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In Meeting, "Wild-Eyed" Bush Thumped Chest, Repeating "I Am The President!"
thinkprogress.org — Georgie Anne Geyer writes today in the Dallas Morning News about President Bush: "But by all reports, President Bush is more convinced than ever of his righteousness. Friends of his from Texas were shocked recently to find him nearly wild-eyed, thumping himself on the chest three times while he repeated 'I am the president!'"
pitviper- 2642 diggs
- digg it
- JCSaint, on 10/11/2007, -36/+236He thinks he's doing God's will. Bush is under the impression that he is an agent of God and that God wants him to bring democracy to the Middle East. There is no arguing with someone like that. Even if everyone is against him, it doesn't matter because the only opinion that matters is God's.
[FYI: American Theocracy is a fantastic book]- DJShay, on 10/11/2007, -35/+281Which is why we need to keep religious zealots out of the White House.
- smoothmedia, on 10/11/2007, -69/+236I'm normally not one to defend Bush, but this report is likely complete BS.
1) This is an opinion piece written by a left leaning columnist.
2) The only "sources" she cites are " Friends of his from Texas", so its complete hearsay.
3) Bush would never admit (even candidly) that he was making sure that his successor "couldn't escape the country's destiny" in Iraq.
Stories like this only serve to undermine the credibility of blogs such as ThinkProgress, which usually holds it self to a higher standard that its right wing counterparts. Apparently, now some at TP now feel that its OK to post any juicy negative gossip they can find about the administration, regardless of its truth value (like *gasp* Michelle Malkin).
Lastly, we shouldn't care even if this story is true. We have plenty of reasons to criticize Bush; we don't have to resort to tabloid stories. - JCSaint, on 10/11/2007, -22/+93smoothmedia,
I'd tend to agree that it wouldn't be newsworthy except for the fact that it's not an isolated incident. There are plenty of accounts of Bush seemingly losing touch with what's going on and possessing a self-assuredness that seems to have crossed over into outright arrogance and self-righteousness. - smoothmedia, on 10/11/2007, -25/+52jcsaint: Indeed. However, I think we are all pretty aware of Bush's apparent self-righteousness by now. Bush's "stay the course" policy when the course was clearly misguided is a perfect example of the arrogance we're talking about. However, this alleged incident is essentially a caricature of the self-righteous Bush that us lefties love to think he is. In all likelyhood, "his friends from Texas" were really some people who didn't really like him that attended a function with him, and their description of his chest pounding and such is likely exaggerated at best.
Essentially, this story is too perfect to be true. - JCSaint, on 10/11/2007, -19/+67smoothmedia,
I think you give the man too much credit. - thatsmyaibo, on 10/11/2007, -50/+19More of thinkprogress.org slander. Now I hate the Bush administration, but thinkprogress.org is nothing but Fox News for the left.
- orientis, on 10/11/2007, -15/+38Is anyone here familiar with biblical end-time prophecy?
You know that part about the leader that demands unquestioning worship? Yeah. Perhaps the fundies picked the wrong poster boy. - 0crabby0, on 10/11/2007, -12/+21Bush = Stroke victim
- cwcentral, on 10/11/2007, -10/+22"He thinks he's doing God's will."
And he will be continuing this nonsense as along as congress AND THE PEOPLE do nothing as shown this past week. This public display of opinion is getting ridiculous. - estacado, on 10/11/2007, -10/+9It's evolution in action.
- countrygirl31, on 10/11/2007, -7/+18well, this supposed comment falls in line with, "I am the decider".
- flashboy131, on 10/11/2007, -7/+9this is coming from a Dallas newspaper, believe me they will hearing it from conservatives.
- dmjarrington, on 10/11/2007, -15/+56"...thinkprogress.org is nothing but Fox News for the left."
Haha. That's rich.
unlike fox news, thinkprogress has good articles mostly based in fact. that whole george soros hierarchy is a bunch of *****, bill o'reilly is a moron.
"Reality has a liberal bias." -Stephen Colbert - allcdnboy, on 10/11/2007, -7/+12i'm not sure he believes he's doing God's will. I believe that he is simply using the religious "power" to hold votes and support.
- RonPaulPres2008, on 10/11/2007, -23/+16"Bush thinks he's doing God's will"
I've never seen such a dumb statement in all my life... It's painfully obvious that Bush is a war profiteer and using the religious thing as a guise... Even the dumbest and most rabid hippies like you should be able to see that...
