What About the Other Dead, Mr. President?
This started out as a general complaint that George Bush likes to show up at places like 9/11 ceremonies where he has complete control over the ceremonies and is sure to be presented in the most positive possible light. . . but won't show up to honor the death of a single solitary soldier who has voluntarily given his or her life believing in Bush's misguided policies. But it sort of got away from me. Now it's more or less a first draft of a speech I would give if I were asked to speak at a 9/11 ceremony. I call it "Bush the Cowardly Beast."
Monday's coming fast and George Bush is getting ready to wrap himself in the flag of 9/11 once again.
(A curious irony occurs as I write this. When I think of the "Flag of 9/11" I have a vision of firemen. Firemen in black and yellow coats and helmets. Grime-besmeared faces on a background of gray ash and Iwo-Jima like raising a flag, that just happens to be burned. And here comes George Bush wrapping himself in a burned flag. Would he be a criminal if his constitutional amendment against flag desecration ere passed? Not my point though."
For five years Bush has reveled in 9/11 Celebrations in which he play-acts at being hero.
This cowardly bum. He didn't show up at the cushy national reserve post he had wrangled to stay out of Vietnam.
This coward who talks about nothing but fear. All he does is spread fear. Would a leader tell American's to behave like frightened children? Or would he tell us to get our backbone up?
This coward. He approves the use of torture even while he says he condemns it, and admits to it even though he can't bring himself to say the word - "alternative interrogation techniques" - Does he really think people are so stupid that they don't recognize a multi-syllabic euphemism when they see them?
(Hey. I've eliminated "death" and "taxes", now all we need to worry about is "revenue enhancement" (thank you Ronald Reagan) and "negative patient care outcome." And the roach problem in New York? Gone. We just have to get rid of the "Hugabugs" (thank you Jon Lovitz).)
"Alternative interrogation techniques" indeed. When you take a dying man, remove his clothes, put him in a room so cold that he turns blue, and prevent him from sleeping by playing rock & roll at unbearable volumes - that's torture and I don't care what you want to call it.
"A crime is a crime is a crime." I'm pretty sure that's a conservative slogan.
This miltary incompetent.
He failed to secure Afghanistan and now the Taliban and warlords control virtually the entire country outside Kabul.
He failed to secure Afghanistan and now it is the world's largest supplier of opium, and opium is the country's largest export commodity, whereas five years ago the trade had all but disappeared.
He failed to secure Afghanistan when his generals told him he needed more troops at Tora Bora, he ignored them. He let Osama bin Laden run loose so he could launch his misguided war in Iraq.
He ran away from Osama.
He ran away from 9/11.
He started a war on Iraq, before he had finished the war on terror.
He started a war in Iraq with fewer than half the number of troops his most experienced generals recommended. He fired the generals instead.
He started a war without armor for the troops or their transportation, and with insufficient ordinance.
Call it whatever he wants, the war in Iraq is NOT the war on terror.
The war in Iraq is creating new terrorists by the tens of thousands.
The war in Iraq is draining the U.S. Economy.
The war in Iraq has resulted in the total destruction of entire cities.
The war in Iraq has resulted in the near total loss of freedom for women in that country.
The war in Iraq has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees.
The war in Iraq has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis.
In Baghdad, the capital city, electricity is available only 8 hours a day.
The war in Iraq has killed more American children then died in the World Trade Center.
And George Bush wants to wrap himself again in the World Trade Center flag. George Bush wants to remind us that we were attacked. George Bush wants to remind us we are at war.
But we are not at war in Iraq because we were attacked. There was never any truth to that. It was a lie. It was a coward's lie. It was a coward's lie because George Bush the coward was afraid of the truth.
The truth was that George Bush wanted to spread democracy. George Bush the coward, George Bush the fanatical egotist, George Bush the FOOL, had the unmitigated audacity to believe that HE could do what Jesus Christ and Muhmamed themselves were were unable to do. George Bush thought HE could bring peace to the Mideast.
The truth is that George Bush relied on his gut instead of relying on common sense.
The truth is that George Bush relied on his prayers more than the knowledge and experience of his own advisors.
The truth is that George Bush refused to listen to anyone who disagreed with him. The truth is that in George Bush's fanatical belief system, he is accomplishing God's will and anyone disagreeing with him is disagreeing with what God wants him to do.
The truth is that in George Bush's world the scripture reading of the day is more important than the intelligence briefing of the day. If it were otherwise, perhaps Mr. Bush would have read the memos telling him that Osama bin Laden was planning to attack the U.S.
George Bush the coward ran away from the real war. American soldiers are dying every day because George Bush turned the real war on terror into a cover story for one of the stupidest military mistakes since Hitler attacked the Soviet Union.
And George Bush wants to wear the flag that was burned on 9/11. The flag of the victims.
Bush wants to wear the victims' flag Monday. George Bush will tell us again we have a ruthless enemy. George Bush will tell us again we were attacked. George Bush will tell us again we are victims. George Bush will tell us we must feel helpless. We must feel afraid.
