In case you were wondering, no, I didn’t watch the State of the Union. I simply couldn’t possibly listen to, or look at, Bush for such a sustained period of time. A country with a spiralling economy and a series of anti-environment initiatives faced with the prospect of a multi-billion dollar war that could well serve to be the final wedge in the drive of world isolationism that’s been fostered since the current administration came into office.
State of the Union? Kinda sucks at the moment. Don’t really need W. to tell me that.
PAD
• 
AMEN! I’ve been at home sick for the past two days, and figured that much sustained exposure to the Shrub would give me allergies on top of it…
*Sheesh* And I was called ignorant for commenting on Supergirl because I hadn’t read it. *Shrug* Bush rose to the occassion as always. Excellent speech.
I wouldn’t say “excellent” but I surprised myself by listening to (then watching) it (he’s better on the radio when you can’t see all the smug expressions he makes when he’s attempting to be earnest). I listened because when I first tuned in on the way home from work, I heard him spouting some stuff about hydrogen-powered, non-polluting vehicles. I was thinking- “Who is this man and what has he done with oil-baron Bush?” But after a few minutes, W returned to his War On Whatever.
Really Peter, I’m very disappointed in you. What a dopey thing to say. Aren’t you concerned with how he’s going to fix the spiraling economy? Do you blame him for the economic downturn?
Do you really believe that the stock market, the strength of the dollar, consumer confidence, and health care would be any better with Al Gore in office?
As for the upcoming war against Iraq, I guess it doesn’t concern you until they use some of those weapons against Israel.
If you don’t like the man, respect the office and the responsibilities of the job.
Gian’s right … he does come off better when you don’t see his face. If they could teach him how not to smirk, he’d get less of a rise out of people — or at least the disagreements would be with his positions, and not on a personal level.
The talk about alternative fuel sources is misdirection. It’s a ploy to make people think the Iraq war isn’t about oil. He’ll say that he supports it, but I bet you if and when any extra funding emerges from Congress to research fuel cells and the like, he’ll refuse to release it, same as he did the money for police and firefighters.
Saying you’re going to fight AIDS is wasted air, too, when your administration is withholding funds from foreign aid groups that distribute condoms and teach any means of disease prevention other than abstaining from sex. Words are worthless without action to back them up, and when it comes to anything resembling “compassion,” Bush’s actions are very selective.
My rationale was that enough folks would be commenting on it and blogging about it that I didn’t need to watch this foregone conclusion propaganda-fest – and besides, Smallville had a new episode. 🙂
I didn’t watch it either. I used that time in a much more entertaining manner, by watching the new episode of Smallville.
I have no interest in watching Congress kiss ášš to the president by giving standing ovations every 30 seconds. I just waited and read the transcript this morning in about ten minutes.
I don’t think a war with Iraq will be as expensive as everyone thinks. Saddam has threatened viscious and bloody urban fighting but I seem to remember his republican guard surrendering pretty quickly without a fight at the first sight of our tanks during Desert Storm. The expensive part of the war will probably be putting the oil wells that Saddam sets on fire out and the occupation of Iraq after he has been ousted. However, I have a feeling that our UN holdout allies like France, Germany, and China will agree to help with the management and expense of the occupation to ensure their piece of the pie while claiming they are doing so for humanitarian reasons.
Whether invading Iraq is the right thing to do or not, I think we have given very little mention to the risk that will be taken on by our ally countries in the region specifically Kuwait and Israel. Kuwait has said they aren’t afraid of Iraq’s threats because we will protect them but what have we really done to protect them other than threaten Saddam with possible nuclear retaliation if biological or chemical weapons are used against them? Israel says they would respond to any attack on their own. Have we done anything to supply them with Hazmat suits or shelters that will protect them if our military action puts them in the line of fire?
The cynics out there claim we are just after Iraq’s oil and put no blame on Saddam. Just because Bush is a simpleton doesn’t mean that the US’s foreign policy is simple. Our reasons for going into Iraq could be a combination of any or all of the following reasons:
1. Holding Saddam accountable and disarming him.
2. Getting Iraq’s oil.
3. Setting up a new democracy in the region similar to what we are trying to do in Afganistan.
4. Preventing our “allies” like Russia, China, France, etc. from cutting any more “under the table” deals with Iraq. (For example, if China decided to take back Taiwan and the UN created sanctions in response to that, China wouldn’t have Iraq to turn to for oil.)