And why the rest of you idiots dugg him up for that elementary statement is beyond me. Then again this is digg, a swarm of 12 year old "rebels" and "individual thinkers" (though you all sound like broken records). - harrisbradley, on 10/11/2007, -18/+4@smoothmedia, don't bother. They're not interested in the truth.
Point in case is the quoting of Colbert. - polybot, on 10/11/2007, -12/+4dmjarrington,
"thinkprogress has good articles mostly based in fact"
You've hit the nail on the head, "mostly" based on fact equals zero credibility. Proper news organisations (BBC, CNN etc) may not be perfect but go to great lengths to check facts and have some balance. They do this because once you start distorting and making stuff up it brings into question everything you "report" and destroys your credibility.
Even the most transparent propaganda is "mostly based on fact". - CBTF, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8Good ol' manifest destiny.
- Cwo655321, on 10/11/2007, -9/+5unless someone has a video of this, i'm calling *****!
- scrytch, on 10/11/2007, -2/+52@smoothmedia,
As someone from Australia, I just don't understand this "left/right" crap - can't you people have an individual thought without it having to be boxed up, stamped and categorised?
When I discuss with my friends, family and work colleagues political topics, quite often I find that I don't agree with everything the person in power is doing, and it's the same story with the people wanting to be in power.
I personally think everyone can (and should) be constructively criticized, and that this can be done without some form of hidden or personal agenda. Boxing me in with other people that *may* share that opinion and saying I am "left leaning" or "right leaning" just to me sounds like a complete arbitrary limitation - people are capable of thinking their own thoughts.
I'm done :)
Regards,
Shane.
- rhabd0mancer, on 10/11/2007, -4/+22Bush is clearly unstable, messianic.
"I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job." -- President Bush - Dregga, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Quick! Shoot the messenger!
- Shandooga, on 10/11/2007, -12/+0"He thinks he's doing God's will. Bush is under the impression that he is an agent of God and that God wants him to bring democracy to the Middle East."
In reality, he believes no such thing. Skull & Bones is a satanic cult. Bush is a devil-worshipper He talks the "god" talk so that his evil actions will be associated with God. The ultimate goal of this is to create more atheists. That's how devil worshippers (includng the Catholic church) operate. - EochaidRiata, on 10/11/2007, -2/+10Good job George. Now go play with your finger-paints while the grownups talk.
- RidgeWalker76, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5Bush has been reading a script for years, this may be in an indication that he is worried about his legacy and a desire to do at least one good deed during his tenure. I'm sure his handlers aren't happy about this.
He's not completely retarded, not completely. - pitlord, on 10/11/2007, -3/+11Pics or it didn't happen.
- Charlotte_Web, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6This is what you call "hearsay".
- Endemoniada, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7@Scrytch
I wonder the same thing. As I'm from Sweden, I find this left/right crap completely insane. Here, we have at least seven major parties, and countless smaller ones. While I sometimes think we might have too many parties to vote for, I still appreciate being able to vote for whoever has the best agenda.
Having to choose between just two sides, both equally corrupt, all the while being told that voting for anyone BUT the two major parties makes your vote "not count", seems utterly insane to me. EVERY vote counts, who ever you vote for. Even if you vote for that tiny, third party, that's one less vote for BOTH the major ones. Think about that.
DO NO settle with what they decide you should settle for. Decide for yourself, and only yourself. - ajaxfontura, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3@smoothmedia and jcsaint: Wow, that's probably the best back-and-forth debate I've seen on Digg. The limited nesting of comments makes it difficult to go back and forth like that.
- sremick, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7Endemoniada & Scrytch:
I'm from/in the USA and I agree with both of you.
Digg:
Your boneheaded reply system means that my response is nowhere near who/what I'm responding to and so readers have to do 20 times more work to figure out what the hell I'm talking about. - Absinthminded64, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5@sremick Dugg for Digg comment!
I've no idea what the hell all the other ranting was about. - liminaldust, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2do you really think bush thinks he's doing god's will? wake up, assholes.
He's smarter than you think. He in fact wasn't 'stupid' for a long time, until this presidential stuff began. If a 'smart' president acted this way, e.g. bill clinton, he wouldn't be able to do anything he wants only to have the attention diverted to his lack of intelligence or being a puppet in the hands of the other high powers in the background. - littlebylittle, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4* Pounds Chest *
"I am the Bastard President of The Supreme Court and Daddy's Syndicate!" - bizchris, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2@pitlord "Pics or it didn't happen."
http://tinyurl.com/yq2o85 - downwiththenwo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Actually Bush isn't a christian and he doesn't think he's doing gods work. He's a devil worshoper and he knows whos work he's doing. If you don't believe me just look up skull and bones and bohemian grove.