George Bush will tell us we need to be afraid. George Bush will tell us that we need to sacrifice our freedoms (but not tax cuts for the wealthy, I mean freedom is one thing, but let's not go overboard on this sacrifice thing). George Bush will tell us that if we just give him unfettered power to do what HE decides is right, that everything will be peachy keen.
George Bush will tell us to ignore those funny noises our telephones are starting to make. George Bush will ask us to forget about whoever it is that might be reading our mail. George Bush will tell us that we shouldn't talk about the secret prisons. He will tell us to turn our eyes on torture (or "alternative interrogation techniques.") George Bush will tell us not to worry about the people, not terrorists, good, decent, average, everyday American citizens who have already been "disappeared" to secret prisons where they are not permitted to see or speak to lawyers or family members, where they have no access to courts, no rights of appeal. No charges. No right to a defense.
George Bush the coward wants us to say "Shhhhhhhhhh! we don't talk about such things." George Bush wants us to say "well at least we're safe from the terrorists." But does anyone feel safer today?
I say who's keeping us safe from George Bush.
Bush the coward wants to wrap himself in the victim's flag. But he won't attend the funeral of a single soldier who's death he has pointlessly caused. That's one flag that Bush does not want to wrap himself in. That's a flag he won't go near. Won't touch. Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.
Bush can't wear the flag of a real hero. His shoulders won't bear the weight.
Monday, George Bush will make his speech about terror. George Bush will ask us to support the loss of our freedoms. He will tell us again those things that we know are untrue: that the war in Iraq is going well, that he has a plan, that victory is around the corner, that the terrorist are on the run, that the U.S. has not tortured prisoners.
But I will not give in to fear. I will not support the loss of one single freedom. I will remember Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I will remember only to fear fear itself. I will remember that there is an election in two months and in two months a democratic house and a democratic senate can provide the backbone that this country lost on 9/11.
(And, there's an interesting metaphor I hadn't expected, the WTC as the backbone of America. Broken on 9/11. A gaping wound left to fester by George W. Bush, just in the same way he left Afghanistan broken. Just as he has left the poor people of New Orleans, Louisiana and Mississippi.)
And I will remember the people who gave their lives. Not the ones victims of 9/11 whom I will mourn. I will remember all of the hundreds of thousands who gave their lives in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. The soldiers who died in the War of 1812 and the Spanish American War. The men and women who died in World Wars I and II and Korea and Vietnam. I will remember the ones who gave their lives for the freedoms George Bush the coward is asking us to give away. And I will mourn those sacrifices.
And I will feel badly for the victims of 9/11. I will feel badly for their friends. I will feel badly for their families. I will wish them every prayer for the future that there might be.
But I won't feel fear.
Monday's coming fast and George Bush is getting ready to wrap himself in the flag of 9/11 once again.
(A curious irony occurs as I write this. When I think of the "Flag of 9/11" I have a vision of firemen. Firemen in black and yellow coats and helmets. Grime-besmeared faces on a background of gray ash and Iwo-Jima like raising a flag, that just happens to be burned. And here comes George Bush wrapping himself in a burned flag. Would he be a criminal if his constitutional amendment against flag desecration ere passed? Not my point though."
For five years Bush has reveled in 9/11 Celebrations in which he play-acts at being hero.
This cowardly bum. He didn't show up at the cushy national reserve post he had wrangled to stay out of Vietnam.
This coward who talks about nothing but fear. All he does is spread fear. Would a leader tell American's to behave like frightened children? Or would he tell us to get our backbone up?
This coward. He approves the use of torture even while he says he condemns it, and admits to it even though he can't bring himself to say the word - "alternative interrogation techniques" - Does he really think people are so stupid that they don't recognize a multi-syllabic euphemism when they see them?
(Hey. I've eliminated "death" and "taxes", now all we need to worry about is "revenue enhancement" (thank you Ronald Reagan) and "negative patient care outcome." And the roach problem in New York? Gone. We just have to get rid of the "Hugabugs" (thank you Jon Lovitz).)
"Alternative interrogation techniques" indeed. When you take a dying man, remove his clothes, put him in a room so cold that he turns blue, and prevent him from sleeping by playing rock & roll at unbearable volumes - that's torture and I don't care what you want to call it.
"A crime is a crime is a crime." I'm pretty sure that's a conservative slogan.
This miltary incompetent.
He failed to secure Afghanistan and now the Taliban and warlords control virtually the entire country outside Kabul.
He failed to secure Afghanistan and now it is the world's largest supplier of opium, and opium is the country's largest export commodity, whereas five years ago the trade had all but disappeared.
He failed to secure Afghanistan when his generals told him he needed more troops at Tora Bora, he ignored them. He let Osama bin Laden run loose so he could launch his misguided war in Iraq.
He ran away from Osama.
He ran away from 9/11.
He started a war on Iraq, before he had finished the war on terror.
He started a war in Iraq with fewer than half the number of troops his most experienced generals recommended. He fired the generals instead.
