Even though we've been swept into the pulse-pounding vortex of the presidential campaign, every once in a while something happens in the news which snaps us back into the dark reality that an incompetent shit-kicking hoople still occupies the White House.
This past Tuesday, for example, while the stock market buckled under the weight of a subprime-fueled recession; while oil prices drove the rate of inflation to its largest increase in 26 years; and while Citigroup panhandled for bailout cash from various and infamous foreign governments including Saudi Arabia, President Bush was busy participating in something called a "sword dance" at the Al Murabba Palace in Riyadh.
In terms of America's reputation and economy: one of the worst days imaginable.
President Bush, who has resolved to both reduce our addiction to oil and to spread democracy to the Middle East, had to skulk around with the Saudi royals -- like freakin' Gollum with an ill-favored look -- begging for more precious evildoer oil.
Rewind to three long years ago this month. The theme of the president's second inaugural address (pardon me as I involuntarily convulse at the bilious recollection of George W. Bush delivering a second inaugural) was "Celebrating Freedom" and he discussed his mission of bringing democracy and liberty to oppressed people around the world:
We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.
We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people.
America's belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.
Freedom. Rights. Liberty. Justice. Human dignity guiding our policies. Awesome! I've heard worse from this fear mongering imperial authoritarian.
Yet in an effort to inject more foreign oil into the tract-marked veins of the desperate American economy, the President of the United States played with swords inside the garish walls of that Saudi palace.
There's a rule -- something about running with scissors -- which ought to have applied here. But the implicit hazard of an accident-prone Ruprecht waving a sharpened blade in the vicinity of living humans fails to underscore the true danger and indignity of the event -- the real-world horror of our constitutional defender and chief diplomat dancing and smirking while brandishing those Saudi weapons.
While the sword President Bush had slung over his shoulder like a clump of Crawford scrub wasn't specifically an executioner's sword -- in the same way a looped and knotted length of rope isn't specifically a hangman's noose or a Teflon-coated hollow-point bullet isn't specifically a cop-killer -- the resemblance was striking enough to send a message that the United States -- the "shining city on the hill" or whatever the hell Saint Reagan called it -- is willing to toss aside its commitment to human rights, justice and democracy in order to sniff the taints of our true global masters: the House of Saud which, last year, conducted at least 136 public beheadings in these so-called Chop Squares. It's also worth noting that during the same year in which President Bush delivered his second inaugural, the Saudis publicly beheaded 191 people.
CBS News: A condemned convict is brought into the courtyard, hands tied, and forced to bow before an executioner, who swings a huge sword amid cries from onlookers of "Allahu Akbar!" Arabic for "God is great."
The Saudis decapitate criminals, apostates, foreigners, homosexuals, Christians, women and even witches. Many of those who are beheaded are found guilty without due process using shoddy evidence at best and, subsequently, too many decapitations are carried out on innocent people. In defiance of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Saudis continue to sentence children to death. Late term abortions, if you will.
On the upside, the "convicted" criminal is injected with a cocktail of drugs in order to prevent the decapitated body from scurrying around -- spraying blood all over the audience. So at least the decapitations are... audience-friendly?
Here's a Saudi executioner from the city of Mecca named Abdallah Bin Sa'id Al-Bishi describing his profession (don't worry, it's just an interview):
And there was the president at the Al Murabba Palace in Riyadh holding a sword not unlike the ones used by executioners like Abdallah Bin Sa'id Al-Bishi to decapitate children. There was the president, celebrating with Saudi authoritarians who preside over the world's 159th least democratic nation. To that point, only eight nations are less democratic than Saudi Arabia and those nations include Burma and North Korea.
So much for the moral choice between oppression and liberty, Mr. President. So much for our successful relations requiring the decent treatment of a nation's people. So much for human dignity guiding our policies.
Meanwhile, we're in the business of invading and occupying nations like Iraq even though the House of Saud helped to finance the 9/11 attacks. We're in the business of selling our national sovereignty to the Saudis at discount prices -- prices which were driven down by corporate malfeasance -- malfeasance which was encouraged by Bush Republican deregulation. We're in the business of merrily pumping Saudi oil into our cars while refusing to seriously conserve and, with our ridiculous hillbilly-defiance, we fool ourselves into believing that driving these vehicles is somehow "patriotic" while we accuse men like Al Gore of being unhinged.
