Bush Speech + Open Thread

Reminds me of a TV report of one of the last TV speeches that Saddam Hussein gave before the U.S. invasion. Some U.S. TV reporters were in a Baghdad Cafe to film Iraqis watching the speech. But they really weren’t interested. The Secret Police had to herd them to the TV set, only to have them drift away again during the speech, as if it simply wasn’t relevent to them.

The same thing happened with Bremer’s TV speech that he taped before he left Iraq. When it was broadcast the Iraqis pretty much ignored it, because Bremer was a dead letter by the time it aired.

I did not listen to Bush’s speech, just as I did not listen to Colin Powell’s dog and pony show in 2003, or this week’s dog and pony shows in DC, and just as I never listen to Bush’s speeches.

I heard about the “long-term” plans on the radio as I was driving home from the local Afghan grocery tonight. I had stopped by on the way home to pick up some dates and bread, and a schedule for Ramadan. The feeling among the proprietors and the customers at the market was especially congenial as it always is as Ramadan begins, and I started the drive home with a nice feeling. Then I turned on the radio.

I don’t know why I feel as if I have been punched in the gut. After all, I have known from day one that the goal was to establish there a permanent, controlling presence, and a base for regional operations. Any minuscule doubts I might have entertained were always quickly dispelled by reminding myself that the Americans were building a giant command and control center in Baghdad and a string of enormous permanent military bases throughout the country. So, why did hearing that Bush has finally admitted what I have known all along change my happy mood to one of rage and despair?

As one not-at-all-liberal talk show host who always opposed attacking Iraq said tonight, phase two of the PNAC plan has begun, and we have to give Bush credit for having carried out phase one so well.

And the Democrats will posture, and the Democrats will blather, and in the end the Democrats will do nothing to stop the lunatics from carrying out phase two.

And just enough American people are buying the crap from presidential hopeful David Petraeus and lapdog Crocker.

And it will be, as I have always known it was, up to the Iraqis to rid themselves of the American plague once and for all. How long will it take, and how many will be killed and maimed, and how much more will be destroyed of what was, not that many years ago, a shining country about to enter the “First World”?

I saw what I could of Junior’s mumbling, but there’s only so many times you can yell “bullshit” at the TV before it loses its meaning, as have Bush’s speeches, come to think of it.

Later, I watched the HBO documentary hosted by James Gandolfini “Alive Day” featuring the American veterans Bush has sentenced to a life without legs, or an arm, or eyes, or a functioning mind by his needless war for profit. I’d bet Bush didn’t bother to watch that show, no doubt too busy smirking to his staff how he ‘nailed’ his speech. And that was just the Americans victims; the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have beeen permanently damaged by this war weren’t shown. If the Decider had any capacity for shame, he’d quit, roll into a little Basil Fawlty ball, head back to Texas, and spend his life trying to ameliorate the suffering he’s caused. At least Petraeus had the passing decency to keep his eyes downcast as he babbled his propaganda.

Who does this sound like:

“Imagine — if you can — not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken.
“And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools.
Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless.
“You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom even guess at your condition.
“In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world.
You can do anything at all, and still your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences will most likely remain undiscovered.”
[...]
“Provided you are not forcibly stopped, you can do anything at all.”
– From “The Psychopath — The Mask of Sanity.”
http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm

At this point, the only thing that will stop Bush in Iraq is the complete meltdown of our exhausted, overextended troops — a distinct possibility — or a major victory by the various sects and militias Petraeus has so thoughtfully armed and trained, also likely to happen in the near future. If the Shia overrun the Green Zone and the Baghdad airport, and then announce their alliance with Iran, maybe the White House, the GOP and the quisling Dems will finally get the message: There is no victory or success to be had in Iraq, only more death and tragedy.

What I want to know is how we got from “last chance” to “long term commitment” in six months. When is someone going to ask Bush this question.

I am sorry I am somewhat confused. I thought there was a Presidential Address last night on the tube? But when I turned it on all I got seemed to be a special addition of “Lil Bush”…. Thought it was hysterical! Comedy Central is really starting to make it look like true life! I am impressed….

Leslie,

I am not sure who reviews your Blogads account but we have decided to make a purchase with No Quarter that should now be sitting in your approval queue. Cheers.

