Update: Wednesday, May 5, 2004

I came out of a doctor's appointment today, turned on the car radio, and heard maybe five minutes from President Bush's remarks to a couple of Arab television stations on the recent abuse of Iraqi prisoners. I comment briefly on several of his remarks in the sequence they occurred on that broadcast. However sincerely he may believe his remarks, I believe that ample objective evidence expose these as more examples of the inconsistency, irrationality, hypocrisy, and denial that typify Mr. Bush's self-serving worldview.

1. He rightly condemned those who "kill, intimidate, try to take matters into their own hands." Why should this not apply also to an elected leader of a free nation who, finding that the majority of the free world rejects his desire for war, then takes matters into his own hands? And in a flimsy effort to dismiss the many reasoned and informed challenges to his hubris, he merely labels himself as "bold" and "decisive." Despite objections and renunciation from most civilized nations, Bush chose to wage a war that has killed hundreds of American soldiers and thousands of Iraqi civilians, all to serve his own personal and political agenda.

2. "Iraqis are sick of foreigners coming into their country to destabilize..." Doubtlessly Bush's defense here would lie in claiming that we come to stabilize and help. Many Iraqis disagree, scorning Mr. Bush himself as the foreigner who has invaded them to serve either his own personal vendetta regarding Saddam and/or to promote American oil interests.

3. "Military [action] is always my last option." Perhaps few Iraqis are familiar with recent factual reports and interviews showing that Mr. Bush did in fact begin war plans early on. His plans simply faced delays getting adequate American support, and the total failure to get U.N. support.

4. "Saddam constantly defied the world; he chose war." The second clause brings one of Mr. Bush's most blatantly conniving and deceptive claims. Saddam did not choose war. Saddam did defy and resist America and the U.N.; in that sense he did help provoke it. But neither defiance nor even provocation constitutes choosing. In blaming Saddam for starting this, perhaps Mr. Bush has begun to believe the blatant disinformation and propaganda campaign he and his colleagues employed to paint a false connection of Saddam to al Qaeda and Osama, despite a dearth of evidence.

One man in fact used his authority to choose war, and that on a shifting pretext (WMD's? Protect America? Get Saddam? Free Iraq?): George W. Bush.

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” Theodore Roosevelt “History, we don’t know. We’ll all be dead.” George W. Bush   Intro   Election 2004 Introduction 1   I Yam What I Yam 2a People Die for Mr. Bush's Mistakes. He Laughs It Off 2b Supplement: Mr. Bush Laughs It Off 3a   Mr. Bush's Religious Rhetoric: The Uncaped Crusader 3b   Mr. Bush's Religious Rhetoric: Ripping Off Jesus 4   WMDWMDWMDWMDWMD—Oh, Never Mind, Forget I Ever Said WMD 5   President Bush: Saddam Tried to Kill My Dad 6   President Bush's Real World Patriot Games 7   In Mr. Bush's Own Words: "Major League Asshole" 8a   Responsibilty? Accountability? The Buck Stops Somewhere Else 8b Supplement: Responsibilty and Dodge Ball 9a   Forgive Osama? Love Saddam? You CRAZY, Jesus? 9b   Supplement: Christian Nonresistance 10   Democracy? Not on This Watch. Undo the Presidential Records Act 11   The Arsonist Owns the Fire Truck 12   Environment 13   Mr. Bush's Taunt: "Bring It On!" 14   Conclusions 15   Update 5/5/04     Please sign my Election Site Dreambook (and visit my other sites as well). And read others' comments.