Saturday, June 14, 2008
Bush in Paris: Difficulty should not cause people to do the right thing
Jargon alert: in a NYT article about the National Guards patrolling the border with Mexico, we are treated to this quote from an officer in the Virginia Guard: “At first we were constantly catching clients.” The paper explains that “clients” is what the Border Patrol calls illegal immigrants.
This morning Bush held a press conference with French President Sarkozy, enjoying the rare experience of not being the goofiest-looking guy in the room.
HE’S THE REMINDERER: “Yesterday I reminded the world, really, Nicolas, that America’s first friend was France.”
AND WITH A SLIP OF THE TONGUE, HE LETS FRANCE OFF THE HOOK: “And frankly, we wouldn’t be where we are today with the French support early in our revolution.”
WHAT NICKY SARKOZY IS FULL OF: “I really enjoy being with President Sarkozy. He’s an interesting guy. (Laughter.) He is full of energy. He’s full of wisdom.”
THE SUPPORTER: “thank you very much for supporting the Paris support conference”.
SUPPORTING THE YOUNG DEMOCRATS: “And I do thank the people of France for supporting the women and children and the young democrats in Afghanistan.”
WHAT HIS MESSAGE WOULD BE: Asked what demands he’d like to make of Syrian President Assad, he said, “Well, my message would be, stop fooling around with the Iranians and stop harboring terrorists”.
BUT HE ISN’T, SO WE WON’T: “Olivier, if I were a betting man, we’ll reach an agreement with the Iraqis.”
WE REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY. BYOSAW (BRING YOUR OWN SHOCK AND AWE): “You know, of course we’re there at their invitation; this is a sovereign nation.”
WHAT IS INTERESTING: “And it’s interesting to be working with a democracy where, you know, people are trying to prepare the ground to get something passed in the parliament, for example, or the free press is vibrant.”
IN OTHER WORDS: “Most Palestinians want to coexist in peace with Israel. And that peace must be in a state that is clearly visible, well defined, and in actuality is a state. And so in other words, the concept -- and by the way, this is newly arrived; I’m actually the first President ever to have articulated a two-state solution, two democracies living side by side with peace -- in peace. And during my time as President I’ve seen a notable shift amongst folks in the Middle East that recognize the importance of having that state.” Does he actually believe that no one thought a Palestinian state was a good idea before he brought up the subject?
HE’S THE REMINDERER: “And therefore our diplomacy is to remind all the parties involved that they have now an opportunity to get a state negotiated.”
WHAT SHOULD NOT CAUSE PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING: “I understand how difficult it is, but difficulty should not cause people to do the right thing.”
Friday, June 13, 2008
Bush in France, standing against moral relativism
Bush gave a speech in Paris to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Written for him, so not worth spending much time on, although he did add his own distinctive touches, by which I mean fuck-ups, saying that the US and France “stood united” during the Civil War when he meant Cold War;
thinking that the head of the Soviet Union was called a secretary-general; and in one memorable sentence referring both to a Broader Middle East and North America Initiative (actually the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative) and to a Forum for Freedom (actually the Forum for the Future).
He said that “We should stand against the moral relativism that views all forms of government as equally acceptable.” Name someone who’s ever said that, George. Anyone.
Speaking of equally acceptable forms of government, in the morning he dropped in on a theocratic state.
CAPTION CONTEST: What are they looking at?He brought the pope a gift.
Just what he always wanted, I’m sure.
Then it was on to France.
Boumediene v. Bush
Some quotes from the dissents in Boumediene v. Bush (pdf), the case extending Habeas Corpus to Guantanamo prisoners. First, Roberts’ dissent:
“The dangerous mission assigned to our forces abroad is to fight terrorists, not serve subpoenas.”
“One cannot help but think, after surveying the modest practical results of the majority’s ambitious opinion, that this decision is not really about the detainees at all, but about control of federal policy regarding enemy combatants.”