He started a war without armor for the troops or their transportation, and with insufficient ordinance.
Call it whatever he wants, the war in Iraq is NOT the war on terror.
The war in Iraq is creating new terrorists by the tens of thousands.
The war in Iraq is draining the U.S. Economy.
The war in Iraq has resulted in the total destruction of entire cities.
The war in Iraq has resulted in the near total loss of freedom for women in that country.
The war in Iraq has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees.
The war in Iraq has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis.
In Baghdad, the capital city, electricity is available only 8 hours a day.
The war in Iraq has killed more American children then died in the World Trade Center.
And George Bush wants to wrap himself again in the World Trade Center flag. George Bush wants to remind us that we were attacked. George Bush wants to remind us we are at war.
But we are not at war in Iraq because we were attacked. There was never any truth to that. It was a lie. It was a coward's lie. It was a coward's lie because George Bush the coward was afraid of the truth.
The truth was that George Bush wanted to spread democracy. George Bush the coward, George Bush the fanatical egotist, George Bush the FOOL, had the unmitigated audacity to believe that HE could do what Jesus Christ and Muhmamed themselves were were unable to do. George Bush thought HE could bring peace to the Mideast.
The truth is that George Bush relied on his gut instead of relying on common sense.
The truth is that George Bush relied on his prayers more than the knowledge and experience of his own advisors.
The truth is that George Bush refused to listen to anyone who disagreed with him. The truth is that in George Bush's fanatical belief system, he is accomplishing God's will and anyone disagreeing with him is disagreeing with what God wants him to do.
The truth is that in George Bush's world the scripture reading of the day is more important than the intelligence briefing of the day. If it were otherwise, perhaps Mr. Bush would have read the memos telling him that Osama bin Laden was planning to attack the U.S.
George Bush the coward ran away from the real war. American soldiers are dying every day because George Bush turned the real war on terror into a cover story for one of the stupidest military mistakes since Hitler attacked the Soviet Union.
And George Bush wants to wear the flag that was burned on 9/11. The flag of the victims.
Bush wants to wear the victims' flag Monday. George Bush will tell us again we have a ruthless enemy. George Bush will tell us again we were attacked. George Bush will tell us again we are victims. George Bush will tell us we must feel helpless. We must feel afraid.
George Bush will tell us we need to be afraid. George Bush will tell us that we need to sacrifice our freedoms (but not tax cuts for the wealthy, I mean freedom is one thing, but let's not go overboard on this sacrifice thing). George Bush will tell us that if we just give him unfettered power to do what HE decides is right, that everything will be peachy keen.
George Bush will tell us to ignore those funny noises our telephones are starting to make. George Bush will ask us to forget about whoever it is that might be reading our mail. George Bush will tell us that we shouldn't talk about the secret prisons. He will tell us to turn our eyes on torture (or "alternative interrogation techniques.") George Bush will tell us not to worry about the people, not terrorists, good, decent, average, everyday American citizens who have already been "disappeared" to secret prisons where they are not permitted to see or speak to lawyers or family members, where they have no access to courts, no rights of appeal. No charges. No right to a defense.
George Bush the coward wants us to say "Shhhhhhhhhh! we don't talk about such things." George Bush wants us to say "well at least we're safe from the terrorists." But does anyone feel safer today?
I say who's keeping us safe from George Bush.
Bush the coward wants to wrap himself in the victim's flag. But he won't attend the funeral of a single soldier who's death he has pointlessly caused. That's one flag that Bush does not want to wrap himself in. That's a flag he won't go near. Won't touch. Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.
Bush can't wear the flag of a real hero. His shoulders won't bear the weight.
Monday, George Bush will make his speech about terror. George Bush will ask us to support the loss of our freedoms. He will tell us again those things that we know are untrue: that the war in Iraq is going well, that he has a plan, that victory is around the corner, that the terrorist are on the run, that the U.S. has not tortured prisoners.
But I will not give in to fear. I will not support the loss of one single freedom. I will remember Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I will remember only to fear fear itself. I will remember that there is an election in two months and in two months a democratic house and a democratic senate can provide the backbone that this country lost on 9/11.
(And, there's an interesting metaphor I hadn't expected, the WTC as the backbone of America. Broken on 9/11. A gaping wound left to fester by George W. Bush, just in the same way he left Afghanistan broken. Just as he has left the poor people of New Orleans, Louisiana and Mississippi.)
And I will remember the people who gave their lives. Not the ones victims of 9/11 whom I will mourn. I will remember all of the hundreds of thousands who gave their lives in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. The soldiers who died in the War of 1812 and the Spanish American War. The men and women who died in World Wars I and II and Korea and Vietnam. I will remember the ones who gave their lives for the freedoms George Bush the coward is asking us to give away. And I will mourn those sacrifices.
And I will feel badly for the victims of 9/11. I will feel badly for their friends. I will feel badly for their families. I will wish them every prayer for the future that there might be.
But I won't feel fear.
posted by BuddhistAttorney | 1:55 AM
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