- edrift101, on 10/11/2007, -7/+32Now that is damn funny, but not in a good way.
- jstohler, on 10/11/2007, -12/+11It's funny because it's true.
- OMGWTFROFLMAOx2, on 10/11/2007, -13/+3Wasn't this an episode of Seinfeld?
- ganjadude4391, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7jsto
the simpsons not seinfeld - Cl1mh4224rd, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1> "It's funny because it's true."
...and it's true because it's on Think Progress.
/sarcasm - Dregga, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4"...and it's true because it's on Think Progress."
WAAAAAAHHHH!
- shawnfassett, on 10/11/2007, -6/+61Can we start drug testing our "leaders"?
- InfamousAtheist, on 10/11/2007, -13/+26I don't think it's drug use. I believe the country's being run by a group of sociopaths. Unfortunately, there are no +/- tests for mental disorders displayed by Bush, Cheney, Gonzalez, Rice, etc. Not that they would do any good, I'm sure they'd spin any result as biased, no matter what the outcome.
- neuros, on 10/11/2007, -2/+21yes, that and an IQ, ethics, and reasoning test plz.
- feelmydisease, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4that's not drugs. it is a mental illness. delusions of grandeur, psychotic episodes, etc. plus with his limited intelligence and past drug abuse i would say he is a anti-social psychopath.
- LucidOne, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Actually, no we can't. Virtually everyone in our society is subject to random drug testing if their employers so desire but the politicians that make the drug laws...... they're off limits! Don't ya' find that just a little ironic?
"Libertarians had their first win in the Supreme Court when they successfully sued to strike down a Georgia law that required all politicians be tested for drugs before being allowed on the ballot. The Supreme Court ruled this law unconstitutional on April 15, 1997."
Complete article:
http://www.infoplease.com/cig/supreme-court/testing-politicians-for-drugs.html
- hawkeye17, on 10/11/2007, -10/+31Great...our President is Dennis the Menace. The man is a childish fool.
- hplasm, on 10/11/2007, -1/+21How very dare you! There is nothing wrong with Dennis the Menace!
- stepnw1f, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5No he's not.... he's a sociopathic ignorant tool who thinks he will get away with it all. He won't....
RICO is essential. - stmiller, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I'd rather have Dennis the Menace.
- Insightful, on 10/11/2007, -8/+63Bush was later observed screaming at top of his lung "THIS IS SPARTA!" as he kicked his Texan friends in the chests down a big hole.
[Unlike Cheney Bush does not usually carry a shotgun with him or otherwise who would have shot them too.]- smoothmedia, on 10/11/2007, -8/+47Ray Nagin: "Our people need help! This is madness!"
Bush: "THIS IS BUREAUCRACY!" - spearce, on 10/11/2007, -15/+5i get the joke...hooray for me
- smoothmedia, on 10/11/2007, -8/+47Ray Nagin: "Our people need help! This is madness!"
- swrostmore, on 10/11/2007, -6/+8This article is about more than Bush's bizarre ape-like behavior. It is actually a comment about the recent "insurgency" in a Palestinian refugee camp.
- spinchange, on 10/11/2007, -4/+11Agreed. The editorial where this anecdote came from is much more instructive than the just ThinkProgress excerpt. If true, the story behind the story is that as things go from really bad to much worse (by an insurgency from Iraq spreading throughout the rest of the Middle East), so does Bush's state of denial.
- i208khonsu, on 10/11/2007, -7/+30Well at least The Decider has decided to stop being The Commander Guy and actually become The President.
- unloud, on 10/11/2007, -7/+35For the first time I feel compelled to say something I've buried many others for:
Chimpeach! - pinoyboy82, on 10/11/2007, -8/+51This is not a Democracy! This is a Chimpocracy! *Thump Thump Thump*
- Dumbledorito, on 10/11/2007, -7/+53*fling's presidential poo*
- ThePeteStanis, on 10/11/2007, -29/+3@dumbledorito
If you're going to make fun of someone for their chimp-like behavior, and imply that they are less than intelligent, the least you can do is ***** spell correctly. - Dumbledorito, on 10/11/2007, -1/+25@ThePeteStanis: And if you're going to gripe about someone's misuse of an apostrophe, that's called "punctuation," not "spelling." Just thought you might want to know before you went for your PhD or anything.