“So who has won? ... Not the Great Writ, whose majesty is hardly enhanced by its extension to a jurisdictionally quirky outpost... Not the rule of law, unless by that is meant the rule of lawyers... And certainly not the American people, who today lose a bit more control over the conduct of this Nation’s foreign policy to unelected, politically unaccountable judges.” It’s true, I feel so much less in control over the conduct of this nation’s foreign policy now.
(Addendum: Roberts describes current rules as “the most generous set of procedural protections ever afforded aliens detained by this country as enemy combatants.” The word “generous” is telling, indicating that he does not believe that the detainees have rights that must be respected, that whatever version of due process they get is entire within our gift, subject only to our “generosity,” to grant or not, according to our whim.)
From Scalia’s dissent: “America is at war with radical Islamists.” So Scalia is signing on to Bush’s hazy and ill-defined definition of The War Against Terror (TWAT). He goes on to use that definition to argue that Guantanamo detainees should have no more rights than POWs seized on the battlefield during armed conflict between nations.
More, he cites reactions to a perceived threat as if they were logical proof of the seriousness of that threat: “one need only walk about buttressed and barricaded Washington, or board a plane anywhere in the country, to know that the threat is a serious one.”
He says the majority decision “will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed.” He then cites the cases of released detainees who have subsequently done bad things. When a judge argues for locking people up based on what they might do in the future, you gotta wonder.
Like Roberts, Scalia insists that the majority is not really interested in habeas corpus rights or in any principle, but is making a raw, naked power grab: “What drives today’s decision is neither the meaning of the Suspension Clause, nor the principles of our precedents, but rather an inflated notion of judicial supremacy. ... The gap between rationale and rule leads me to conclude that the Court’s ultimate, unexpressed goal is to preserve the power to review the confinement of enemy prisoners held by the Executive anywhere in the world.” And if there’s one thing Scalia hates, it’s an abuse of power like that.
He concludes, “The Nation will live to regret what the Court has done today.”
And today, John McCain added his voice, calling the ruling “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country”, which will subject us to “so-called, quote, Habeas Corpus suits against the government, whether it be about the diet, whether it be about the reading material. And we are going to be bollixed up in a way that is terribly unfortunate, because we need to go ahead and adjudicate these cases.” Hey, stupid, the whole point of Habeas Corpus is to require that these cases be adjudicated.
Then he announced that in order to be consistent, he will be returning to Vietnam to spend the rest of his life in a tiger cage.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Bush in Italy: A little fatter and a little more enculturated
Today Bush held a not-very-entertaining press conference with Silvio Berlusconi. He said of his visit to Italy, “I always leave with a little extra culture -- and a little fatter.” He gave the rest of the press conference in the form of operatic verse.
HE’S THE REMINDERER: “Now, I remind the Prime Minister our objective is to get nations like China and India to sign up to the goal, and that we’ll develop our own strategies that will be firm strategies within the U.N. framework.”
On the Supreme Court’s depressingly narrow 5-4 decision that Guantanamo prisoners have the right of habeas corpus, he said, “we’ll abide by the Court’s decision.” Isn’t that nice of him?
He went on, pissily, “That doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. It’s a deeply divided Court, and I strongly agree with those who dissented, and their dissent was based upon their serious concerns about U.S. national security.” Unlike the five traitors.
THEY CALL HIM... THE IRANIAN: “Foreign Minister Solana is going to see the Iranian here very shortly”.
Berlusconi, asked who he supported in the American presidential race, said McCain, just so he wouldn’t be the oldest person at the G8 conference.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Bush in Germany: It’s all kinds of noise in their system and our system
This morning Bush held a press conference with Angela Merkel, who informed us, “Yesterday we had very intensive talks over dinner. We had intensive talks this morning.” There are few things as testicle-shrivelingly scary as a German using the phrase “intensive talks.”