5. Perhaps there are actually ties to Al Quaeda of which we are aware but are unwilling to say. For example, say hypothetically the anthrax that was being mailed around the US a year or so ago which originated in a US lab in Iowa in the 1950s was the same strain that was given to Iraq by the US for “medical research” purposes when we were aiding them in their war against Iran. Knowing that officials from Iraq met with several of the September 11th hijackers early in 2001 in Germany, if the strains matched this wouldn’t be too much of a logical leap. And you can see why we wouldn’t want to give any evidence of this to the UN.
6. If Saddam has had a hand in funding Palestinian terrorists, getting rid of him might be one step towards stabilizing the Palestinian/Israeli situation which is a PR nightmare for the US.
7. Bush didn’t get Osama and it’s unlikely that he will. Either he’s dead and disintegrated by a 5000 pound bomb or he’s hiding in Pakistan where we’re unwilling to go after him. Maybe Bush feels that if he can deliver the figurative head of another enemy of the US, a significant number of voters might forget that Osama was never brought to justice by election time.
I can think of quite a few more possible reasons but since my point was that the situations is a good bit more complicated than “Saddam violated UN resolutions” or “the US just wants oil”, I’ll leave it at that.
I watched it, and now I wish I had watched Smallville. And I don’t even like Smallville that much.
That’s ok, Mr. D., I don’t think he’s any more interested in reading what you have to say than you are in what he has to say.
I didn’t watch it. Fo rmuch the same reason – I can’t stand to look at or listen to him.
But, I also hardly ever watched any previous SOTU speeches, even when they were given by good public speakers. It’s much easier to read the transcript.
And he didn’t say anything that hadn’t already been said.
-Joe
I taped Smallville and watched it after the speech. An okay episode, if a bit too melodramatic (seeing Lionel shot and fall 4 times was 3 times too many). The real culprit was pretty obvious within the first 20 minutes and it seemed out of character (which was the only thing preventing me from being 100% sure). To prevent spoilers, I’ll leave it at that. Next week looks pretty good, though.
I watched it, and now I wish I had watched Smallville. And I don’t even like Smallville that much.
I don’t,either; I played with my dog and replenished his food reserves. (i.e.I purchased another bag of Science Diet.) It’s much more rewarding to enjoy life and celebrate it than to waste it on someone who merely pays it lip service.
I watched some parts. Yea its all good he wants to give money to help fight AIDS, but without sex ed and condoms its a little difficult.
And he still hasn’t eased my concerns about our civil liberties or those of the next generation. Until he repeals Executive Order 13223(which effectively repealed the Freedom of Information Act) and fires Ashcroft, anything Bush says falls on deaf ears here.
Not to start anything, but when Rieber started Cap.America and said “Cap will be asking the tough questions.” I had hoped he’d have Cap march into the Oval Office and ask the Prez what he thinks he’s doing spying to the Bill of Rights?
Maybe Captain Marvel can ask him, eh PAD?
Just some thoughts…
Col
I skimmed the notes from his practice run earlier in the day, and that was enough for me. All things considered, I’ve found his administration somewhat more tolerable than I expected, but I can’t really bring myself to take him seriously when I watch him.
And I had Smallville to watch. I did find myself getting awfully confused until i realized that I wasn’t making a distinction between Lexcorp and Luthorcorp.
Apparently, since he didn’t talk about the actual state of the union (which sucks), we didn’t miss much.
I haven’t bothered with a SOTU address in years. Thse things are almost always propaganda, regardless of which party is in office. It’s not that presidents don’t make important speeches from time to time (evne ones I dislike), but the format for this, before an audience likely to applaud many times, is not conducive to real substance.
I really wish we would have a president who goes back to the old method of sending a written report about the state of the Union to Congress and sparing us the TV rhetoric.
BTW, PAD, I love your one-paragraph analysis of Dubya in the new (and totally weird) issue of Capt. Marvel).