- NickSpinner, on 10/11/2007, -11/+20"he then grabbed a nearby school child and bit into his neck and spit his blood on his parents as the kid tried to scream (only blood came out)"
- gmprunner, on 10/11/2007, -5/+26Hey, I saw that movie!
Happy Feet, right? - theboredom, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Dugg for (only blood came out)!
- gmprunner, on 10/11/2007, -5/+26Hey, I saw that movie!
- valdo, on 10/11/2007, -5/+37Out of curiosity... What is our country's destiny?
I am not being sarcastic, or anything - just curious... where are we heading?
That is the only question I have for the President.- Dumbledorito, on 10/11/2007, -5/+41You'd probably get something that started with "that's an excellent question. I unnerstand that we all want 'Merica to succeed. I unnerstand that."
Then it would dissolve into talking points about taxes, "good progress in Iraq," and probably why he needs to wiretap your phones and internet connection to preserve your liberty. - fuzzmeister, on 10/11/2007, -6/+13He wants America to rule the world, period. PNAC is not a good thing.
- Urusai, on 10/11/2007, -9/+9I'm all for the US ruling the world, but Chimp wants the rich ruling the world, not the US. Us voters are just turds to step over.
- tenrec, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Bush believes our country's destiny is NAU and is making it happen without telling Congress or the American people.
http://www.eagleforum.org/topics/NAU/ - Shandooga, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4"Out of curiosity... What is our country's destiny?"
World domination.
(Revelation 16:13-16) . . .And I saw three unclean inspired expressions [that looked] like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and perform signs, and they go forth to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty. 15 “Look! I am coming as a thief. Happy is the one that stays awake and keeps his outer garments, that he may not walk naked and people look upon his shamefulness.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Ma·ged′on. - downwiththenwo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0We're headed for a full blown dictatorship. Bush has allready declared himself emperor. No joke go read the executive order on the whitehouse website
http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/bush_nspd51_gives_bush_dictatorial_power.htm
Next thing you know he'll start wearing a crown and executing reporters in public and taking a bath in they're blood. That's what kings used to do back in Europe in the middle ages. And for all intents and purposes Bush now has the power of a king. The only thing stopping him is about 160 million gun owners. But don't worry. The government will set off a nuke in a major U.S. city, blame it on Iran, and use it as excuse to round up the american people's guns. Just like like they did in New Orleans after Katrina (not the nuke part but they did illegally confiscate firearms from hundreds of law abiding citizens)
- Dumbledorito, on 10/11/2007, -5/+41You'd probably get something that started with "that's an excellent question. I unnerstand that we all want 'Merica to succeed. I unnerstand that."
- JohnFive, on 10/11/2007, -7/+36He probably did a fat rail of coke.
- frimple, on 10/11/2007, -2/+21I've got a dollar on him cremating and snorting Bush Sr.
- cartoonkirk, on 10/11/2007, -9/+6right just like your friends at fox who float lies and just plain stupid remarks....the chimp in chief is a dry drunk, incapable of leading anything except the charge to the party, this president sees no problem in leaving the mess in the middle east to the next sucker. no responsibility, no wrong doing , no problems that he can see....."fool on the hill "comes to mind.......beatles/revolver.
i never there were so many lemmings on this side of the planet, willing to jump? i think not , but to follow their leader, blindly. o yeah........ - StatiK69, on 10/11/2007, -6/+20He's really building up the insanity plea with crap like this. Forget charging him with high crimes or lies, just bring this out in main stream media that his mental state is deteriorating. Some people don't think elderly people should drive cars... well mentally ill shouldn't be running a country.
- iDragonFly, on 10/11/2007, -12/+7BushCo. can hardly be held up as a mentally balanced bunch, therefore, this information sounds inline to me.
- therealmrpinks, on 10/11/2007, -6/+27maybe if we got him a kitten and taught him sign language he would be happier and wouldnt have these tantrums.
- Zandarrr, on 10/11/2007, -8/+10Please tell me there is a video of this somewhere
- Magillicutti, on 10/11/2007, -9/+5I wish
- TheSabre, on 10/11/2007, -14/+10I read it on the Internet, it HAS to be true!
- Mobydigg, on 10/11/2007, -15/+5Video or it didnt happen.....