Although Angela probably finds most scary Bush’s proclamation that “Our relationship is strong and our relationship is active.”
Going in for the inappropriate touching....
Going in....
Score!
NO GEORGE, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SAID WAS THAT YOU ARE AS DUMB AS ASPARAGUS: “For those in the German press who thought I didn’t like asparagus, you’re wrong. The German asparagus are fabulous.”
WHAT THE IRANIAN PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER THAN: “The Iranian people deserve better than being isolated from the world. They deserve better from having, you know, their government held up as, you know, unsafe and not trustworthy.” Yeah, it must be terrible to have your government held up as, you know, unsafe and not trustworthy.
WHAT THERE’S A LOT OF IN THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCENE THESE DAYS: “A lot of protectionism in the American political scene these days.”
THANKING THE MESSAGE: “And I want to thank the message that came out of the EU meeting yesterday, which is that if they choose to be -- continue to be obstinate, there will be additional sanctions.”
Following up on the London Times interview, he says that of course he would still have invaded Iraq: “I don’t regret it at all. .... But I could have used better rhetoric to indicate that one, we tried to exhaust the diplomacy in Iraq; two, that I don’t like war.”
IT’S ALL KINDS OF NOISE: “First of all, I think we’ll end up with a strategic agreement with Iraq. You know, it’s all kinds of noise in their system and our system. What eventually will win out is the truth. For example, you read stories perhaps in your newspaper that the U.S. is planning all kinds of permanent bases in Iraq. That’s an erroneous story. The Iraqis know -- will learn it’s erroneous, too. We’re there at the invitation of the sovereign government of Iraq.”
HE SURE KNOWS HOW TO SELL A DEAL: “And I strongly support the agreement because I think it helps send a clear message to the people of Iraq that, you know, that security you’re now seeing will continue.”
ALL SAYING “FUCK OFF,” BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, A MYRIAD: “You know, as to -- look, Eggen, you can find any voice you want in the Iraqi political scene and quote them, which is interesting, isn’t it, because in the past you could only find one voice, and now you can find a myriad of voices.” So the fact that most Iraqis are vehemently against the status-of-forces agreement is just another sign of our success in bringing democracy to Iraq. But you’ve also gotta love how this myriad of voices is cited as a reason you can safely ignore what those voices are saying, because “you can find any voice you want.” Freedom, ain’t it grand.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
You know, not a man of peace
The Knesset is in the process of passing a law immunizing Israel from having to pay compensation for any damages caused by military actions in “enemy territories.” It will be retroactive to 2006, and adds that if a court ignores the law and rules in favor of compensation anyway, that compensation will be scaled down in accordance with the lesser living standards of Palestinians.
Bush tells the London Times that such phrases as “bring em on” and “dead or alive” might possibly, conceivably have given people the entirely erroneous impression “that I was, you know, not a man of peace”. I’m so glad he cleared that up.
While I attempt to peal my back off this chair, some pictures for your captioning pleasure:
George Bush in Europe, working with EU nations to helping elevate folks from needless death
Headline of the Day (AP): “Note, Head Found Near Mexican Newspaper Office.”
Bush held a press conference in Slovenia today, along with a couple of Euro-types.
HE HAD A MESSAGE AT THE END: “My message at the end is that it’s really important for the United States to stay close with the EU.” He’s looking forward to rubbing Angela Merkel again.
NOT IRONIC, JUST INTERESTING: “I find it ironic -- not ironic, just interesting, that 20 years ago, Mr. Prime Minister, you were in jail -- (laughter) -- because of your beliefs, because...”
PRIME MINISTER JANŠA: Not very happy times. (Laughter.)
BUSH: You shouldn’t have been happy about it.
WHAT ELSE IS NOT IRONIC, JUST INTERESTING? “It’s interesting, my first visit as U.S. President to Europe included a -- my first stop in Slovenia. My last visit as U.S. President to Europe includes first stop in Slovenia. It’s a fitting circle.” Circle of life, dude, circle of life.
