Wherein George Bush reveals the lesson of Iraq

Friday, you’ll remember, Dick Cheney referred to Hugo Chavez as leading Peru. Chavez responds that this shows that the US is run by “a bunch of ignorant fools.” And your point is?

French President Sarkozy addresses the US Congress, says, “We love America,” mutters under his breath, “It’s just the damned Americans we detest.”

Bush was interviewed by German television today.

They ask if the “nuclear threat” posed by Iran now, with its complete lack of nuclear weapons, is greater or less than the threat Iraq, with its complete lack of weapons of mass destructed, posed 6 years ago. Bush responded with his characteristic command of verb tenses: “I think they were both dangerous. I think both of them could have been solved diplomatically. ... And I think they’re both dangerous. And I think therefore the lesson of Iraq is that we can work together and solve questions peacefully now.” See, and you didn’t think he’d learned the lesson of Iraq.

“And hopefully we can and hopefully we can keep pressure on the Iranians to say, one, we respect your people; two, we respect your history; but your government is making decisions that are isolating your country.” We can keep pressure on them by respecting their people and history?

Was he serious about the World War III line? “Oh, absolutely serious. I said, if you want to avoid World War III. I didn’t say I’m for World War III.” You didn’t have to say it. “If you want to see World War III, you know, a way to do that is to attack Israel with a nuclear weapon.” How many nuclear weapons would you recommend?

“In other words, I -- I’ve committed our troops into harm’s way twice, and it’s not a pleasant experience because I understand the consequences firsthand.” Well okay, secondhand. Okay, thirdhand... “And so I owe it to the American people to say that I’ve tried to solve this problem diplomatically.” Yes, saying that is the very least you can do.

On Putin: “My hope, of course, is I’ve tried to work with him as best as I can...” As best as you can, that’s the problem. “...to understand the checks and balances. And democracy requires a certain balance in society. And I would hope that he would make decisions that enhanced institutional reform, enhanced the institutions necessary for a free society. As I say, sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn’t.” Note that by “listens,” he means “does what I tell him to do.” It’s a truly arrogant choice of word.

He is fascinated by the differences between Germany and America. Did you know they speak German instead of American over there? “[T]hat’s an interesting difference between, say, Germany and America. We’ve been attacked. We feel like another attack is coming”. The interviewer reminded him that Germans had some concept of what the fear of being attacked is like, with the Cold War and the Iron Curtain and all.

Asked what his legacy will be: “And that I helped this country protect itself, and at the same time was unashamed, unabashed at spreading certain values to others -- the main one being liberty, whether it be the freedom from forms of government or the freedom from disease and hunger.” Freedom from forms of government? I knew he was secretly an anarchist, I knew it.