Like PAD I didn’t watch the State of the Union address, not out of dislike for Bush or disintrest in what the leaders of our nation are committing our dollars (and more importantly our blood)but out of a feeling wanting to see “a little less conversation and a little more action please (to quote Elvis).”
If we’re going to attack Iraq- just do it already. We all may or may not agree with it but as soon as the bullets start flying you’d better believe the majority of us will support our troops. I’m sick of the posturing, the deal making, the consensus making- quit telegraphing your moves and get it done. All this talking only serves to divide us more both internally and from our allies, gives the other side more time to prepare, and puts our citizens and troops at greater risk. Stop talking and do something or hand the problem off to the UN for negotiation permanently. No sane person hopes for war- people die, things change for good or ill, and even the winner ends up deminished in some way- but even an idiot can reason that the longer we wait to decide on a course of action the more likely a negative outcome either way.
I have to believe that Washington knows it has enough or too little evidence to justify the next steps it wants to take by now. It’s been well over a year of saber-rattling. Either show the world the smoking gun and move to the next level or hand the problem off to the UN and let them prove once and for all whether or not they’re an affective agency.
We’ve got our own fish to fry here gang- the economy sucks. It sucks worse than I’ve ever seen it in my 27 years of life (I know, what a long stretch to be pontificating about). The same that I’ve said for Iraq applies here- fish or get off the pot. We all know what needs to be done- cut taxes, stimulate the economy, create jobs, and a million other suggestions that the economists would be better at explaining than my humble self- do it. All of you in Washington- get off your butts and do it. Stop the public grandstanding over which party has the better economic plan, which is for the most part backdoor campaigning, and do something that helps my friends and my family have a roof over their heads and food on the table. I don’t care what party your a part of you were elected to serve the american people as a whole- start acting like and work together to help us little guys out there who pay for those congressional perks you may enjoy. We are the ones who pay for your $500.00 hammers- start showing us the service we expect for such premium prices.
Like the saying goes- actions speak louder than words gang. Thats why I didn’t watch the State of The Union. I knew the words, I knew the highpoints- it’s the same theme recycled president after president, crisis after crisis.
We have the greatest country and system of government in the world folks in my opinion and whether I voted for Bush or Gore- doesn’t matter. I stand behind and respect the system, but these are the days for our leaders to become men of action rather than political party figureheads. Don’t talk at me- show me what your made of out there. Show me that you politicans are worthy of the system and country you serve.
So PAD… any “Smallville” thoughts this week? 🙂
PAD,
If you didn’t watch it, why commint that you didn’t watch it? It seems that he could have said that Iraq was alright with him and that he’s going to tax the rich 100% and you would still have nothing good to say about Bush. We who read your blogs (where did that word come from anyway) know you don’t like him, so why say it again?
PS CM #5 was great. 🙂
Artimoff,
“Blog” is a shortened form of “web log”.
I voted for the guy, but watched “Smallville” instead last night.
Still, I’m sure nothing in last night’s address can ever top my favorite unintentially funny SOTUA moment. It was at the height of Bill Clinton’s Lewinsky/Willey controversy….it may’ve been his last SOTU, or maybe the penultimate one….anyway, Clinton was thanking and recognising various individuals, as is the custom at these things. He was speaking directly to this one woman….I can’t remember her name or if she was a cabinet member, contributer, or what…..but he ended by looking up at her and saying: “Thank you. Thank you….thank you” as unctuously as only he could. Cut to a reaction shot from the woman in the gallery. Her husband, beside her, had the most worried look on his face I’ve ever seen……at least at a State Of The Union Address!!!
I fell out my chair, laughing so hard!!
Hooper
I voted for the guy, but opted for “Smallville”….with a rebuttal by “The Shield”….last night.