WHAT TO USE THE EU FOR: “And we spent a lot of time talking about how to help others realize the blessings of liberty, whether it be in the Balkans, whether it be a Palestinian state, and whether it be to use the EU as a way to encourage people to develop the habits of reformist societies.”
BOTH OF YOUR LEADERSHIP: “I want to thank very much your leadership, both of your leadership, in having the EU summit in South America.”
A LOT OF RELATIONS: “Obviously it’s in the U.S. interest that you do so. We’ve got a lot of relations with countries in our neighborhood.”
YES, GEORGE, ANGELA HAS HEARD ABOUT THE “MILE-HIGH CLUB” AND NO, GEORGE, SHE’S NOT INTERESTED: “We talked about how to make sure we have travel in a way that comforts our societies.”
ELEVATOR MUSIC: “The United States looks forward to working with EU nations to helping elevate folks from needless death.”
WHAT THE FREE WORLD IS GOING TO SAY: “And if they [Iran, natch] end up with a nuclear weapon, the free world is going to say, why didn’t we do something about it at the time, before they developed it?”
HE HAS A QUESTION FOR IRAN: “are they going to continue on their path of obstruction?” You know, their obstruction of our obstruction of their nuclear plans.
WHY YOU’D BE A LITTLE NERVOUS, TOO, IF YOU WERE LIVING IN ISRAEL: “First of all, if you were living in Israel you’d be a little nervous, too, if a leader in your neighborhood announced that they -- he’d like to destroy you. And one sure way of achieving that means is through the development of a nuclear weapon.”
THERE’S A LOT OF URGENCIES, MANY URGENCIES, AND URGENCY IN THEIR VOICE: There’s a lot of urgencies when it comes to dealing with Iran, and the Israeli political folks -- and if you go to Israel and listen carefully, you’ll hear that urgency in their voice, one of many urgencies. And I’m hopeful we can get it done.”
THE ARTICULATOR-IN-CHIEF: “I articulated a policy that I had been articulating ever since I had been the President. It’s the same policy, which is we believe in a strong dollar”.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Taking pressure off gasoline for hardworking Americans
Before heading to Europe, Bush spoke to reporters.
HE’S THE REMINDERER: “The countries I’m going to have committed troops to Afghanistan, and, of course, want to thank them, and remind them there’s a lot of work to be done.”
WHAT THERE NEEDS TO BE: (On Laura’s trip to Afghanistan): “She saw progress, but she also saw there needs to be a lot of work to be done -- there’s a lot of work to be done.”
HE’S THE REMINDERER: “A lot of Americans are concerned about our economy. ... I do remind them that we have put a stimulus package forward that is expected to help boost the economy.”
HE’S THE REMINDERER: “We’ll remind our friends and allies overseas that we’re all too dependent on hydrocarbons.”
HE’S THE REMINDERER: “I’ll also remind them, though, that the United States has an opportunity to help increase the supply of oil on the market, therefore, taking pressure off gasoline for hardworking Americans”.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
We’re all disappointed the intelligence wasn’t what it was
Friday, Bush, who will be traveling to Europe soon, was interviewed by Slovenian television.
ITS DIFFERENCES: “And the United States and Europe has had its differences on certain issues...”
AS OPPOSED TO DIFFERENT COMMON VALUES: “...but we’ve always had the same common values.”
UNBELIEVABLY SECOND-CLASS: “I think working together in Afghanistan is going to be an historic achievement; helping a young democracy recover from a society in which women, for example, were treated as unbelievably second-class citizens.”
WHAT GEORGE CAN UNDERSTAND: “You know, first of all, I can understand why many of our friends in Europe who aren’t treated like other nations within the EU are treated on visas are concerned.”
