Bush: Evil Dictator
An interesting article appeared in Tunisian magazine (I think) the Tunis Hebdo. Watching America (one of the best, most innovative and most interesting websites on the entire Net) translated it. I encourage all Americans to read it, not because I agree with it (although the author, Tahar Selmi makes some valid points), but because it gives you all (and other Westerners for that matter) an understanding of how the media in certain countries report about Bush.
Be forewarned: it’s not good.
Seldom in the history of the United States has a President seen his foreign policy as publicly criticized and contested by Americans as George Walker Bush. And as for as the frontal attack that Nancy Pelosi just assaulted him with, it’s quite simply without precedent. By ignoring the recriminations of the White House, which seeks to strangle Syria by tightening its isolation, the speaker of the House of Representatives broke a secular taboo in the country of Lincoln.
But no one has any illusions about the results of Pelosi’s visit. Even if the landlord of the Capitol is the third most powerful person in the U.S. State, democratically elected and lifted to that station by a hundred million American voters, she will not change the course of events in the region as long as “Number 43″ continues to occupy the Oval Office.
George Walker Bush, who claims to act only in the name of bringing democracy to the (“medieval”) Arabs and Muslims, in his own country fights this same democracy like a gladiator. Despite the repeated surges and great tides of people breaking in American cities, exhorting him to change course – particularly in Iraq – he persists in his stubbornness, sweeping away their demands with the back of his hand and threatening the use of his constitutional veto.
The worst totalitarian dictator couldn’t have done better; especially since the U.S. chief executive also bears, in abundance, such a dark past as a despotic President. Didn’t he trample under foot U.N. resolutions and international conventions, subject Americans to a ghetto of domestic spying in the name of the alleged war against terrorism and create an infinity of secret prisons where thousands of prisoners with no means of defense rot without trial? Definitely, the Bush democracy has more than a whiff of fascism. It resembles death.
Now, one of the things I find interesting about this OP-Ed is that, although it is highly critical of George W. Bush, the author does not imply that all, or even most, Americans agree with what Bush is doing. In other words, Selmi might be anti-Bush, he does not seem to be anti-American as such.
It is also interesting to see how Selmi describes Pelosi(‘s visit to the region): the “Iron lady of Congress” who really doesn’t get anything done and the clear opposition to Israel. Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad is just about glorified (“fighting as a lion”), while mr. Selmi doesn’t use one single positive word when referring to Israel which he strikingly describes as “the Hebrew state.” Note: not the zionist state, but the Hebrew state. That does not imply ‘mere’ anti-Zionism, but true anti-Semitism.
I also wonder about this:
The almost certain arrival of a Democrat in the White House in less than two years isn’t necessarily a sign of encouragement for the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is still likely to have beautiful days in front of it, despite the Arab offer of peace that was first proposed in Beirut in 2002 and relaunched in Riyadh on March 28th of this year. Unless …
Beautiful days? Unless what?
70 Responses to “Bush: Evil Dictator”
Excuse my ignorance on the subject, but why is “Hebrew state” anti-semitic as opposed to “Jewish state?”
It is the context Chris.
Did you actually read the article?
There’s no doubt in my mind that Selmi used “hebrew state” to make a point. And, o, Jewish state the same. In this context, he used it for a reason. Not just as a matter of description.
First of all, hello to MVDG. I have been very very busy in the analogue world, so I have not been able to be the thorn in the side for Micheal that I so love to be.
Sorry bout that.
As for this-
Any part of this thats not true? I can’t think of one.
Also it is very important that Americans start getting a whiff of how the rest of the world thinks. We pay a big price for our 24 fantasy driven prisoner policy, and its time to understand that.
So thanks for bringing this to our attention!
Snarky: good to see you back again. Hope you’re doing fine.
I agree completely and… all those who feel like that should bookmark Watching America. Seriously: a great site for that
Was this article translated by a machine? It appears to be composed in hyperbolic overdrive.
Hahahaha…it is fascinating to see how the Arab world sees the Pelosi’s trip as a unprecedented political attack on Bush…while liberals have been in full “push back” mode to deny anything unprecedented about it after Pelosi returned with egg on her face.
Underlying the usual Arab rhetoric, there is a starkly realistic power analysis. Sort of like Osama’s “strong horse, weak horse” metaphor, describing the weakness of the US in the Somalia debacle.
Might be a little breathy, but all true.
Of course you don’t believe it, but I’m sure if Cheney/Bush tells you the sky is green, you would just lap that up.
WW3? The terrorist are going to invade Kansas? Thats not hyperbole? Hell, the last six years have been nothing but hyperbole.
Rush tell you that? A little hint. People who are whacked out on narcotics don’t make really good sources of information.
But its your fantasy world, were just visiting, so carry on.