In other news. obama tells friends and family that when he IS president he will allow public beheadings to any female caught outside without a male escort... sources close to obama said...................
See, dont you just love trustworthy news??? - jcm267, on 10/11/2007, -16/+3Who cares?
- nilicule, on 10/11/2007, -12/+2Pics or it never happened?
- combustion8, on 10/11/2007, -10/+1two-termer! two-termer!!
thats our bush!!! - qevlhma93, on 10/11/2007, -18/+8Thinkprogress is a retarded left wing nutjob blog.
- TheEditor1, on 10/11/2007, -20/+5"President Bush is more convinced than ever of his righteousness"
Yea, and Al Gore is more convinced than ever of his own hypocrisy. Who give a *****. thinkprogress.***** can got ***** themselves. - veganoob, on 10/11/2007, -6/+12me president! you nothing!!
I've seen 3 year olds express their feelings in a more mature manner. - Mu99ins, on 10/11/2007, -11/+6Just read about Think Progress, which is the source of the article.
Tell me they are not anti-Bush, anti-Iraq war.
http://thinkprogress.org/about
"The Center for American Progress Action Fund is a nonpartisan organization. With the blog, CAPAF seeks to provide a forum that advances progressive ideas and policies." - monkeyrun, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4that's just evolution.
- GideonCDingle, on 10/11/2007, -4/+19God sure picked a peculiar earthly surrogate.
- iTorrey, on 10/11/2007, -5/+21Mr. Bush,
While being President is something to be proud of, there are limits on your power. These limits are placed on you by the People and you are bound to these limits due to your elected position. Should you wish to step outside of these limits you are violating the oath you took when you accepted this position that the People elected you to.
You are not the supreme ruler of the land. You are not the final say nor the 'decider' on most issues. There is a process we follow in this country. These limits may come as a surprise to you, however I suggest you read up on them. I believe you can find a copy of these limits in a document you surely haven't read, it is titled "The Constitution of the United States of America". It is a pretty good read, check it out some time.- tenrec, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4He won't listen to you. In has mind: decider = emperor (except for the "for life" part).
- Bdog2g2, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3@iTorrey
heh eh....Ima call you Consty, cuz you like the Constitutions. Speaking of Constitution, can you hand that to me real quick.....I....ah...ran outta toilet paper.
Bush - Shandooga, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2@iTorrey:
You're being naive. Bush doesn't believe anything he says. He knows it's all lies. His daddy told him that lies are the only way to be a "leader" because nobody would follow you if they know where you're *really* going (remember "read my lips, no new taxes"?). Not having successfully applied himself to *any* endeavor in life outside of consumption of resources and evasion of duty, he thus lacks even a semblance of character, decency or sensibility. Further, he was not elected and couldn't care less what non-wealthy people think of him. He does not understand *any* limits or observe *any* laws and, as he sees it, the Constitution is a piece of paper that couldn't be less important.
In his mind, his purpose is to advance a secret agenda (well, it's not *really* a secret, but most people are unwilling to believe it). He loves the influence that he wields over people who fear him. He's a hero to the irretrievably stupid and those who grow even *more* obscenely wealthy due to his world-wide bloodletting. That's good enough for him. He may well be the single worst "human" being on the planet.
- Lynxpro, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1
Keep in mind that such behavior is not unusual for someone holding the Presidency. The British Ambassador to the US during Teddy Roosevelt used to state that one must be reminded that the President acted like a child and it was quite a challenge to hold his attention when he often went on his adventures.
I don't even want to think of what LBJ used to do in the Office... We know from accounts that JFK filled the swimming pool up with "escorts" on at least one occasion, although the press back then did not report such widely known situations in D.C. back in that time... - spitfire99, on 10/11/2007, -9/+4“George Bush’s Bad Dream”
I was ridin down the line
in the old caboose
when I heard the word
Charles Manson was loose!
He’d headed straight for the White House
past the Security guards
made it past the dog
in the Presidents yard
Till he wormed his way
like a sneaky black cat
to the Oval Office
where the President sat
As the locks went click
George Bush gave a start
to stare in the eyes
of Charles Manson’s black heart
“It’s manu au manu
Just you and me”
Charlie said with a grin as George
started to pee
But to give Bush his credit
to give Bush his due
on Manson’s pale forehead
he CARVED a DOUBLE U!
