I forget why I turned over to 880AM from Jerry Springer this morning. Maybe they were at a commercial. Anyway, when I switched over, George Dubya was speaking (and I use the term very loosely), and I was just astonished at the words that were coming out of his mouth. I’ll dissect it a little bit later, but here for your reading pleasure is a verbatim-but-condensed version of his speech in front of the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington D.C.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all. Please be seated. (Applause.) Thank you for the warm welcome. President Ronald Reagan – tyranny – sacrifice – freedom – freedom – enemies – campaign of fear – freedom – freedom – victory – Condi Rice – Don Rumsfeld – great evil – turning point – proud city covered in smoke and ashes – fire -final moments – death – Americans in uniform – mortal danger – war on terror – September the 11th – evil – new terror offensive – attacks – deadly bombing – destruction and suffering – acts of madness – innocent men and women and children – killers – victims – attacks – evil – radicalism – terrorism – subversion – insurgency – freedom – extremists – jihad – terrorist – murder – Christians – militants – terrorist – al Qaeda – propaganda – extremists – September the 11th – militants – al Qaeda – insurgencies – cells – Islamic radicalism – Islamic radicalism – operatives – radicals – extremists – democracy – Al Qaeda-s leader, Osama bin Laden – militant – attacks – radicals – Bin Laden – victory – terrorists – central front in the war on terror – militants – radical Islamic empire – terrorists – weapons of mass destruction – assault – blackmail – fanatical – enemy – Zarqawi – fanatics – Hitler – Stalin – Pol Pot – war – genocide – evil men – crimes – militant – suffering – radicals – violence – radical mosques – pawns of terror – democratic – Islamic radicalism – terrorist propaganda – radicals – terrorist activity – radical – incite hatred – extremism – September the 11th – al Qaeda – radicals – Iraq – Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom – extremists – violence – Taliban – Crusades – radical ideology – enslave whole nations – murder – violence – victory – murderous ideology – Islamic radicals – communism – communism – Islamic radicalism – Bin Laden – killers – suicide bombers – communism – sacrificed – contempt for human life – murders – killer – infidel – militants – bombing – executed – killed – murder – militants – enemies of America – enemies of Iraq – enemies of Islam – enemies of humanity – zealotry – communism – enemies – imperial domination – brutalized – dissent – justice – holiness – terrorists – oppression – misery – communism – liberty – Zarqawi – Americans – God-s creatures – kill children – car bombs – cuts the throat of a bound captive – liberated – courage – enemies – rising democracy – courage – freedom – enemies of freedom – Islamic radicalism – communism – freedom – militants – weapons – war – war – ideology – freedom – free peoples – free peoples – struggle – strategy – militant comspiracies – war – violence – attacks – terrorist networks – enemy – destroy – terrorist networks – incapacitate – killed or captured – September the 11th attacks – al Qaeda – operatives – USS Cole bombing – al Qaeda – Zarqawi – terrorist – attacks – al Qaeda – al Qaeda – terrorist plots – September the 11th – al Qaeda – attack – al Qaeda – infiltrate – operatives – enemy – enemy – terror – held to account – acts of murder – weapons of mass destruction – regimes – terrorist allies – chemical and nuclear weapons programs – suspected weapons technology – danger to free nations – evil men – horrendous weapons – weapons of mass destruction – radical groups – state sponsors – terrorists – terror – acts of terror – murder – terror – enemy – regimes – militants – terror – Taliban – al Qaeda – terrorists – Iraq – terrorist – rising democracy – haven for terror – destabilize – violence – terrorists – enemy – Iraq – offensive operations – clear out enemy forces – extremism – violence – sacrifice – war – sacrifice – resolve – terrorists – brutal – enemy – rules of warfare – extremists – patriots – murderers – war – tyranny – liberation – freedom – democracy – democracy – will of the people – democracy – democratic federalism – freedom – democracy – freedom – liberty – democracy – Zarqawi – bin Laden – Iraq – dictator – free peoples – killers – destruction – Iraq – violence – enemy – fanaticism – murder – enemy – enemy – violence – victory – victory – war on terror – militants – democracy – radicals – mounting danger – destiny – extremists – violent radicalism – freedom – freedom – America – terror – oppressive regimes – dissidents – radicalism – terrorism – killing – killing – attacks – ideology – extremism – Taliban – al Qaeda – liberty – United States of America – deadly enemy – ideological struggle – unprecedented dangers – dictators – tyrants – murder – tyrants – tyrants – sacrifices – freedom – sacrifice – freedom – freedom – May God bless you. (Applause)
I really believe this is what so many people across America hear when they listen to this administration. It’s no wonder people are frightened. This is a speech of fear, sprinkled with a little patriotism, freedom and America for effect. It’s so transparent and disgusting. These words actually appeared in his speech in this order, and I rarely had to delete more than a few words to get to the next one. One of the best things about Bill Clinton was that he gave us speeches of hope and optimism. Remember “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow?”
Keep people down. Keep people down. Keep people afraid. That’s the goal of this administration. Common fears keep us all under control. Look at how many times the word “communism” is mentioned in this speech. It wasn’t enough to infer, time and again, that we have a new common enemy, Bush had to directly bring back the Cold War by mention. Those were the days, eh? Clear good, clear evil. No grey area. We good, they bad. We patriots, they tyrants. No threat of the decay of civilization because we were all united against a common evil, right? First the Neo-Cons had the Cold War. Then when that ended, they had Bill Clinton to unite them in hatred. The Clintons were the enemy. Now, it’s the war on terror.
But I digress…
Aside from that, there are some very interesting passages from this speech that are so descriptive of the Bush administration (when they were not intended to be) that it’s almost comical that Bush could actually read them without thinking, “hey… they’re talking about ME!”
