Soldier: Honor troops like Va. Tech dead

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I agree with you that his use of language is scripted, but I'm personally not convinced that he's able to "dupe" the public en-masse to support him. The fact that an inadequate guy like that can assume the highest office in the land says a lot about the people who vote for him, specifically in the grass roots Republican base.

Bush's support has steadily declined over recent years, particularly over his handling of Iraq and illegal immigration. I think the waterhed was reached a while ago where even the most stubborn people are now realising that there is very little behind his rhetoric. Rhetoric which is is wholly inadequate at - compared to the likes of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton. They may not be the best leaders by any means, but they present themselves as intelligent and articulate people. Bush seems unable to do with that and seems totally inadequate in front of a live audience, and for the most part his public "performances" seem very stage managed (thinking here of the in-ear "prompter" he wore during the "debates" in the 2004 presidential election).

That said, there are still people (including some VJers) out there who think that "Bush is one the greatest presidents the country has ever had". Of course that depends on how they measure greatness. I'd be interested to know how they qualify that.

His tactics are far more sophisticated than they seem. Bush dosen't WANT to come off as polished and articulate. In reality, he is both. not in the classical, English Major sense, but in terms of the degree to which his on-stage persona is crafted, and to which what he says has the effect he wants, he scores high in both catagories. Certainly it has to do with his whole team. But there are enough improptu places where Bush steps out and takes charge of a situation to derail the questions.

Tony Blair and Bill Clinton also cater to more traditionally academic bases. In addition, neither one is nearly as pernicious as Bush. Not even in the same league. Bush is both consolidating power and is bought+sold to the higherst bidder.

And bent as a nine-bob note.

[Portlander 0]

Last autumn, there was a military coup in Thailand. The leaders of the coup took a number of steps, rather systematically, as if they had a shopping list. In a sense, they did. Within a matter of days, democracy had been closed down: the coup leaders declared martial law, sent armed soldiers into residential areas, took over radio and TV stations, issued restrictions on the press, tightened some limits on travel, and took certain activists into custody.

I was in Thailand for the coup. I try to follow the news as well, and the Thai coup was very much against the kind of tyranny quoted in the article:

"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands ... is the definition of tyranny," wrote James Madison. We still have the choice to stop going down this road; we can stand our ground and fight for our nation, and take up the banner the founders asked us to carry.

Not to get off the topic TOO far, but Thaksin was slowly usurping the checks and balances in the Thai dmeocracy, and, if left to his own devices, would become a de facto tyrant. Jefferson also said that citizens would have to take up arms against corrupt governments from time to time to preserve democracy. I'm no fan of censorship, but when you have Thaksin et al hiring people to protest the coup, and hiring people to start fights with the police at those protests, that is a sitution that warrants not allowing those particular protests. IMHO.

And bent as a nine-bob note.

What language is that?

Those vets "serve" so the flag can be flown all the way at the top!

GREAT POST

Edited April 30, 2007 by Portlander