I squirm every time I see President Jethro promenade across the world stage, but this trip that just ended was particularly painful. On his way to the G8 summit in St. Petersburg, the prospect of peace in the world's hot spots was as dire as I can remember. Over 160 people murdered on trains in Mumbai, more sectarian atrocities in Iraq, and the bludgeoning response of Israel toward the Lebanese infrastructure, and there stands Bush at a press conference in Germany talking about the pig that they have prepared for him for dinner. Nothing intrinsically wrong with that, but when a journalist asked him whether he was worried that Israel's military response might trigger a wider war, he said, "I thought you were going to ask me about that pig." Bush supporters seem to like his schoolboy type of humor, but I don't get it. It seems inappropriate and distasteful considering the circumstances.
Then came the press appearance with his pal Vlad "Pootie-poot" Putin. Trying to look tough, President Jethro said that "In Iraq they have freedom of the press and freedom of religion. A lot of people in our country would like to see Russia go the same way." Putin grinned like a Cheshire Cat while responding, "We certainly wouldn't want the same type of democracy they have in Iraq," to the laughter of the world press. But Chucklehead, always needing the last word had to yell out "Just wait," like a petulant fourth grader shouting back "Am not!" I guess former head of the KGB Putin isn't Bush's soul mate, after all.
After Bush blocked Russia's entrance into the World Trade Organization, the G8 Class Picture looked like a gathering of statesmen and Bush, President of the United Redneck States of America. All that was missing was the Stetson. It became more revolting when his candid chatter was captured by an open microphone. I don't object to his profanity so much as the context in which it was delivered, beginning with, "Yo, Blair!" His simplistic remarks while stuffing his face, his condescension towards the British Prime Minister, rebuking his suggestion to visit the Middle East, his James Dean adolescent body language, and his inability to have an intelligent conversation should be an embarrassment to those who remember Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton.
What is profoundly unsettling is that this third generation of an Ivy League political dynasty has absolutely no couth. His father was a worldy man, but the son seems not to have even learned basic manners. He has no curiosity about how the rest of the world lives, aside from the occasional photo-op. Why would the leader of the free world go to India and not take his wife to the Taj Mahal, even to the point of being gently chastised by his hosts who apologized to Mrs. Bush on his behalf? He spent exactly three days in China. If you're going to spend a day and a half on a plane, wouldn't you like to do a little sightseeing before you return to clearing brush at the ranch? Incurious George wants to instruct the world in democracy, yet he couldn't point out the continent of India on a map.
Now that he's safely back in the White House, 25,000 Americans are in need of evacuation from Lebanon. The governments' leasing of a cruise ship from Cypress that holds 750 people at a time is at best a Katrina response, and at worst, a catastrophe waiting to happen. I understand the ship will be escorted by Navy vessels but God help the shortsighted people who could not see the obvious danger; that if Hezbollah, and thus Iran, can hit an Israeli ship with a missile, they can hit a Cypriot Cruise ship also. And the State Department under Dr. Rice was supposed to be so much more efficient.
Tomorrow, the Senate will pass a resolution lifting a government ban on further stem cell research. The President has promised to use his first veto to assure that those unused embryonic stem cells from fertility clinics hit the dumpster rather than a Petri dish. I hope that he does. I think that will seal his reputation as "Luddite in Chief," and not even his hard core conservative base, the right-wing Evangelicals, or Fox News can sway public opinion away from the conclusion that we elected a stupid man with a stupid plan. The emperor not only has no clothes, he has no sense either. The political season begins in earnest in just a couple of weeks. Will you help stop this insanity?
6 comments:
Randy time has a way of changing your thinking. I believe you included Reagan with Kennedy and Clinton. I remember when you had the same thought of Reagan's intellect that you have of Bush's.
Randy time has a way of changing your thinking. I believe you included Reagan with Kennedy and Clinton. I remember when you had the same thought of Reagan's intellect that you have of Bush's.
On the mark. If a tree falls on your foot, is laying on your foot, and you can't move your foot, do you need someone to explain why you can't move your foot. I believe Mr. Bush would. That's called good ole stupidity. I'm not even talking about intellectual capacity, I'm talking about plain old street smarts. Uncouth is about being stupid to everybody and their sensibilities around you. Reagan was couth. He had that "vision" thing. He was determined to understand the best he could. HIs ability to really investigate a topic was partly impossible because of his incipient Alzheimer's and partly because he was not an intellectual. But, he made real friends with real intellectuals who trusted his bearings. Margaret Thatcher trusted him because he was not an uncouth idiot. She would never trust the man 53 million people voted for in 2004. Never.
History will destroy this guy. We are a laughing stock, and appropriately so....not because this country is full of idiots but because the guy we voted for is one. Get him the hell out of there.
I AM A CERTIFIED REDNECK. THE ONLY MANNERS I WAS EVER TAUGHT WAS FROM MY PARENTS, WHO ARE ALSO CERTIFIED REDNECKS, BUT I WOULD HAVE BEEN SLAPPED AWAY FROM THE "SUPPER TABLE" HAD I EATEN THE WAY GEORGE BUSH ATE DURING THE "YO BLAIR" EPISODE. HIS PARENTS MUST BE EMBARRASSED BY HIS LAKE OF MANNERS, I KNOW I AM.
D IN TENNESSEE
Nothing good has come out of Lebanon since that large chunk of opiated hashish in my freshman year of 1967. The southern border is ruled by Hezzbollah, which has the legitimacy of a gang of "crips" and yet no one inside or outside of Lebanon has the stones to go in and simply kill them all and let Allah sort them out.
It is as if the USA was currently governed by a wacko fringe-element group, such as the American Nazi Party. OK, OK, maybe this is not a good analogy because Bush and his Reichstag-members are not much better. It is impossible to summon much moral authority, when you treat your own citizens as if it were 1984. (it's a book, read it!!)
The Hezzbollah are the true "dead-enders" because they want to wage war against the Israeli's who can kick their asses with the left hand only. This would have been a good time for the USA to exercise a degree of military aid, but we have spent those bullets in a wasteful manner.
Bush is reaping what he sowed, but like all cowards, he wrotes a check that others will have to cash. We are screwing around in Iraq, when the real threat is elsewhere. Lebanon could be the first of the real dominos to fall.
At this time, most bloggers state the obvious that we support and back our troops. This is a ridiculous point. The soldier's duty is to fight when told to do so. It was Bush's duty to NOT send our troops into battle, without a real threat to US, the citizens of the USA. The situation in Lebanon is a much greater threat to our fundamental interests and Israel than our screwing around in Iraq.
We face the chance now that our citizens will be killed aboard cruise ships, while evacuating. Apparently, there is no profit in this endeavor for Haliburton, so the 25,000 US citizens will be taken out 750 at a time. Maybe we could get Kathie Lee Gifford to sing the "funship" song to them, while they dodge incoming missles.
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Posted by Davethedog to Born-Again Hippies at 7/18/2006 04:04:30 PM
Choosing between having our country led by either the Republicans or the Democrats is like choosing whether to be stabbed with a knife or shot with a gun. Granted the Republicans suck, but my biggest worry is that the world, and hence the U.S., is in a very dangerous situation. I wouldn't mind if the Dems were in control in a safer world, but to put them in charge now is suicidal. The pansies wouldn't defend their own mothers, much less anything else. With them in charge the terrorists would have a field day...I just wish they had some balls. Regardless of the Dem who is elected, we would still be ruled by women, because the Dems are all girly men. It has been said that when Jimmy Carter was in office if Florida was overtaken by an enemy, Carter would immediately begin negotiations to save Alabama and Georgia. That was not much of an exaggeration.
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