By MANIFESTO JOE
Yes, George W. Bush's policies have indeed been an unmitigated disaster for the U.S., at home, abroad, and globally. But his recent behavior as America's head of state, representing us overseas, has been the most embarrassing ever by an American president.
His utter lack of class and decorum -- using an expletive within range of a microphone at the G-8 summit, massaging German Chancellor Angela Merkel's neck, braying on at some press conference about some pig roast -- has brought profound shame on Americans, and especially Texans. Many Europeans may have concluded that if Bush is even vaguely representative, most Texan men must be clueless rubes who go around groping and mashing on women they've barely met.
Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks was right when she told a London audience in March 2003 that she was "ashamed" that our "president" is from Texas. She definitely spoke for me, as a native Texan, then; and the polls show that she speaks for a lot more people now.
Perhaps the quintessential moment of Bush's profound unfitness to be playing world-stage politics was his skewering at the hands of his erstwhile bud, "Pootie-Poot," Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bush, at a joint press conference at St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 15, was cretinous enough to suggest that Russia should try to emulate the democracy that has just been implemented in that oasis of tolerance known as Iraq. He mentioned a "free press" and "free religion."
Putin said, "We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy that they have in Iraq, quite honestly." (Source: CNN.com)
Observers said that Bush grew red-faced, and that the room filled with laughter.
Again, it's bad enough to have such a venal, warlike and incompetent administration, which took office fraudulently in the first place. Adding insult to injury, our "president" has the manners of an Aggie frat pledgemaster. And that some of his Yale grades were "gentleman's C's" is apparent from how regularly he makes a foolish ass of himself in exchanges such as the one with Putin.
And, it's odd how silent the Mainstream Media are about these shameful incidents. Can you imagine the caterwauling if Bill Clinton had massaged the neck of some female foreign head of state?
Now imagine this: President Nancy Pelosi. If the U.S. House changes hands in November, it could happen next year, with a legal break or two. Vote Democratic -- this time may count more than ever.
MANIFESTO JOE IS AN UNDERGROUND WRITER LIVING IN TEXAS
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7 comments:
I'm a conservative and I will be the 1st to admit that the Dixie Chicks have the right to say whatever they wish. However, it's important for us all to remember that our nation is at war. I believe it is inappropriate to attack our nation's President while our troops are in harm's way. Dems need to stop the name-calling and personal attacks. We need to come together as Americans and support our troops, who are fighting on the front lines of the War on Terror. When we show weakness and indecisiveness as a nation, this emboldens the terrorists.
Well..some folks don't care for Nancy Pelosi - but First...tis about TIME to have female Head of our Union!
But Secondly...She's a hell of a lot more savvy, smart and able to RUN things than that cretin we've got.
Dropping him off at his Crawford address - permanently - would be a *Dream*! Do wonders for the Country as a whole. (Though sorry for you Texans to be *stuck* with him.)
Bush certainly doesn't represent ME. He's not my president. He may think he's representing America when he goes overseas, but he's deluding himself.
Clear Channel has refusing to play the Dixie Chicks on its network of radio stations. Now, they've started to do the same with Madonna, after the latter recently spoke out against President Bush. All of this is a powerful argument against letting corporations have too much power---eventually it's threat to free speech and democracy. Clear Channel needs to remember that the public airwaves they profit from belong to the people.
Bush is NOT from Texas and is not a Texan. I live in Europe and explain this to people when they find out where I'm from and say something about Bush. He is embarassing to me as a Texan and an American. He is scary and stupid to most intelligent people in the world. There is some hope as Americans seem to be catching on to these facts. Look at these! http://www.antibushbumperstickers.com/best.html Great just to read.
I believe that everyone should be able to express their opinions without repercussions. Isn't it possible disagree with someone without name calling and making vicious generalizations? Their are many more mature and dignified ways of expressing difference in opinion. President Bush is the President of the United States and deserves respect for that reason. We need to be a united country instead of Democrats verses the Republicans. We may disagree with our leaders, but stay civil. Name calling isn't going to resolve anything. I lose respect for anyone makes statements without tact.
In response to the anonymous conservative... You are absolutely right that the Dixie Chicks like everybody has the right to say whatever they want no matter whom it offends. However your rational for supporting the Commander in Thief in office right now is completely irrational. Yes lets all blindly support an idiot who does not speak for the vast majority of the country, declared war on an ideology, destabilized an entire geopolitical region, and is slowly violating every major human rights and environmental treaty that has been significant in the last 100 years. This is not a question of what political affiliation you have its a question of when will you and the rest of the blind followers realize that the war is a sham to support industries where the president and his cronies have a financial interest. The president started this war on "terror" a term so broad that it can encompass anything in reality though it just boils down to government sponsored fear mongering. The idea being if the government can make the general populous afraid enough any bill proposed no matter how absurd or how many rights restricted will be passed. A prime example is the color coded terror alert system. If you want to support the troops then bring them home and, assuming you are religious, pray that they never have to go back and kill another fellow human being. Also to quote you "When we show weakness and indecisiveness as a nation, this emboldens the terrorists." This does not make sense. It is not when we show indecisiveness in particular that the "terrorists" are emboldened but whenever a stance is taken that they disagree with. For example the president has an unconditional support for Israel, this is a primary source of terror encouragement, but this is not an indecisive position. It is also not a sign of weakness to question the authority, in fact it is the quite opposite, as it takes somebody of unwavering confidence and strength to say "hey something is not right here". The concept of checks and balances laid out by the constitution demand that authority be questioned, if the founding fathers wanted us to blindly follow every decision no matter the situation they would not have included these provisions.
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