IN OTHER WORDS, WE HOPE: “As to whether or not we’ve made it harder for visa waiver countries to come to the United States, actually not; we’ve made it easier. In other words, you file your paperwork online before you come to the United States, which should actually facilitate travel, we hope.”
WE GOT NEW RELATIONS: “But the truth of the matter is, when you really look at -- like, for example, our relations in the Far East, we got great relations with Japan, China and Korea -- South Korea; or India, for example -- we got new relations with India that no administration has ever -- South America and Central America.”
On polls showing rising anti-Americanism in Europe: “I hear stuff like that, I just -- I dismiss it as kind of like what happens when there’s kind of gossip and rumors”.
Then, he was interviewed by Italian tv.
WHAT IS NO LONGER REALLY UNACCEPTABLE: “For a period of time, democracy [in Iraq] was in doubt, primarily because sectarian violence was really unacceptable.”
WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE POPE: “And we did talk about interfaith dialogue, that I think is really important for people to find common ground through religion to deal with the violence that is used by some in the name of religion, to perpetuate an ideology -- and to remind people that peace -- religion is peace.” But not vice versa.
WHICH WAS WHICH AGAIN? “I talked to the King of Saudi Arabia about his visit with the Holy Father, and those are two very important figures when it comes to, obviously, Christianity and Islam.”
THE HISTORIOGRAPHER IN CHIEF: About the latest report that he was lying about intelligence on Iraq: “I will remind people -- and one of the things important about history is to remember the true history.”
WHY WE’RE ALL DISAPPOINTED: “we’re all disappointed the intelligence wasn’t what it was.”
Dancing
Visiting Afghanistan, Laura Bush responds with her customary animation to what is described by the AFP as a traditional New Zealand war dance and by Reuters as a traditional New Zealand arrival dance.
And, speaking of traditional arrival dances, back in Washington...
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war
Gmail, possibly as a form of commentary, put an email from the Hillary campaign containing her farewell speech in the spam folder.
McCain’s first ad of the post-primary phase of the campaign makes the claim that John McCain is not a war-monger. “I hate war,” he says. When you have to take out an ad just to say that you hate war, you may just have a little image problem.
“Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war,” he says. But if you sing it to the tune of a Beach Boys song...
His campaign website, with no trace of irony, describes the ad as part of a campaign “targeting battleground states.”
Friday, June 06, 2008
Good blessings of life
Wednesday Bush met with Ehud Olmert and said “Iran is an existential threat to peace”. One might almost suspect that George does not know what the word existential means, but that couldn’t be right, could it?
Could it?
And today he went to the American Red Cross hq to talk in his inimitable style about earthquake relief for China: “There’s no question this is a major human disaster that requires a strong response from the Chinese government, which is what they’re providing, but it also responds [sic] a compassionate response from nations to whom -- that have got the blessings, good blessings of life, and that’s us.” Yes it is.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Caption contest
Stupid Hollywood remake idea of the day: My Fair Lady, with Keira Knightley.
Don’t feel bloggery right now. Be dears and caption this for me:
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
An impressive man who makes a great first impression
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called Iran the “neighborhood bully.”
Speaking of the neighborhood bully, McCain, although he only labeled Obama a “liberal” once in his speech tonight (guess the R’s finally realized that most people don’t spit and cross themselves when they hear that word), suggests that the R strategy of running against the 1960s hasn’t changed, even against a candidate who was actually born in the 1960s: “But, the choice is between the right change and the wrong change; between going forward and going backward. ... The solution to our problems isn’t to reach back to the 1960s and 70s for answers.” Does anyone really think electing Obama would be “going backward”?
For that matter, is it actually possible to “go backward” from the Bush administration?
I rather enjoyed McCain’s condescending line that Obama “is an impressive man who makes a great first impression.”
I rather less enjoyed McCain’s condescending line that Obama had been named the D nominee by “pundits and party elders have declared that Sen. Obama will be my opponent.” Be as dismissive of Obama as you like, but someone who claims to be above partisan politics should show a little less contempt for the voters.
