Out of these tragedies can come a better life

On the front page of the Pentagon website this morning I found this picture,


with the caption: “NEW FRIENDS - U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Todd L. Hood, with 4th Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo., greets a child while searching homes for weapons in the area of Dora in southern Baghdad, Aug. 1, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti”

New friends, indeed.

Bush in Minneapolis today, standing in front of a metaphor for his administration collapsed bridge.



He has totally learned the lessons of Katrina and brought aid with all deliberate dispatch: “On behalf of the citizens of America, I bring prayers from the American people to those who suffered loss of life”. So he’s the official prayer-carrier now? He “brings” prayers (in a little wooden box emblazoned with the presidential seal, no doubt), “on behalf” of the citizens of America. “I bring the prayers of those who wonder about whether they’ll ever see a loved one again.” Wonder? Like they’re just kinda curious.

He met that guy who saved the kids. “We have an amazing country, where people’s instinct, first instinct, is to help save life.” Yes, they don’t have that in any other country in the world. “There’s a lot of peoples’ first instincts here in the Twin Cities was to save the lives of somebody who was hurting.” Hurting? He’s so into his “gosh isn’t compassion neato” mode that he’s literally forgotten what sort of disaster occasioned the speech.

Talking the total bullshit some people seem to feel obligated to speak after a disaster, he insisted, “Out of these tragedies can come a better life.” A better bridge would also be nice.

Dude! Yeah, you, second from right, it’s hands over balls, not hands over butt. Get with the program.