And I thought his speeches were pathetic…
Here are a couple of parts of Bush’s Friday press conference that warrant some review (There are more, but I no longer have the patience.):
“QUESTION: Mr. President, former Secretary of State Colin Powell says the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism. If a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former secretary of state feels this way, don’t you think that Americans and the rest of the world are beginning to wonder whether you’re following a flawed strategy?
BUSH: If there’s any comparison between the compassion and decency of the American people and the terrorist tactics of extremists, it’s flawed logic.
It’s just – I simply can’t accept that.”
Thing is, Colin Powell, lying war criminal that he is, didn’t compare Bush to the terrorists. He simply said that when the President of the United States goes to Capital Hill demanding authority to torture people and use their coerced “confessions” in military “courts,” the basic bankrupt assumption of the American government’s power overseas – that they are killing people for their own good – is undermined. And that if foreigners quit believing in “our” benevolent motives (did anyone, ever?), it will make it more difficult to maintain our world empire over them.
Far too little, and way too late for you, Colin.
But Bush’s guilty conscience seems to have gotten in the way of his ability to address the question (What argument could he have made?), and he managed to instead only indict himself as the terrorist he was trying to deny he was to the question that was not asked:
“It’s unacceptable to think that there’s any kind of comparison between the behavior of the United States of America and the action of Islamic extremists who kill innocent women and children to achieve an objective.”
So The Evil Terroristsâ„¢ kill women and children to achieve an objective, huh? That’s what makes them different from him? So does that mean that Bush kills just because he’s a psychopath with no ends in mind? And that’s what makes it okay?
And what is this about the Terroristsâ„¢ having objectives? What about they are pure evil, ideologically-motivated madmen who hate us for our freedom and all of that?
Also, in the “equivalency of our leaders and those of our enemies” category; “Commander in Chief doesn’t give a rat’s ass about his soldiers” section, see here. When asked, “But, sir, with respect, if other countries interpret the Geneva Conventions as they see fit, as they see fit, you’re saying that you’d be OK with that?” Bush responded:
“I am saying that I would hope that they would adopt the same standards we adopt.”
Wow. There you have it folks. If American POWs have to be tortured so that Bush can torture, then that’s just fine with him. But he couldn’t have meant that. Right?
“QUESTION: This will not endanger U.S. troops in your…
BUSH: Next man?
QUESTION: This will not endanger…
BUSH: David, next man please. Thank you.”
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In other news, the History Channel now says that Jefferson’s war against the Barbary Pirates was America’s “first War on Terrorism,” so I guess we’re all on board now.
(Comments welcome over at Stress.)