Chickenhawk, meet Jayhawks
New law: H.R. 2356, which encourages the display of the flag of the United States on Father’s Day. Why?
Due to a freak accident during a meeting with the NCAA winners, the University of Kansas Jayhawks, George Bush’s head is replaced by a basketball.
Monday, June 02, 2008
What we need is more priority
Today Bush held a meeting to call for his tax cuts to be made permanent.
THE REMINDERER: “I do want to remind people what life was like in the years 2001 and 2003. The country was having some pretty tough economic times in 2001. Larry, you might remember that period.”
DR. LINDSEY: “I do -- painfully.”
Larry Lindsey, one of his economic advisers in that period, is the guy who was fired for saying that the Iraq War might cost as much as $200 billion.
THE SOPHISTICATES: “clearly the economy was slowing, and so we had to strategize on how to deal with it. And Larry and others agreed that the best way to deal with economic uncertainty is to let people have more of their own money, because we believe that the economy benefits when there’s more money in circulation, in the hands of the people who actually earned it. I know that’s probably not as sophisticated a concept as some of you all up here have articulated, but it’s a concept that worked.”
IT’S CERTAIN THAT REPUBLICANS WILL ALWAYS TRY TO CUT TAXES ON THE RICH: “Let’s make sure that there is certainty during uncertain times in our economy.”
IN OTHER WORDS: “Our fellow citizens have got to understand that those tax cuts aren’t permanent. In other words, if Congress allows them to expire, here are the consequences: First of all, taxes go up by an average of $280 billion a year...”
WHAT WE BELIEVE: “we believe American families benefit when they have more money to spend.”
WHAT WE NEED: “We got plenty of money in Washington. What we need is more priority.”
SO IT SHOULD JUST BE ALL THINGS TO ALL RICH PEOPLE: “People got to set the priorities. Government can’t try to be all things to all people.”
IN OTHER WORDS: “If Congress doesn’t act, 27 [sic] small business owners will face a tax increase of $4,066 on average. In other words, that $4,000, on average, for the small businesses won’t be available for investment, won’t be available for programs that help their employees, will make it harder for them to compete.”
There is a series of moments and this is one of them
Bush, in grr mode:
“Kill them! We are going to wipe them out!”Also not blinking anymore: PFC Ross McGinnis, 19. Bush awarded him the Medal of Honor today and nuzzled his mother.
“There is a series of moments and this is one of them.”
“We are not blinking.”
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Not waving but drowning
George Bush went to church today. This is him waving dolefully before the service:
This is him waving dolefully after the service:
Cheer up, George, at least you didn’t burst into flames. Did Laura not promise there would be ice cream after?
Even I’m not interested in my thoughts about the Puerto Rico primary (update: literally as I was writing that, an email came in for Hillary herself, so I can relay her thoughts on the Puerto Rico primary: “Now there can be no doubt: the people have spoken and you have chosen your candidate.” Just in case you had any doubt), so instead let’s have some more London Review of Books personals, some of which this time are a little creepy. (More of my selected LRB personals can be found here.)