Happy Friday: From the random thoughts in the hoopster’s brain Dept….
1) There was a spike in global warming last night during the Bush speech.. An noticable uptick in hot gasses from the groaning and exasperation was recorded by scientists throughout the world.
2)Bring the troops home while we build a permanent presence in Iraq..Yea.. I caught that..All disguised in pol speak..good try George.
3) Could someone teach George how to make a speech..
There isn’t enough Crown and Coke in the world to cover up his miserable mannerisms.. ( we have a new stratergery..)
4) How come when you are young.. Mondays you are exhausted and on Fridays you are jacked up for action…when you get old, Mondays you are fresh and you are dragging friday afternoon?
5) The TV was on CBS last night when Katie Couric did the introduction for the Bush speech..I kept expecting her to say ‘ And after this segment, we have tips on getting those ugly rolls of Fat from your thighs’ oh Walter..where art thou?
6) This my get me banned.. Larry I know this great barber… :>)
7) Another of our Basketball players got in trouble..
If it’s not drugs, strip clubs or guns what’s a young man to do with a 30 million dollar bank account?

Hi Michael,
Thank you very much! I’ll make sure the person in charge sees it.

He won’t actually bring the troops home. Because he prefaced it by saying it all depends on how well THEY do in Iraq. You know you go to war with the army you have. So if the troops don’t succeed in Iraq, it’ll be their own fault. They’ll just have to stay there until they do succeed. Unbelievable twist of Bushie logic! If his policies aren’t General Petraeus’s fault, then they’re the troops’ fault.

Also, he’s only talking about bringing the troops home that are scheduled to return after serving multiple tours of duty, and he’s only talking about returning to pre-surge levels. But he still wants credit for “withdrawing” them.

Did you catch all his speechifying about the progress in Anbar province? Yup, the Sunni sheikh, who was killing US troops until we made a deal with him, was just blown up. That’s progress.

It was tough watching Bush last night and counting the lies. My poor TV has had so many things thrown at it.

Oh, and…we’re doing so well in Anbar, by the way, and the surge is working so well…that we’re going to stay in Iraq FOREVER.

Why doesn’t Bush declare Iraq our 51st state?

Leslie: Because they would vote overwhelmingly for the Democrats…

IMPEACHMENT !!!!!
IF NOT NOW…..WHEN?

I guess if there is any good news coming out of this non event it is that a lot of the MSM is questioning his speech. See the following link

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003640595

Maybe now they will get off their collective asses and start doing their jobs.
One can only hope.

As Donovan Fraiser said above “Impeachment” If not now when??

On a personal note I want to apologize to Shirin for what we are doing to her country. We have seen through history “man’s inhumanity to man” but surely our actions there rank right up with the worst cases of genocide in the past.

Shirin…I can hear the anguish in your words and the sense of utter hopelessness and despair.
Please take consolation that all of us on this site feel a sense of connection with you so visualize all of us giving you a collective hug now. My heart goes out to you. Keep up the faith because in the end that is all we have.

>>>…“Imagine — if you can — not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. …“Provided you are not forcibly stopped, you can do anything at all.”

Some are born with it; some pick it up in prison; and some go to Business School and get MBA’s.

Anyone want to have some fun?

“What single aspect of Homeland Security has been most successful and what single aspect will be most critical to Homeland Security success?”

What a loaded question?

The Center for Homeland Defense and Security is pleased to announce:

The First Annual Homeland Security Essay Contest

What single aspect of Homeland Security has been most successful and what single aspect will be most critical to Homeland Security success? This is the question many will attempt to answer in the first annual homeland security essay contest sponsored by the NPS Center for Homeland Defense and Security. The competition strives to stimulate original thought on issues in Homeland Security and Homeland Defense.

Your response may be general, or focus on a specific aspect (organizational, policy, strategy, practice, technological innovation, social impact, etc.) or discipline/field (such as emergency management, public health, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, or intelligence).

Essays should be no more than five pages, single-spaced and twelve-point type and in Word or PDF format. Entries must be submitted via the http://www.chds.us website. Deadline for submission: 02 January 2008. CHDS reserves the right to publish all contest entries.

Essays will be evaluated based on the relevance and innovation of their ideas, the strength of argument and the sophistication of presentation.

Who may enter: The competition is open to anyone who is interested in the field of homeland security. Individuals associated with CHDS are not eligible..

Award: The winner will receive a $1500.00 cash award and an all-expense-paid trip to the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security in Monterey, California where they will be recognized. The winner and the four top finalists will have their essays published in a special edition of Homeland Security Affairs, the official publication of the NPS Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

How to enter: Simply fill out the entry form where you can upload your submission.