> how the media in certain countries report about Bush
including Western countries — not to mention what’s produced here by lefty “exaggerators” and fabricators
Did the Republican congressmen that went in the weeks and months before her also return with egg on their faces? Or do I smell a the stench of hypocrisy?
The right-wing’s fake outrage over this issue betrays a strong disconnect from reality.
>
Heres the thing DLS-
You righty’s on your way out. Think dustbin of history, or more precisely, the whig party.
We aregoing to have a national conversation, and all the delusional fantasy world living people who say things like lefty “exaggerators� and fabricators and liberal media are flat out going to be left out of the conversation.
It will become glaringly apparent that people who say and believe these things are not living in anything approaching reality.
So there is no point in listening to anything they have to say.
Don’t hate me, I’m just the messenger.
Chris: yes and those Republicans also created quite some chaos in the Mideast, didn’t they? You know, saying that Olmert agreed to peacetalks, Olmert having to deny it, etc.?
And umh “democratic foreign policy”? That’s quite significant as well.
Pelosi’s trip was a big mistake and it would be a good thing if progressives would be willing to admit that. You know, out of intellectual honesty?
Marlowe: I agree – this column also provides a good way of seeing how certain countries look at Pelosi’s trip, what it says about America, and Bush, etc.
Snarky: to be frank, I think that America is becoming increasingly conservative and that, if the Democrats want to be able to compete in the long run, they have to move further and further to the right.
That does not mean that the Republicans will win in 08, they might very well not win, but in the longer run… yeah, I think that the rightward movement will continue.
Democratic candidates who can win are not the ‘progressive ones’, they have to be Centrist.
Uh, sorry Michael, Olmert did that because he is a Bush toady, and as such he did what he was told by Bush as toadies are wont to do.
Pelosi’s trip was a breath of fresh air in what was a fetid swamp of incompetence.
Several Israeli newspapers claimed Pelosi was asked to do what she did by the grownups in Israel, before she even did it
My feeling is, all the players over there cannot wait untill some actual grownups regain control over the state department in 08.
The unless in your original link is as such…unless the American people get a clue and impeach the Cheney administration, in which case there wont be beautiful days. When he says beautiful days, he is being sarcastic.
He is probably speaking in code to actual thinking people, because your average Republican doesn’t get sarcasm. Or irony, or empathy, or satire etc etc.
Thats why bully boys always hate pointy headed intellectuals and shoot them first.
Because they always feel so left out
.
Wrong again. But go on you crazy dreamer you.
If you are speaking specifically, maybe not. If you are speaking in general, than you are completely right. LOL!
Oh, you were being sarcastic.
Tell me again why you love Republicans so much? Because your game is way higher than theirs.
Its kind of like you being in high school, and playing on the elementary soccer team.
The big story should not be that Pelosi said something that was later refuted by Olmert. Come on? What was the real harm in what she said?
The real story should be that Olmert refuses to engage in peacetalks, again showing that Israel is not concerned about the well-being of its citizens or the citizens of any of its neighbors.
Meanwhile Bush has no diplomatic foreign policy, just a war policy, and failed one at that.
Snarky said:
Heh-heh-heh…SS, you have obviously been ignoring the spin at Media Matters, Americablog, KOS etc. that there was nothing unconsitutional or unusual in Pelosi’s trip.
This has been a full-court press by the Left in damage control…with Holbrooke attacking David Gregory for criticizing it on Hardball. Covered at “Crooks and Liars” etc.
Of course, Holbrooke decides to completely ignore Rep. Lantos comment at the start of the trip, which contradict him completely:
THAT is the pushback Snarky…full court press across the MSM and the blogosphere to recover Pelosi from her disastrous little excusion.
What was the real harm? By God I hope that people like you will never have anything to say about foreign policy matters. The real harm? An incredibly sensitive issue, and Pelosi is spreading false information? Are you completely oblivious?
The real story should be that Olmert refuses to engage in peacetalks, again showing that Israel is not concerned about the well-being of its citizens or the citizens of any of its neighbors.
Whereas terrorism sponsoring Iran, Syria, and PA are huh?
So on the scale of disasters, how does it compare to I dont know, say the Iraq war?
Or maybe that little excursion in southern Lebanon by Isreal and sanctioned by Condi?
Maybe its comparable to the upcoming sh*tstorm coming in the DOJ scandal?
Is it to that level?
But hey, grab for whatever little silver lining you can find.
Meanwhile, I hope to god that the Dems do have a shadow government going on.
It may be what saves us.
It sure wont be the Cheney administration.
In all this bluster, you never explained what the harm was
Marlowe: fascinating how quite some progressives are refuting it, isn’t it? They come right out and say that they have a ‘shadow foreign policy’, when someone says “what?! are you out of your mind”, it’s suddenly “no we don’t have a shadow foreign policy, rush limbaugh made that up”.
