Like ice cream, idiotic quotes by George W. Bush come in many flavors. Some are notable simply for their sheer malaprop quality, while others reveal a detachment from the real world so complete that you wonder whether the man has a single sentient thought circulating in his head, a frightening notion considering that he remains, you know, the President of the United States.
Bush’s latest has to do with the war in Afghanistan, begun six and a half years ago and still mired in stalemate. From Slate’s Fred Kaplan:
Speaking by videoconference with U.S. military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan about the challenges posed by war, corruption, and the poppy trade, the president unleashed this comment:
I must say, I’m a little envious. If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed. It must be exciting for you €¦ in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You’re really making history, and thanks.
Go ahead, dear reader, pour yourself a stiff one before trudging on.
Someone with such a jaunty vision of war€”concocted from who knows what brew of Rudyard Kipling, John Wayne, and sheer fantasy€”has no business leading young men and women into real-life battle, no business serving as the armed forces’ commander in chief.
It only compounds the insult to reflect that Bush, when he was younger and not employed anywhere, passed up his chance for a romantic fling with danger in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
The whole article is spot-on, but the last paragraph of this excerpt truly nails how despicable our president truly is.
I remember during the halcyon days of 2002-2004 when right-wing politicians and pundits attacked the Democrats for being “unserious” about the war, if for no other reason than the then-minority party occasionally criticized its execution. What could be less serious than Bush’s comment above? I wonder if he imagines fighting a war as being like a frat-house party with machine guns and tanks.
Comments 2
Ugh.
This presidency has been marked by a profound disconnect between Bush and the people he’s supposed to be serving. It’s like he’s living in a parallel universe but talking in ours.
Posted 16 Mar 2008 at 11:29 pm ¶Oh, and be assured he said it with that stupid grin on his face. (You know, the one that makes it impossible to take anything he says seriously.)
Posted 17 Mar 2008 at 8:24 am ¶I would like to say, “It’s almost over!”, but the sad reality is that getting through the multiple messes this president has started is going to be a long, long process.
At least we can look forward to the ridiculous and insulting comments coming to an end.
(Well, that is unless McCain wins…”bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” anyone?)
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