Naomi Wolf's take on the rise and fall of GWB

drewdad

Re National Guard busy in Iraq and the Miers nomination...

It struck me that the Miers nomination was important to this matter (Bush's decline) because it opened up the first major visible schism in the Republican camp (which had previously maintained amazing unity of voice, quite strategically of course). As Republican moderate Christine Todd Whitman said on PBS, this functioned as Bush's own people (the neoconservative and more radical social/political crowd) acting to embarrass him. In other words, this acted directly in opposition to the desired image of Bush as the respected and in charge leader (wizard of oz curtain pulled away).

I think the National Guard component revved up many people's growing worries that the Iraq project was a serious mistake in terms of resources, and the increasing sense that Bush's decision to initiate the war was driven by some unknown but foolish ideology.

0 Replies

Well Bernie-

Our PM has made a speech tonight at the annual set piece occasion of The Lord Mayor's Banquet to politely hint that if we don't share it out a bit more we are going to get a never ending stretching of our nerves.Like,say,having to submit to strip searches before entering our apartment blocks if they are higher than a single storey and we have a beard or a funny glint in our eyes.

0 Replies

spendie

I think he's right.

Reagan, and now Bush to a lesser degree, thought the "missle defence shield" a grand idea. That's really just a replay of the wall around the city notion (at least, they said it was a grand idea...but one can't ignore the resulting big big dollars going to military/industrial corporations tied to the pentagon and WH). 'Border security' is the same notion. But in this world now, keeping 'bad folks' out is an utter impossibility and we could quite easily head into an era of security-related Orwellian civic oppression such as you mention. Toss in the factor of modern electronics minaturization and data storage and really ugly futures loom.

All of which constitutes a major reason why I detest the folks around Bush and Blair who so eagerly set to a war against internationalism, against treaties, and against a 'competitive' faith/worldview.

They could have done it differently. Imagine if all the money spent and all the manhours invested in this whole insane project had been placed in the service of international health and education.

May the bastards burn.

0 Replies

Bush has 3 years left in office. Why are you guys talking like it's over already.

Imagine how much more crap Bush can stir up in 3 years! I can't wait!

0 Replies

Bernie wrote-

Quote:

They could have done it differently. Imagine if all the money spent and all the manhours invested in this whole insane project had been placed in the service of international health and education.

I think that far too simplistic if I am supposed to imagine a certain outcome being a good one.And I'm not sure voters would approve of that.There is even a slight possibilty that wasting resources is a good thing if it had been perceived that to let you use them,which is what I think you would vote for,would drive you all crazy.From surfeit exhaustion.Spending is rather hard work I find.

What would Malthus have said anyway?

If there is a force underway for benefiting the poor nations it is sport.It won't be long before abuse of human rights will result in exclusion from World Cups and Olympics.

It is a long slow process I'm afraid but I think the general direction is the right one.

Are you aware that Mr Blair's idea of 90 days detention without charge was voted down by 30odd votes and the general opinion is that had it passed the Lords would have thrown it out.

0 Replies

simplistic exactly how?

0 Replies

Oh Bernie-come on man.

These are complex matters.Fiendish actually.So much so that I wouldn't even know where to start.

Try 9/11.A choice.Turn the other cheek as Jesus taught (take it on the chin) or do something.But even there can you separate revenge from prevention of other attacks and that assumes we know where the attacks derived from which I gather is moot.And what does a President do.Can he sell the Jesus advice to his party and the nation?If he favours it and can't sell it does he resign?Can he do nothing?Most unlikely without a news blackout.And even with one I should think.
Right?
He does something.What?He can't go in for a range of things.He has an intelligence failure on his hands.
He has 000s of flights.

I'll stop there.I think your partisan lack of respect for Mr Bush has led you to fail to see the reality of the bloke with that on his desk which as Mr Truman said is where it stops.

So go from 9/11.What decision would you have made.

0 Replies

spendie

Let's be efficient here.

The matter of 9/11 is absolutely independent from the matter of an attack on Iraq (a move argued for by Wolfowitz, Feith and others a full nine years earlier).

The attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan was justifiable as a response to 9/11, morally and strategically (and the probability to a near certainty of the responsible parties was available within days). See Richard Clarke's book.

I'm not going to bother with a defence of internationalism over unilateral military dominance by America (or anyone else).