While Charlie did manage
to rummage the desk
and stamp ‘666'
upon Georges Bush's chest
When the Secret Service
finally broke up the fight
they saw what to them
was a horrible sight
Both men were naked
in a compromised position
all Sodomized but,
Couldnt say whichun was whichun! - nestafett, on 10/11/2007, -3/+8http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-geyer_31edi.ART.State.Edition1.4370227.html
(the article they took this quote from, I wish people would link more to the source) - AmusedToDeath, on 10/11/2007, -10/+8I'm not really a Bush supporter, but this is not journalism. This is exactly like those "friends close to the superstar say" stories in the National Enquirer and rags like US Weekly. It's pure here say. Gossip.
People who are just blindly spewing bile and foaming at the mouth at the current administration would be a lot more convincing if they had some actual solutions to our problems instead of more ***** and moaning. - diggdallas, on 10/11/2007, -4/+11Complete article from the Dallas Morning News
Georgie Anne Geyer: A spreading terror
Iraq now set up as a school for insurgents ready to be exported
11:44 AM CDT on Thursday, May 31, 2007
Anyone who knows anything about cancer knows that the danger point comes when the cancer suddenly and unexpectedly appears in another supposedly "clean" part of the body. As when, say, breast cancer, an implacable traveler, reappears in the bloodstream or the bones.
That there are stunning similarities between what happens medically in the body of man and what occurs sociologically and militarily in the societies of men is far less noticed – but just as frightening and dangerous.
Think of what has happened in only the last week in the Middle East. In northern Lebanon, in the long-established Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp, out of the blue arose a new al Qaeda-related insurgent group, Fatah al-Islam. Within days and even hours, the recurring hell of the Middle East was loosed, and refugees poured out of the camp in terror.
There had been none of this kind of terror networking in these northern camps. Indeed, since this camp was established in 1949 to accommodate refugees from northern Palestine after the creation of Israel, it has housed one of the more formal and conservative of peoples.
But it was soon established that these new "insurgents" or "terrorists" – or whatever they really are – had arrived at the camp only recently, that they marched in one day with brand-new weapons, ready to fight.
Two points grip you:
•The first is found in the words of French scholar Bernard Rougier, author of Everyday Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam Among Palestinians in Lebanon. "The main point is that these camps are no longer part of Palestinian society," he told The Washington Post . "They are only spaces – now open to all of the influences running through the Muslim world."
•The second is that Iraq, where we were supposed to be "containing terrorism," is now clearly exporting insurgents to other regions – to Lebanon, to Syria, to Gaza, to Bangladesh, to Kurdistan.
And so, on the one hand, you have weakened societies vulnerable to the "new answers" of "new insurgencies," and on the other hand, you have Iraq set up as a school for terrorists with American troops and policy providing the constant inspiration for their fight.
This, of course, is not the way the Bush administration sees it.
The White House sees terrorists as born, not created by history, bearing the mark of Cain, not the mark of circumstance. There is a scarlet "T" written on their foreheads at birth and the only answer is to destroy them. This kind of thinking, of course, relieves the thinker of any responsibility for the presence of the insurgent-terrorist-whatever in our innocent midst.
What's more, there is not much real give in the administration's policies. True, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other American diplomats met Memorial Day weekend with the Iranians in Baghdad (a good first move but limited, since the Iranians have most of the power because of our incredible stupidity in Iraq). But by all reports, President Bush is more convinced than ever of his righteousness.
Friends of his from Texas were shocked recently to find him nearly wild-eyed, thumping himself on the chest three times while he repeated "I am the president!" He also made it clear he was setting Iraq up so his successor could not get out of "our country's destiny."
The truth of the steadily deteriorating situation in the Middle East is, of course, quite different. The Palestinian people of 40 and even 30 years ago were formal, conservative people who remained closely tied to their families, clans and religious groups. Theirs was a highly stratified society, which has now been shattered.
In the institutional vacuum that is a camp like Nahr el-Bared, a few hundred men trained and tempered in Iraq can make a huge difference. At the same time, the Turkish military is ready to go into northern Kurdistan, al-Qaeda operatives from Iraq are popping up in hitherto untouched places, and the American military's advice to its troops is, "Get down with the people – listen to them!" Only four years and thousands of bombs and night missions too late.
Georgie Anne Geyer is a syndicated columnist. Readers may contact her through ltarry@amuniversal.com.- nestafett, on 10/11/2007, -8/+2Why not just put the link instead of taking up so much space in the comments?