Worst of all, the United States has been reduced to begging for relief like junkies -- hat in shaking hand. Forget the relevance of the swords as they relate to human rights and the awful truth still remains: despite the president's inaugural remarks and despite our national pride, we continue to grovel at the feet of the world's 159th least democratic nation in order to keep our economy and our way of life from collapsing. The least our president can do is to show some dignity by not glad-handing this oppressive regime -- while gripping their oppressive weapon of choice.
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I love that in support of his argument the author can use a CONSERVATIVE blogger. This is an issue laft and right can agree on, that while claiming to do all for national security the Bush Syndicate has sold out our national interest to the Saudis. Not only is it against our security interests, our economic interests (we get most of our oil from the western hemisphere, and pursuing non-oil sources would do us even more good), and our interest in democracy, but it is against the interests of those Christians who voted for him.
"scrub bush" said, "the moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right."
Yeah, that's working out really well for the Palestinians in Gaza, isn't it you asswipe?
The two faces of bush, on tour in the Mideast. Who planned that trip anyway? They overlooked what is so obvious to everyone else: the paradox confirms that he is indeed a buffoon. Even if he avoids (somehow) causing any more trouble, his legacy his pretty much set.
just read this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080120/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saudi_forced_divorce
since our pres is so close to saudi royals, perhaps he could intervene. he is, after all, so concerned with human rights and human liberty.
my question tho, is why isnt this info in "wide release"? only those who read this blog seem to get this info. such a shame.
CNN has added William Bennett as a political analyst who clearly is biased, in his mind McCain's position on the "Surge" has proven correct, never mind that there has been little political progress as a result of it. In head-to-head matchups McCain would be a serious contender for the presidency. Think about this for a minute, while the writer is appalled at our current leader's actions overseas, the democracy which reelected him could easily elect a militaristic successor. Someone should write an article explaining what the causes are behind a nation that leads it to such a suicidal path.
Looks just like the sword he used to slash my
already meager financial life in half. Come to think of it, he had that same revolting, shoulder jiggling, fake laughing, "I'm really dumb-ass and don't know what to do" smirk on his face too.
We all have to accept partial responsibility for this one--Bush didn't create our voracious appetite for oil--but he sure doesn't help the current energy situation. Under his leadership, it's only getting worse. Bad Policy, both at home and abroad.
It seems that he displays his incompetence at every opportunity.
We must, as a nation, all of us, deluge the elected members of the foolishness that masquerades as "government" with old-fashioned paper letters by the ton so that our statements can't be obliterated by clicking the 'delete' button. Albert Einstein has been dead over fifty years but his comment "It is appallingly clear that our technology has outstripped our humanity." is as fitting now as then. If we do not devote the money now wasted on bushit's war to alternative energy and a massive rebuilding of our public transportation systems, follow the Australians' example by making it against the law NOT to vote, and strip corporations of the multitude of breaks and "equalities" they make abusive use of, this country will not live another 25 years. The obscene riches handed to a select few need to be seized and turned to the greater good. No one needs $400,000,000.00 million dollars unless they are going to use to buy educations for those who cannot afford to educate themselves, or purchase basic houses for those who otherwise will live in substandard, over-priced rentals. Medical care for thousands could be bought with this kind of money. Wind farms can be built. Money could go toward harnessing lightning, one of the most powerful sources of energy know to man and the least used. bushit's smarmy pandering is just a true look at the fool's true colors. Remember, the bush slobs flew Osama bin Laden's family home to Saudi Arabia when the rest of the nation was in lockdown. It should be no surprise to anyone if McCain is elected, he is bushit in a different skin. NOTHING will change and the U.S. will have its days numbered. Excuse the wandering ramble, the nation's situation gets worse every week, everyone I talk to seems depressed.
Bin Laden is probably stamping his feet like a little kid saying, "I went to all that touble to destroy the Towers on 911, but the Saudi's are getting all the attention. Damn, I'm just gonna have to kick it up a notch. Let's see, where else can I hit the U.S. underbelly?"
It's an abomination,I couldn't imagine how barbarian a state can be,to kill innocent people,women and children in cold blood,victims that can't defend themselves in any way,and also The President Bush,that was like an approval of those abominations,for God sake what he did that,far a fistful of oil ?!
"The least our president can do is to show some dignity by not glad-handing this oppressive regime -- while gripping their oppressive weapon of choice."
So that's what Bush is doing with his left hand, in the photo. I was kinda wondering where it had gotten to in the other man's robes.
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Posted January 17, 2008 | 12:14 PM (EST)