This time next week you’ll think replying to this advert was the best decision you’ve ever made. At the same time you’ll be regretting your choice of footwear. Why? Because dark soles aren’t allowed on my mother’s newly laid laminates. Don’t worry, I’ve already bought you slippers (size four) and pyjamas (size 10) and a brush for your beautiful long red hair (I’ve had ‘Susan’ engraved on the handle, that’s what I’d like to call you). Size 10 Susans with size four feet, please, reply to box no. 10/02 You can be any age but if you’re 42 with a birthday on September 6 it will be a distinct advantage. Otherwise we can just pretend. Box no. 10/02
The usual hyperbole infuses this ad with a whiff of playful narcissism and Falstaffian bathos. But scratch below the surface and you’ll soon find that I really am the greatest man ever to have lived. Truly great man, 37. Better than Elvis and Ghandi. You’ll never be a genuinely worthy partner, but try anyway by first replying to box no. 10/03 Include a full list of qualifications, a list of your aspirations, and a full frontal nude body shot. Box no. 10/03
At first glance you may consider me a true modernist in the von Webern sense, but – like him – deep down I’m very much a romantic. As my collection of taxidermied amphibians will testify. Man, 60. Box no. 10/06
This advert is my entry to the LRB’s young person essay writing contest. I won’t win it, however, because it is far too clever by half and also because I’m 62. Man, 62. Far too clever by half. Box no. 10/08
Think of every sexual partner you’ve ever had. I’m nothing like them. Unless you’ve ever slept with a German bulimic cellist called Elsa. Elsa: German bulimic cellist, (F, 37). Box no. 10/09
Fighter Ace, Nobel/Olympic legend, seeks slim lady tired of bullshit.
Mad Dog and Englishman, 24, interested in Wagner, Edwardianism, fortified wines, and debauchery, seeks older women for coy exchanges of Wildean put-downs, followed by forbidden candle-lit passions, leading to clandestine affair, epic betrayal, and eventual Götterdämmerung and redemption. Accountants and Paleontologists need not apply. Box no. 11/03
You’re Helen Mirren. I’m Will Self. One half of this century’s übercouple-to-be seeks tousled fems to 50 for weekends full of recondite wines, obscure blandishments, and winning references to abstruse 11th century sexual practices. No loons. Box no. 11/06
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Straight lines
as given by George Bush during a commencement address at Furman University:
“Yet I found, as you will, the world has a way of helping you to grow.”
“Culture of responsibility”
“In the next few years, you may find it tempting to amass more debt... on expenses that bring little long-term benefit.”
“If you choose a career in public service, maintain the highest ethical standards, bring honor to whatever position you hold, and always put the people you serve ahead of yourself.”
“Popular culture can give you the impression that alcohol, drugs, or promiscuity can lead to fulfillment in life. It’s an illusion, and I urge you to reject it.”
“There’s no shame in recognizing your failings”
Unclear on the concept
In his weekly radio address, Bush complains “A month has passed since I nominated Steve [Preston] to be the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Unfortunately, Senators have stalled this nomination over an issue that has nothing to do with Steve or his qualifications for the job.” I had to google to find out what the hell he’s talking about, and it turns out the senators in question are Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both of Tennessee, who are retaliating against Harry Reid for blocking nominees to the TVA until there are more, or indeed any, Democrats on its board. Bush didn’t mention that the senators he’s complaining about are Republicans. Funny that.
Funny-sad story of the day: women supporters of Al Qaida are complaining about sexism in the organization.
Friday, May 30, 2008
I can look you in the eye and tell you it’s succeeding
All week McCain has been trying to score cheap points off Obama for only having visited Iraq once – 873 days ago as an email from his campaign helpfully points out. Funny how he knew that number but not whether the number of US troops stationed in Iraq was greater or less than before the “surge.” The whole thing puts some of McCain’s worst traits on display.
First, he is every bit as smugly superior, self-regarding and condescending as Joe Lieberman, although it doesn’t come across as blatantly.
Second, he will not admit to mistakes even in checkable statements of fact, much less mistakes in judgment. George Bush has taught us how dangerous that sort of stubbornness can be. McCain claimed “We have drawn down to pre-surge levels,” but when caught out, weasely tried to edit the last three words out of his own statement in order to pretend that he hadn’t erred: “I said we have drawn down. And we have drawn down.”