- MrFlesh, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2I'd say this is fake but you never know. The guy strings sentences together worse than a stoner. And he did say he was the "decider"....not the decision maker.
- JasonCox, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5The score is now:
Evoloution: 1
Creationism: 0
Republican party: F#@ked - Apox89, on 10/11/2007, -4/+12I'd say one big thing Bush is forgetting is the seperation of powers. He views himself too much as "the leader of this country" instead of "the head of the executive branch and the representative of this country" (in which he does a horrible job representing).
- TheAkolyte, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7I dont think bush can see past being the king of America.
- Bdog2g2, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4I don't think bush can see past anything...he hasn't gotten his head outta his ass yet.
- buyer687, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3In United States of America, President thumps you !
- worldgate, on 10/11/2007, -3/+0In Soviet America the President is the Decisioner of the Country.
- achinda99, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2@worldgate...
What is that, Bush English? ;)
- Buckeye70, on 10/11/2007, -7/+7Lets just look at the source who submitted the article. Lets see Nico, submitting stories from your own left wing left site, pretty scummy.
http://www.americanprogress.org/aboutus/staff/PitneyNico.html
Digg.com ID: pitviper, a.k.a. Netscape.com ID: njpitney, a.k.a. Reddit.com ID: pitviper, a.k.a. Nico Pitney, the Assistant Editor of ThinkProgress and the Progress Report at the Center for American Progress. In spite of the fact Nico worked on Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign, when The American Progress Action Fund describes itself as "a nonpartisan organization," I'm sure they're talking about Nico too.- ScionAltera, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3And? What does it matter who submitted the article? Regardless of whether you agree or disagree, and regardless even of whether the article is well researched or not... why does it matter who submitted it to Digg?
- Buckeye70, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@scionaltera
Well considering some people on here think that thinkprogress.org is an actual unbiased news site. Pretty hilarious that foxnews gets ripped, but sites like thinkprogress make up stories all the time, but damn if it rips Bush, lets believe it. Look at all of the stories pitviper submits! You don't think there is a clear political agenda? Truth be damned. People hate Bush, everyone get is, but digg has been overtaken by wack jobs like this.
- bud38, on 10/11/2007, -6/+2We're starting to run this topic into the ground. Who gives a *****..
And for those just joining us... Bush is a bad president.
Now back to Joanna in the Keen Grasp on the Obvious room with this important news bulletin. - mandarin, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2Seems to be a one-sided article. Nah he couldnt be that bad.
- Xuvious, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4Actually he had one hand thumping his chest
And his other hand was thumping...well...something else...
-Brewskie - paulb0t, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5That's my bush!
- mrplastik, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2Oh how I love liberals, they're good at expressing their feelings and making up creative stories.
Republican, Democrat, essentially identical *****. - MacintoshSauce, on 10/11/2007, -4/+16Like I have said before... Bush is an absolute disgrace to the USA. He should be impeached along with Cheney.
- javij, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1BUSHLLIT
that guy is pure Bushllit - D3koy, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3Pics or it didn't happen?
- Dumbledorito, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8The longer Bush goes into this downward spiral, the more he's reminding me of Nixon, and I'm not talking Watergate. New information from Nixon's presidency is showing that he was a depressive, paranoid, self-medicating, hateful and spiteful man, who was often drunk off his ass to the point he couldn't make decisions.
I hope his cronies at least have the sense to restrain Bush should he get that bad (assuming he hasn't already). - zephc, on 10/15/2007, -2/+17Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
- Dumbledorito, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie...
- fairChris, on 10/11/2007, -17/+5It's about time that he starts claiming what's rightfully his as the President -- the responsibility to conduct war. Congress has the right to authorize and fund; they can adjust their judgements on either of those but have no business telling the executive branch how to conduct war. So, that he's held his peace is the real problem, that it's erupting in occasionally comical displays is sad. He should be telling the American people why this war is essential (and it is you pansies). Let him conduct war, and let him kick their asses. Stop calling him "stupid" and your other childish inanities. He's likely not the brightest bulb, but he's what we've got as Americans. At least he's not some pussy like Jacques Chirac.
There's no easy way out of Iraq, friends. Sorry. I know you hate "blood for oil" but the unfortunate truth is that if we leave we encourage even greater chaos in the savage middle east, and that's not good for our interests. You're all so damn worried about these poor, poor Iraqis, but the honest to goodness truth is that they are killing each other. I concede that our regime change there unleashed the nascent savagery held under wraps by a savage dictator; don't be so childish as to blame our troops or our President for the civil tension that their own racism has wrought on their pitiful society.