Snarky: I don’t ‘love’ Republicans – I think that they, in many ways, screwed things up badly. They gave Bush too much power, allowed him to spend way too much (without cutting programs), generally didn’t do their job, quite some Republicans are too happy with ignoring what the rest of the civilized world considers torture or at least inhumane treatment of prisoners, etc.
I am, however, a conservative liberal (European), so that means that I am right of center for Americans as well.
An incredibly sensitive issue, and Pelosi is spreading false information?
No, it is Olmert, and by proxy you who are spreading false information.
Pelosi did what the ‘serious’ people in Israel asked her to do.
There wasn’t any, but that doesn’t fit with Republican hyperbole.
Heh-heh…SS, you realize you were on shaky ground denying the existence of pushback, so you shift the topic?
Which was wise.
OT: I hope this ends the plaque of quote indents…damn hard to read.
It didn’t. Bugger.
If you consider setting the record straight with actual facts to be pushback then have at it.
I didn’t shift the topic, I destroyed your weak propaganda and moved on. Circular reasoning holds no interest to me, and its obvious you live in a world that has no basis in reality, so why even bother.
It reads to me that the “Iron Lady” came with hat in hand on bended knee to pay tribute and sue for peace with the great Syrian Lion in the ancient home the all powerful Omeyyades. Quake with fear infidel dogs your day is coming! Stand together or die apart do the progressives truly believe that they will able to broker an honest agreement without weakening American sovereignty? And why do liberals take criticism of the US to be justification of their ideals?
SNARKY: After using blockquote please close with blockquote as well not with ‘i’ – i stands for italics… when you do that, it gets ugly. i had to change 3 comments of you now…
you can also use ‘close tags’.
Sorry I have no idea why my comment is posted as such, but am 100% sure that I am responsible.
Michael van der Galien
Trying to get used to this new format.
I did use close tags several times, but it didn’t take.
Its Bush’s fault!
Thanks for cleaning up the rug MVG. Me do better now
lol, cool snark. Me is happy to hear that.
Chyng: no, it wasn’t you as Shaggy would say.
While I agree that Bush’s foreign Policy is under more scrutiny then any presidents in history. George Bush is also the only president who has ever set in office with the Bloggers running foreign policy.
Wait till Hillary or Obama get to hang out. The public hanging will continue just from the other side of the isle.
SS said:
Hahahahaha…I cited quotes, referenced blogs, television broadcasts on Pelosi and the pushback…you just sneered and changed the topic to Iraq, Condi and the Lebanon war (the last being pretty OT).
That is shifting the topic! Look up “shift” in the dictionary, Snarky.
You can’t “destroy” nothing without weapons, mate…and you be shooting liberal blanks today!
I know you be rusty, from your long furlough in the analogue world.
I hope you will be back up to speed soon. Cheers.
Michael VDG said:
Yah, I was really struck by that in the exchange between David Gregory and Holbrooke. Holbrooke, who obviously must have known about Lantos quote (which started the whole constitutional thing), was even loading on the condescension:
I suspect the condescension was calculated, to undermine any critique of Pelosi as being from sad, unfortunate ignorance.
Gregory just seemed sorta stunned by it…Day is night, night day, the moon is a balloon…how can you reason with that?
It was an amazing performance from Holbrooke, though. Talk about revisionism. Just deny it ever happened. And he wants to be Secretary of State.
You can imagine how his meetings with the Senate as Secretary of State:
Maybe the readers or MvdG should have scrolled down Watchung America for other writings from Tunisia. This plum is priceless:
http://watchingamerica.com/tunishebdo000068.shtml
So according to Hebdo – Monica was a stooge for AIPAC and the Jewish lobby used an intern to bring down Billy’s trousers. Maybe instead of point-counterpoint between Wingnuts and Moonbats we should read a little bit more.
The anti-semites are coming! The anti-semites are coming! Michael your assessment is so full of crap.
You said this
Now not having been to little green snotballs in a while, I wasn’t aware that there was anything disastrous about it. Normal Americans that I talk to think not talking to Syria is about on par with a couple of kindergarteners going at it. But Im sure in your little incestuous circle jerk it is a big deal, but to normal Americans, no.
I guess I just really really cared where you seriously thought this meme fell on the general publics ‘give a damn’ meter.
My mistake for caring at all what you think, wont happen again.
And thanks for reminding me that Republicans will never give a sraight answer to anything. Or take responsibility for anything, or not be raving hypocrites about anything, etc etc.
And thanks for reminding me why I am dedicated to burying the Republican party in the stench of its own hubris.
Never let anybody say you don’t perform a public service.
Michael,
I hate to disappoint you but I think the swing to the right has ended. Politics moves in cycles and what Bush has done has pretty much ended the rightward swing for a while. Combined with a growing recognition that all of the conservative economic philosophy is leaving the middle and lower classes behind in this country more and more people are deciding that conservatives/Republicans don’t hold any answers for them.
