing that the little people should actually have freedom. Just that wanting it is universal.
“And if you believe that, then you’ve got to have hope that ultimately freedom will prevail.”
In Aesop’s time, hope was trapped in Pandora’s Box with all of the world’s evils because hope was considered to BE a great evil. Hope is a bright and shiny little bitch who will keep you trudging along, no matter how bad things get, because she whispers to you “Things are bound to get better, if only you don’t give up. Stay the course.”
Wake up. Things are not only bound, they’re gagged, raped, beaten, and bleeding to death in a ditch.
“But it’s incredibly hard work…”
Remember, “L’État, c’est Moi.” America — incarnate in George W Bush, The Decider, The Commander-in-Chief — is fighting a Global War Against Terror, and Spreading Freedom. All by himself. It’s hard work.
Jim, just out of curiosity from an old troller here, why the sudden (and welcome) explosion in comments??? Hope some of these guys will $$$ your books….
Also, the people who need to “hang their heads” are not, with rare exceptions our soldiers, sailors and marines. They are the Bush people, and they have no shame.
The truely scarry thing about all this is that Bush and company believe their own propaganda. That sort of disillusionment is a recipe for repeated catastrophe.
Hezballoh was firing over 200 katusha
rockets daily a the general vivilian
population of Isreal which is EVIL, much worse than occasional collateral damage from an Israeli bomb directed at
militarily important targets. But thats the way
TERRORIST organizations conduct themselves directly targeting innicent civilians. VERY EVIL. The DEVIL is alive and well on Earth. The BIBLE
WARNS us against his evil schemes.
I have repeatedly condemned Hezbollah for firing rockets at civilians – they are guilty of murder. The Israeli government is also guilty of murder for intentionally bombing civilian targets throughout Lebanon.
Israel’s weaponry is far more accurate than Hezbollah’s. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that Hezbollah would not intentionally attack Arab villages in northern Israel.
And I have not been coerced to pay for any of the World War II era rockets that Hezbollah uses – but I am compelled to bankroll the IDF bombs and missiles.
Original Steve – I agree that soldiers and sailors should not be hanging their heads. Those involved in committing or covering up atrocities should be prosecuted. But there is no reason to assume that the @ million American troops that have been in Afghanistan and Iraq are all tainted.
Original Steve is wrong.
“Rare exceptions” are” rare” only in number of prosecution- with disgracefully lenient sentences.
In every crime of “our boys”,which came to light, there were the “executors” and “spectators”, and everything was followed with a silence and a long cover up ( sometimes up to more than a year).
The “executors” were obviously psychopats and the “spectators”, by their own admission- cowards. There was never any of their superiors indicted and never mind sentenced.
Investigating authorities ( and our brave newsmedia)always accepted as attenuating circumstances ” battle fatigue” or “lack of proper training” . What battles did our delicate brave soldiers wage they were so tired of? Shooting of civilians at the checkpoints?( Or boredom?)
As far as the “lack of proper training”, since when our glorious military had to be trained to behave humanely? And what are all those military priests and rabis doing meanwhile? Blessing their ” war on terrorism”?
No, these are no isolated incidents.American military are affected by a cancer which can’t be cured with aspirins such as those famous “rules of engagement” It is too easy to pas the buck to the idiotic Bush.
Me….Wrong???
Mr.Bush ! Congratulation for fooling so easily to millions of Americans not once but two times to become president of US. A drunk nation ? do you know
your nation is in debt for 8 trillions, your industries are sick, you are being considered around the world as bankrupt in every way, except one in terrorising small nations. Do you know who will pay the price for all this not the presidents but you all. Again congratulation to Mr. Bush, because he is exempt from all hardship, who is smart, of course Mr.Bush, not the Americans. God help those Americans coming in this world after you all goes.
lebanon Survives once again, But will Syria of Assad