Third, his approach to information-gathering and analysis seems to be dangerously unsophisticated. Just as Bush privileges his “instinct” over the, you know, facts, McCain has been going on and on about Obama having “zero first hand knowledge of conditions on the ground” and not having “take[n] the opportunity to sit down with General Petraeus and learn about the situation in Iraq firsthand” (quotes taken from two campaign emails), as if only the information one can gather with one’s own eyes or ears counts and as if such information is sufficient. John McCain don’t hold with none o’ those new-fangled forms of communicating data, like writing and film footage and statistics etc etc – after all, they didn’t have any of those things when he was growing up. It’s not just an anti-Obama talking point, either: he told reporters “I can look you in the eye and tell you it’s [the surge] succeeding,” as if his physical presence, his ability to look someone in the eye while making his claim, somehow proves the veracity of that claim. A president has to make decisions about literally thousands of issues he cannot personally investigate. Plus, of course, McCain is perfectly capable of personally investigating Iraq by spending a couple of days there, visiting a market surrounded by a hundred soldiers, and think he has gleaned the reality of the situation.
McCain is belittling not only Obama, but the vast majority of the citizenry as well. Many Americans will base their votes in November in large part on the war, but if McCain can dismiss as without value the considered opinion of a United States senator who has only visited Iraq once, in what low esteem must he hold the views of those of us who have the impudence to form them without ever having been there?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Bonus Bush-looking-like-a-doofus pictures!
More pictures from yesterday’s Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, including a nice sequence from the AP’s Charles Dharapak.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Better killing through technology
Today Bush gave the commencement address at the United States Air Force Academy.
The speech was interesting for its theme of the ways in which “revolutionary advances in technology are transforming warfare.” See if this version of the last six years accord with your memory of that period: “With this military technology, we can now target a regime without targeting an entire nation. We’ve removed two cruel regimes in weeks instead of years.” And then we all lived happily ever after.
And future wars will be even neater: “with these advances, we can work toward this noble goal: defeating the enemies of freedom while sparing the lives of many more innocent people -- which creates another opportunity, and that is, by making war more precise, we can make war less likely. For hostile dictators, it is a powerful deterrent to know that America is willing and able to target their regimes directly. When rulers know we can strike their regime while sparing their populations, they realize they cannot hide behind the innocent -- and that means they are less likely to start conflicts in the first place.” Less likely... to start... oh, my poor head.
Our enemies, however, will not use our super-keen, super-clean hi-tech warfare, scum that they are, but will engage in the bad kind of warfare: asymmetric warfare. Remember: in our wars, any suffering of the innocent is caused only by the other side. “They take advantage of the information age and the 24-hour news cycles, creating images of chaos and suffering for the cameras, in the hope that these images will horrify the American people and undermine resolve and morale here at home.” They don’t know us very well, do they?
“Another challenge in this new and unprecedented era is defining success. In the past, that was relatively easy to do. There were public surrenders, a signing ceremony on the deck of a battleship, victory parades in American cities. Today, when the war continues after the regime has fallen, the definition of success is more complicated. So in Iraq and Afghanistan, we set a clear definition of success: Success will come when al Qaida has no safe haven in those countries and the people can protect themselves from terror. Success will come when Iraq and Afghanistan are economically viable. Success will come when Iraq and Afghanistan are democracies that govern themselves effectively and respond to the will of their people. Success will come when Iraq and Afghanistan are strong and capable allies on the war on terror.” Er, George, “clear definition”? There isn’t one of those criteria that isn’t entirely subjective.
(Update: more pictures in the next post)
Book report
Press Secretary Dana Peroxide says that Bush probably won’t comment on the memoirs of her predecessor Scotty McClellan, who she describes as “disgruntled”: “The book, as reported by the press, has been described to the President.”
Well, sir, a book is a bunch of pages, with printed words on them...
What (sniff) happened
Scott “Flopsweat” McClellan has a book out. He says that in 2000 he overheard Bush telling someone that he couldn’t remember if he’d used cocaine or not. Little Scotty writes, “I remember thinking to myself, ‘How can that be?’”
Er, he can’t remember taking cocaine because he took a really, really, really large amount of cocaine?
This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
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