Civilizations throughout history have warred over resources. At least we're not colonizing these assholes and demanding (as many believe we should) their GNP go directly to funding the American national debt (although, at this point, the American loss of life in such an endeavor would likely be less). They're a heinous, horrid, violent people that nearly immediately erupt into civil war at hte moment they're freed from the grasp of Saddam Hussein.
I know I'm a racist, and I don't really give a *****. I don't like these Muslims at all, and I fully understand that there are anecdotal exceptions (e.g. that lovely muslim you work with/live next to/date, etc). I'd love to leave the rat ***** to their desert to kill each other at will, but I'm not willing to bear the impact of the inevitable broader Middle East de-stabilization on the American economy. So, ***** them, and ***** those of you who don't support the troops or the Commander In Chief in a time of war; you call that cliche and claim some idealist need to question war (as if we didn't ***** know), but you're on the whole full of ***** and likely know it.
Where the President is failing us is in not commissioning a Manhattan Project like endeavor to reduce our oil reliance and return these islamist states to the poverty they deserve. Then, we could kiss them off like the African nations that cannot get their ***** together. Oh, that's right, you blame us for that, too. Right.
Now, commence with the burying; I don't give a *****.- stepnw1f, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8You are describing a dictator, not a president.
- mrplastik, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1Terrorists have been directly attacking us, and our interests for a very long time. The American public just wants to bury it's head in the sand, keep their fingers crossed, and hope it all turns out fine with no intervention at this point. I can't say I blame them, and I also can't say I'm willing to give my life for Iraqi freedom.
That said, why do you liberals embrace freedom, yet act as if tyranny and dictatorships are perfectly acceptable for those less fortunate around the world? It must be nice to sit there in your comfortable air conditioned home, on the internet, casting judgment and gleefully making accusations of which most of you have little or no information about. - iTorrey, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Actually it is ONLY Congress that can declare war. No war was declared. In fact, Ron Paul introduced a bill into congress asking for a declaration of war before the Iraq invasion for this very reason. You can't just have a president declaring war. You can't just have congress give up its duty to declare it. They don't have that right. They can't give up their duty. It's just not how it works.
- Joxyl, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1As much as I agree with you, and as well said as you put it, you're probably going to be buried x30 in 5 minutes. Just know that 100% of the Digg community hasn't jumped on the compare-Bush-to-a-monkey-because-everyone-else-is mentality.
- praxcelis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5"That said, why do you liberals embrace freedom, yet act as if tyranny and dictatorships are perfectly acceptable for those less fortunate around the world?"
Because you cannot march up to someone, start shooting around them and announce they are free.
It would be nice to have all the countries in the world ascribe to a pragmatic, enlightened philosophy which assures the well-being of their constituencies. They aren't. We're supposed to be the exemplar of democracy and yet can't even agree on what the word even means as applied to us.
No matter what approach you believe is best, it boils down to one of two ideologies. One is isolationism: to allow them to grow and progress--or go to a hell of their own making--as they choose. The other is to "evangelize" democracy; attempt to convince them that our way is best. In the past, it was done by example; we grew and thrived and showed our rivals that our system could be run as a positive-sum game--all the while maintaining a wary guard against their attempts to subvert our meme.
Now we seem to have adopted the philosophy that "freedom" can be enforced upon the unwilling. "Change or die!" Does no one see that through to its logical conclusion? What of those who do not wish to surrender their own meme? The only way to "win" under this approach is to continue applying force, to continue to crush opposition to our way of thinking, until there is no opposition left. Under that philosophy we are committed to a perpetual, infinite occupation; and thus we repeat the mistake of Rome. - Dumbledorito, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5@mrplastik: "That said, why do you liberals embrace freedom, yet act as if tyranny and dictatorships are perfectly acceptable for those less fortunate around the world?"
What makes you think invading a dictatorship and removing the source of power and/or stability will suddenly result in freedom for the people, especially if said people have no history of embracing democratic principles? Change has to come from within a nation. We can support said change, try and punish the regime in charge in non-military ways, fund dissident groups, etc., but unless you're willing to completely replace the power structure of a country with our own military for at least two generations, you're dreaming that you can bomb the dictator's palace and democracy will spring out like candy from a pinata.
If you think otherwise, you've watched "Return of the Jedi" one too many times.
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