0 Replies

Bernie-

When was the other attack on the WTC.Didn't that and the invasion of Kuwait flag up "possibilities" at the least.

I was only defending my use of "simplistic".There are possible explanations which I daresay I know nothing about as well.Think Tank stuff.50 or 100 year predictions.

All I'm really saying is that I'm not going to wave my arms around over global politics.It is the mother of all battles and the winner gets the whole damned earth and I'm on our side and I go with our elected leaders on it.

If you want me to put my finger on a difficulty I see I'll go with your primary system of selecting candidates,your disqualifying guys for a bit of rumpy-pumpy with a bevy of beauties and not having cabinet government in our form and having a rigid constitution written for 15 million sod busters whose men wore the pants being applied to 300 million industrialised materialists whose women wear the pants.

How's that?Britain and France and Isreal went to Suez to nip the bud and you pulled the plug.That's a precis of the bar leaners gab.We're only liberal when we want to be.

0 Replies

sp

The first attack was 93 and perpetrated by folks associated with Osama.

The attack on Kuwait by Sadaam was an unrelated matter. One could make an argument for taking out Sadaam (or ANY ugly dictator) but that argument would not have any valid reference to 9/11.

I understand that these issues are complex. But what the fuckk ain't? And as we have so much good historical reason to mistrust people in positions of power, I don't.

How much of a fool I might appear (or actually be) in waving my arms about on these matters bothers me not very much. I'd feel worse being silent. Besides, it's all very interesting.

0 Replies

Bernie-

I'll agree with you there old friend.

How are you anyway?It is remiss of me not to have enquired earlier but you seem so perky and back to your old form that I almost forgot your recent difficulties.

And how is dear Lola?

0 Replies

spendie

My preference is for minimal commentary re my health. The time spent doing it could be better spent whining in dark corners.

I'm on the mend. Now and again, I'll walk past a shop window and catch a brief glimpse of my reflection and I could swear sometimes I see one of those timer-set explosive devices strapped to my chest. A tad disconcerting, I confess. I am feeling more perky and less murderous but ususally that's after finding a cigarette butt on the sidewalk. Lola is secreted away these days in a room we've set up for crafting jewellry. She has an exciting talent for visual design. She holds that I do not.

0 Replies

Re: Naomi Wolf's take on the rise and fall of GWB

hingehead wrote:

Full article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianweekly/story/0,12674,1638589,00.html

Americans - and especially American men - were feeling the sinking self-regard characteristic of those losing prestige in once-great empires in decline...

Bush managed to be golden for so long because he made Americans - and especially white American men, his core constituency - feel good about their identity again.

Brother, she nailed this!

0 Replies

Re: Naomi Wolf's take on the rise and fall of GWB

Lash wrote:

Full article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianweekly/story/0,12674,1638589,00.html

How did he get away with so many lies for so long?
What lie?

After 9/11, Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove successfully used the fear of more terrorist attacks and the intoxicant of ruthless jingoism to sedate the country and make it compliant.

The Congress voted overwhelmingly for the Act and again to keep it.

They could not have had more fortunate timing. During an era when US prestige abroad had already been declining, when US schools were turning out subliterates, when the US economy was being crippled by competition from harder-working south-east Asians and Chinese, Americans - and especially American men - were feeling the sinking self-regard characteristic of those losing prestige in once-great empires in decline.
Our schools suck. True. Thank God for Bush's great education program. It has real promise. Of course, only a freakin idiot would expect Bush to be able to fix overnight what happened over a period of fifty years. Did she poll American men? Where are her stats? Oddly, the empire is so astronomically above everyone else, we have some more freefall room before we even need to peer over our glasses.

Stats? All one has to do is read, hear the opinions and observe conservative America men like yourself to know that Wolf is right on on this one!

0 Replies

Look. Harper/ Chrissee/ twinpeaksnickie has another alter.

What are you hiding from? Sanity?

0 Replies

He questions my sanity? Dude, you are tripping.

Bluesgirl, this is typical. We have a few real wackjobs here.

Oh and welcome ro A2K.

0 Replies

Lash is a sheila.

0 Replies

That's one person(bluesgirl and twinpeaks, who also has a couple of alters--online and in her/his head) with about three or four other alters and serious problems, who thinks it bothers me to refer to me as a man.

Thanks, but don't think anything of it. I don't.

Naomi Wolf's take on the rise and fall of GWB

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know