Attached, please find a flyer you can print out and post

Heather Issvoran
Director, MA Program Operations and Public Affairs
Center for Homeland Defense and Security
“The Nation’s Homeland Security Educator”
1 University Circle, Bldg 220, Rm 064
Monterey, Ca. 93943
(831)656-2003 office (831)402-4672 cell
http://www.chds.us

Rob: I think the prize is pretty cool..trip to California…But i wish they offered more..Maybe some plastic sheeting, Duct tape, Gas mask and working walkie talkie radios….Then maybe i would enter..

They call it a speech, but it’s really more like a 4th grade book report.

“…all-expense-paid trip to the Naval Postgraduate School…”

My kid got one of these a few years back. Not the award, but freebie grad school at Monterey.

She was disappointed in the performance of the football team. They lost to the Electoral College by two touchdowns.

I think Bush succeeded in driving Chris Matthews over the edge. After the speech he kept ranting about the alleged 36 allies the US has in Iraq and wondering who they are.

Now if only Chris will stop falling for Republican manly men candidates, maybe he can get a grip.

Should we now expect to see the MANY (about 15) Bush Family members who are of military age join his “return to success”?

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/185

How about the Lieberman and Romney offsprings?

LJ:

Hope you’re well.

I have, until now, disagreed with you on Iran – not that the current policy is incredibly detrimental to US strategic interests – disagreed about the liklihood of a military attack on Iran. But did u hear what Khameini said in Tehran today? Listen closely to his choice of words and you will hear the voice of a man who appears resigned to accepting the fact that he has an uncertain future. As if he knew that he was not going to make it, but one day he would win the day…That tells me he has reason to believe that he knows that a move is being considered against him – an attack from outside. Maybe you are right.

Thank you.

Not sure they would, actually, Hoops. They will not forget what Bill Clinton did to them.

What struck me the most in bush’s speech was not the usual platitudes about “making progress’ and not the phony “troop reduction” assurances. No, it was the bit he slipped in about forming a “pact” – some sort of mutual protection deal like NATO or SEATO, I suppose – to legitimize our keeping a presence there in perpetuity.

This is not a war – that ended on the carrier Abraham Lincoln on May 2, 2003. Bush said so. It is not an Occupation. That ended when “the CPA transferred power to the newly appointed Iraqi Interim Government at 10:26 AM local time on June 28, 2004. The CPA thus disbanded, L. Paul Bremer left Iraq that same day.” (wikipedia). It is an illegal police action. Our troops have been sent to patrol streets, arresting criminals who are participating in gang wars, defusing bombs, building blast walls to protect neighborhoods. This is an inappropriate use of the US military; the CinC has been issuing illegal orders since June ’04 (at least), and is now trying to finesse this “pact” to cover his tracks and keep himself out of prison. That it furthers the aims of the PNAC for world dominance is no coincidence. It is the BIG message and it needs to generate a hue and cry of outrage.

You know, technically it was a CRIMINAL act LONG BEFORE june 04, i.e. from the beginning of the agressive unprovoked war (see Nuremberg judgement) or even earlier.

Thanks, Fred, that’s the best laugh I’ve had so far today.”

That’s the second-best laugh.

What was the name of the Naval Postgrad football team — the Fighting Lint Gazers?

Matthews has long been the most openly gay-seeming straight man (take that both ways) in show business. He embarrassingly gushed all over Bush in that 2003 Mission Accomplished flight-suit farce, assuring his viewers that “women just love this guy,” as if he would know.

He reminds me of that old SNL character who everyone thinks is gay due to his effeminate speech and manner, but actually isn’t. OTOH, Tweety may have some ‘stall tactics’ we have yet to hear about. Paging Larry Flynt.

Let’s not forget there’s still approximately $2 trillion dollars worth of oil under the Iraqi sand, and the various no-bid contractors Bush has hired to rebuild Iraq and ‘service’ our troops are still making heaps of profit for doing next to nothing. (The rampant corruption would make a Haitian customs officer blush.)

As long as there is chaos in Iraq, the Bush family and their cronies make money, and it’s much easier to ‘disappear’ billions of dollars in taxpayer money while an insurgency is in progress, such as the $21 billion Halliburton can’t seem to find. Whoops — another unfortunate casualty of war!

If the troops are withdrawn and our part of the war is over, some serious investigations of fraud and waste may take place; Bush, Cheney, et al, would like to be out of the country when that happens, preferably in a location that won’t extradite them.

Speaking of making money off the war…the smart Bushie money is on the war failing. The Bushies are shorting the war [market].