I put no interest or credibility whatsoever into anything written in the arab press. To me the opinions of the muslim and arab world have no relevance. There is rarely any diversity of opinion when it comes to America and Israel. It’s almost uniformly outright hatred, bigotry and antisemitism.
Jim Satterfield-
Yep, the pendulum swings again. In fact I think this is a great opportunity.
Just like when the Republicans blew it in the 20s setting the stage for all the social changes of the Roosevelt era, the blow back from this little attempted coup and terminal Iraq stupidity will open the door for all the social changes we desperately need.
Look for Senate Majority Clinton to ram Universal Health Care v.2.05 down the Republicans throats to the hearty approval of the unwashed masses.
And I wonder how Clear Channel is going to be able to advance its propaganda with the new and improved fairness doctrine?
At any rate, pass the popcorn, cause this is getting interesting.
Can’t wait for Tuesday when Gonzo commits massive perjury and lands himself the first of many impeachments.
Dig it wing nuts, Tuesday is the day the toilet flushes on your fascist dreams.
Which sounds like just about every Republican I know. Something about birds of a feather and all.
I might remind our Jewish friends here that the US fundies only support Israel so Jesus can comeback and throw them in lakes of fire for not converting to Christianity.
You should hear the way Texas Republicans talk about Jews when they are in their safe spaces.
I hear it all the time, which is one of the reasons why I can never be or support a Republican ever again.
Lie with dogs, get up with fleas
Wow.
I hate to disappoint you but I think the swing to the right has ended. Politics moves in cycles and what Bush has done has pretty much ended the rightward swing for a while. Combined with a growing recognition that all of the conservative economic philosophy is leaving the middle and lower classes behind in this country more and more people are deciding that conservatives/Republicans don’t hold any answers for them.
I’d have to agree. Add to that the libertarians who don’t want to have to have James Dobson’s approval on what they do in their private lives. There is a lot of energy and money pouring in on the left as ’08 approaches, and as the Bush administration continues to self-destruct. On the right you find a dissatisfaction with the major candidates and a malaise, as conservatives try to decide if they can still bill themselves as the party of small government.
With the delightful irony that nobody who can pass muster with the fundie cultist nutjobs will win in the General, but nobody can get the nomination with out the whackos OK.
Bu-bye!
Its sickening to see someone like the Vice President of the US acting like an unadulterated hypocrite. He was critical of Pelosi’s visit to Syria, yet she was accompanied by a bipartisan congressional coalition, and a Republican group had just left the country. He criticized the Democratic congress for pork-barrel spending, entirely ignoring the larded budgets that occurred during the 109th Congress. He serves no purpose but to distort the truth and divide the country.
Cheney let Libby take the fall for the CIA leak case, but hasn’t even spoken to his close friend since his conviction. I guess the loyalty goes just one way with him.
I might remind our Jewish friends here that the US fundies only support Israel so Jesus can comeback and throw them in lakes of fire for not converting to Christianity.
Its okay Snarky, Holly declared my religion Irrelevant so the knife cuts both ways. The jews and the christians are used to using each other for extended aims. Im sorry you got left out.
Its hateful comments, like this, that keep people from talking and trying to work out problems together.
Your “Na, Na, Na, Na, Na… I’m not listening!! I can’t hear you!!” attitude is childish. Why don’t you grow up and try to add something, other then xenophobic hatred, to the conversation.
No this is what keeps people from trying to work things out.
The Minimum wage bill. This bill as passed by the House appears to have included an exemption for one other U.S. territory — American Samoa. American Samoa is not as much a cause to labor and social justice groups as is the Mariana Islands. Thus, it escapes their notice or interest and allows Speaker Pelosi to serve yet another master at the same time — the Starkist Tuna company, headquartered unsurprisingly in Pelosi’s district.
This from a Lady who promises us to be ethical. When it comes to politics nothing can be trusted.
I put no interest or credibility whatsoever into anything written in the arab press. To me the opinions of the muslim and arab world have no relevance.
While I would not go quite as far as saying I put no credibility into what they say she is right about one thing. The Arab press overwhelmingly opposes the USA and anything it tries to do and the only reason you are listening to them is because they are bashing the USA and that makes you smile. If it feels good, do it. Therefore the Arab press must be correct because it makes you lefties smile.
Die American Scum. Death to America. Right I can see how they have a lot of constructive views on America.
I can feel the collective moans of the left who just arrived from their daily political correctness meeting in which special sensitivity training was incorporated between shouts of “Down with Bush!” While excerpts from the appeasers handbook was discussed at lengths, the decision was made to “Down with Bush!” throw out some more conspiracy theories.
Man thats like Tourette Syndrome. We just cant seem to “Down With Bush!” keep our minds on anything else.