In this new century, freedom is once again assaulted by enemies determined to roll back generations of democratic progress.
Yeah, no shit. The enemies are the Republicans, who are determined to dismantle every bit of social progress that has been made in the last few decades.
Defeating the militant network is difficult, because it thrives, like a parasite, on the suffering and frustration of others. The radicals exploit local conflicts to build a culture of victimization, in which someone else is always to blame and violence is always the solution. They exploit resentful and disillusioned young men and women, recruiting them through radical mosques as the pawns of terror. And they exploit modern technology to multiply their destructive power.
Hmmm… Thriving on the suffering and frustration of others. The Republican mantra. Building a culture of victimization, in which someone else is always to blame. And talk about violence being the only solution — we sure couldn’t wait to “Shock and Awe” Iraq, right? Talk about modern technology multiplying destructive power. And how many kids did we recruit to the military under the guise of 9/11?
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy pursues totalitarian aims. Its leaders pretend to be an aggrieved party, representing the powerless against imperial enemies. In truth they have endless ambitions of imperial domination, and they wish to make everyone powerless except themselves. Under their rule, they have banned books, and desecrated historical monuments, and brutalized women. They seek to end dissent in every form, and to control every aspect of life, and to rule the soul, itself. While promising a future of justice and holiness, the terrorists are preparing for a future of oppression and misery.
Totalitarian aims. Hmmm… Sounds like the Neo-Con agenda! Pretending to be an aggrieved party — oh yeah. O’Reilly, Limbaugh, Hannity — they’re all trying to proclaim themselves as the victims of the horrible liberals! They claim to be the victims. Endless ambitions of imperial domination… They have banned books, yes. They have desecrated historical monuments (like covering up the Lady of Justice), and they have brutalized women — remember the sexual harrassment suit against Bill O’Reilly? They seek to end dissent in every form, and to control every aspect of life (gays will not marry, health care is not a right, we will have “free speech zones” and we will punish those who challenge our authority by outing their wives as a CIA agent). They promise justice and holiness, yet they believe in everything but! There is no justice. The Supreme Court will install their choice as president. There is no holiness, we will kill innocent civilians in a soverign nation that we have invaded. We will not give our poor health care, we will make they rely on “faith-based” organizations. We will put the tax burden squarely on the backs of the working class, the people who make the wheels of this country turn.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples, claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent.
This is the very claim of the Neo-Con agenda. Individuals cannot be trusted to live in complete freedom. They are inherently selfish creatures that will inevitably cause the destruction of civilization if left to their own devices. They need to be focused on a common enemy, for they are weak and decadent without this common goal. Neo-Conservatives, by their very nature – fear freedom.
By fearing freedom — by distrusting human creativity, and punishing change, and limiting the contributions of half the population — this ideology undermines the very qualities that make human progress possible, and human societies successful. The only thing modern about the militants’ vision is the weapons they want to use against us. The rest of their grim vision is defined by a warped image of the past — a declaration of war on the idea of progress, itself. And whatever lies ahead in the war against this ideology, the outcome is not in doubt: Those who despise freedom and progress have condemned themselves to isolation, decline, and collapse. Because free peoples believe in the future, free peoples will own the future.
Well I certainly hope they own the future. And speaking of condemning themselves to isolation, decline and collapse, look at the Neo-Con wing of the GOP right now. Tom DeLay with TWO indictments against him from TWO SEPARATE grand juries. The very real possibility that both Dick Cheney and George W. Bush were directly involved with the retaliation against Joe Wilson for publishing his findings in the NY Times, and the very real possibility that Bush and Cheney will each be named a non-indicted co-conspirator in that case. The failures of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security regarding Hurricane Katrina… Isloation (no one wants to be associated with Tom DeLay), decline (approval ratings at record lows), collapse (soon?)…
Today there are more than 80 Iraqi army battalions fighting the insurgency alongside our forces.
Now that is just entirely meant to mislead. Were it not for the words, “alongside our forces,” it would be a complete lie. According to this article, top US Generals say that only ONE Iraqi battalion is ready to fight on its own, down from three a few months ago. Is this progress? Isn’t the “80 battalions” statement just a little misleading?
…that’s the essence of democracy: making your case, debating with those who you disagree — who disagree, building consensus by persuasion, and answering to the will of the people. ? a federal constitutional system respects the rights and religious traditions of all citizens, while giving all minorities,,, a stake and a voice in the future of their country.
Oh man… Do I even need to say anything here? If this were what he truly believed, Colin Powell wouldn’t have had a reason to have left. Bush wouldn’t have surrounded himself with so many yes-men that no dissenting opinons could be heard for miles away. This is perhaps the most absurd part of his speech, and he saved it for the end.
Throughout history, tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision — and they end up alienating decent people across the globe. Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that regimented societies are strong and pure — until those societies collapse in corruption and decay. Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that free men and women are weak and decadent — until the day that free men and women defeat them.
The end of your regime is near, King George. You, the tyrant, and the would-be tyrants that serve next to you, believe that murder in Iraq and elsewhere int he world is justified to serve your grand vision — your vision of greed. This war has brought so much money to your family, your staff and your campaign contributors it’s sickening. It’s all blood money. You’ve alienated decent people all across the globe. You claim that your society is strong and pure, yet your administration is on the verge of collapse from corruption and decay. By subscribing to the Neo-Con agenda, you represent that free men and women are weak and decadent. But I promise, the end of the GOP’s reign is very near. Free people have had enough, and they will defeat this insurgency, this cancer that has taken over the government of the United States. I can’t wait to see the most corrupt government in my lifetime be defeated. I might just dance in the streets and greet my local representatives with flowers and candy.