Reading The Pictures: George's Magic Kingdom

I don't know why more isn't made of the White House tactic of hauling off -- in effect, kidnapping -- the traveling press on these thoroughly-scripted Iraq dog-and-camel shows.

In the style of other engineered "forced disappearances," converting the visual media into a literally captive audience during these so-called "surprise" detours does, however, offer a choice opportunity to survey this administration's main product -- plasticized and surreal impressions that misdirect the public mind.

In this case, for example, the president is not secreted away for a few hours in a runaway, force-occupied country with young and expendable flesh-and-blood soldiers. Instead, in line with all the supposed improvement in his war of liberation, the Commander - And - Chief Mouseketeer has spirited off to Disney World to tout his gains with the shiniest and most effervescent children he could pick out of the melting pot.

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: Jason Reed/Reuters. September 2, 2007. via nytimes.com)

Comments

[albalovescholo]

is it just me, or does the second guy over georgie-boy's left shoulder look like he wants to cry?

[HartlessBeest]

What I have concluded from the photo of GW and the rejoicing members of the military is¦¦¦" The choice between CHEESE and COURT MARSHALL."

[realitytrumpsbull]

Maybe they SHOULD 'elect' Mickey Mouse, never flubs a line, doesn't have a 'bad side', is physically incapable of adultery, worldwide household recognition, can be 'programmed' to say anything...sounds like a win-win to me!

[cynicaloptimist]

No chance of Dear Leader posing with the wounded.

[Eoin45]

I look at his expression and I see "Get me out of here" - the forced smile, the eyes to the right as if he's afraid someone might frag him.

[glesslib]

It's hard to look at this guy, who was around for the Vietnam conflict, and not think about all the division that mess caused here in this country. Most people are not old enough to remember the protests in the streets, the hot debates. Mostly when I look at our fearless leader, I remember how guys like him hid out in college as long as possible(can you say Master in Business) while folks like the ones in the picture fought that particular lousy war.

And so now George is more than willing to hop on a plane and go to a war zone and pose with the next generation of folks who are doing the actual fighting in a war he would not fight himself. Yuck.

[xapim22]

Unlike the most here at this posting, these in the picture actually are proud to be in a picture with their commander-in-chief. But this can't be true, and I did hear that there is a substantial part of the population that would also be proud to be in a picture with George W Bush. These are not stupid neanderthals but intelligent people who just have a different view than yours.

[MikeDu]

Forget about the soldiers for a moment, just look at 'Mr. Body Language'! Does it appear to you that he is actively cringing at being in close proximity to the 'little people'? Look at that grotesque confused/forced smile, the odd sunken-chested s-curve of his whole body, the way his right arm limply hangs close-in to his side. I've seen more enthusiastic body language from nine year olds being dragged in for a vaccination shot!

A whole doctoral thesus could be done on Bush's body language. Look at that picture, it just cries "Don't call me junior! I'm George 'Herbert Walker' Bush, understand? I'm not a junior, I'm not I'm not!"

[BadgersBite]

Analogous to Hitler grinning with the Nazi youth as backdrop long after the high command knew the war was lost. A puppet show to placate the peasantry, something bright and shiny to mollify them while they're being disembowled.

[jbloggz]

Hey did I see 'Mission accomplished 2' so where's the jacket and the banner?

[wiboy]

Is that a peace sign I see in the back of that photo?

[TheWesternBreed]

Why were they all smiling? It's really just this simple: the photographer said something like "OK now, everybody smile!" and everybody did. Junior enlisted people in the military, like the ones in this photography, don't typically read journals of political opinion and are famously carefully trained to only ask "how high?" when someone in authority says "jump!"

Standing just off camera, but easily visible to the troops were sundry top sergeants, captains, colonels, hell, maybe even a general or two. And the commander in chief and his Secret Service posse and sidemen, altogether more brass and men in suits than they've ever seen before in one place! No way are they ever going to frown or look bored, no matter what they felt like! Meanwhile, I assume Bush was being his winning funny self, as carefree and untroubled by tough questions as a man surrounded by his own pack of cheery hound dog puppies. It was all easy. I agree with the poster who seemed to suggest that they are collecting photographs to go into the Bush Library and Hall of Freedom or whatever it will be called, and this one would be a superb entry.

[Bozwellian]

...sorry, but kinda reminds of JONESTOWN or WACO groupies to some extent..willingly/blindeyedly embracing their leader..bodaciously ignorant and foolish when "we" chastise the "terrorists" and their supporters for doing similar in showing public support and etc...WE are not all that less ferverant/stalwarted in "our" proclamations of alligiences and we too declare GOG is on OUR side and praise HIM and etc....its like mirror images in way too many ways and each so very sure THEY have the right version/vision and hence their decisions need to be obliged !! Scarey is it not ?!!!

[juja]

anyone notice the mouseketeer in the back who's making a peace sign with his/her fingers?
(S)he'll be court-martialed by Friday.

[MAGLATINA]

NOW THAT YOU MENTIONED IT, I DO... IT IS A VERY SUBTLE SIGN BUT WHO DID IT? IT ISN'T EASY TO TELL...

[Dansden]

When you are the DECIDER you get to choose who you are going to USE and ABUSE TODAY!!!!!

The one saving grace for these 'lug-nut lackey soldiers' as compared to the TROOPS WHO SERVES WITH DIGNITY AND INTEGRITY- is that these Lil BUSH BOYS have taken their $30,000.00 bonuses from Lil BUSH which guarantees them a picture and keeps them out of 'harm's way' for an hour or so....
BECAUSE THE ONE THING YOU DO KNOW ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT-he is not going to be around folks that he can't 'F%#k' whenever he wants to....

His wife Laura said it best, " George does EVERYTHING TO EXCESS!" Living with a 'dry-drunk obsessive addictive personality gives her
the right to know!

[cheerleaderBush]

they're all pawns for the ruling elite... even the sinister goof (appropriately) dressed in black.

[Bozwellian]

..dressed to be LESS of a "target", while those lined up for the photo op, full body armour gear as well as the location and secrecy of visit and etc...uh, hey George, if all is going so well, how come your visit is so "limited/secret/etc..."...Wonder where they parked AF1...just can NOT imagine they flew it into the midst...thou it IS well equipped to deflect missles and such....What a truly tangled web they have woven to deceive us ALL and at OUR expense coming and going and every which way !!!

[Kendo Nagasaki]

Maybe Bush is wearing a Black Shirt to memorialize
the 4,000 American Troops he killed.

Nah, he doesn't give a crap.