Still, I’m sure nothing in last night’s address could ever top my favorite unintentially funny SOTUA moment. It was at the height of Bill Clinton’s Lewinsky/Willey controversy….it may’ve been his last SOTU, or maybe the penultimate one….anyway, Clinton was thanking and recognising various individuals, as is the custom at these things. He was speaking directly to this one woman….I can’t remember her name or if she was a cabinet member, contributer, or what…..but he ended by looking up at her and saying: “Thank you. Thank you….thank you” as unctuously as only he could. Cut to a reaction shot from the woman, up in th
This is a moral war as surely as freeing those in concentration camps in Hitler’s Germany. No one questions Saddam’s atrocities. The cyniicism spouted so glibly by mean spirited tongues that this fight is a “war for oil” while not only revealed as non sensical with the slightest examination of the issue, also spreads across the public consciousness like a smog masking the true evil. This unfounded slander ultimately distracts from the true heroism of the men and women of the services who are about to free an enslaved and terrorized people.
Please:
Show some respect for the office and try to have some faith.
Though you (we) may not entirely agree with all his views or actions, he still is the President.
Well I have to say I watched it. I mean I don’t really care for the guy, but Wellington has really grown into the part. Still don’t like Pa Kent, I keep waiting for Boss Hog to show up.
By the way I did hear a minute of the speech, it sounded like a quote from Blazzing Saddles, Bush was describing what Saddam may be doing and all I could hear in my mind was them describing what the would do the townsfolk.
Smallville has gotten better, at this rate I may regret having missed so much of it.
Oops!!
I have NO idea how my last posting ended up being on here (gulp) four times in a row!! I certainly don’t think its that funny a story!! Please just read one. `Sorry.
……rackin’ frackin’ cloning…..
Hooper
That’s an enlightened member of the “Intellectual Left” for you. As soon as a conservative starts speaking, the head goes firmly into the sand.
But… if you didn’t watch it, how can you find new things to dislike about him?
DGahan, hate to break it to you, but in 82, the unemployment rate was 10 percent, 92, 7 percent, 02 6 percent. After a period of growth, there has to be a period of retraction.
Currently, I believe the standoff with Hussien is 25% wag the dog 25% for the oil and 50% because Hussien is scary and worrisome. The figures that the UN and other non-American sources provided are troublesome, to say the least.
Yeah, a very accurate description from PAD. Hardly anything new came from that little piece of propaganda.
Show some respect for the office and try to have some faith.
I respect the office. I have faith. I don’t have either for the man in the office. Clinton was no great shakes either, but something about the way the Bush administration has handled things keeps bringing to mind the phrase “It’s turtles all the way down.”
I watched it. I’m curious how he’ll follow through with a few of his points (hydrogen cars? fighting AIDS in Africa after undermining the fight already?), but there was very little substance to the speech.
And I wish the incessant cheering could be toned down somehow. It makes the legislature look like boot-licking toadies, or (on the other side) petty snubbed schoolkids.
Rob
Bono of U2 loved it. Since Bono is about 100 times the celebrity Peter is the speech was a huge success. At leat that’s the way we’re supposed to judge it, isn’t it?
I guess I, and Bono as well, don’t understand how stopping the AIDS epidemic in Africa is isolationist.
Oh well, I guess I should quit typing, pour some arsenic in the local drinking water, and drive Grandma down to Petsmart in my Suburban to get her groceries.
Dunno if Washington has gotten too partisan for this to be possible, but here’s what I’d really like to have happen.
Bush and company pick N, say around 3-5, Democratic members of Congress (either house) and/or former members of such, with Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, and Fritz Mondale also being eligible for this. The ones selected have to be honestly respected Democrats, by their party and the man on the street. They also have to be ones who Bush & Co. can trust on a personal level to both tell the truth as they see it and not to violate security protocols.
And then Bush, Rice, Rumsfeld, and Powell, the CIA and Joints Chief, show these people what intelligence they have on Iraq. Basically, they give it their best shot at justifying going to war showing these folk all the info, including the sensitive intelligence stuff. The Dems then come out and say either “OK, they convinced us. We can’t say why without damaging intelligence assets, but they do have a strong case for going to war with Iraq” or “Sorry, we don’t think it’s justified yet” (and if the latter, they have to tell Bush et al *exactly* what would cause them to change their minds).
Probably a pipe dream these days, but I’d sure like to see it happen.
And seguing from that, anyone else catch the Saturday Night Live earlier this season that had Sarah Michelle Gellar as host? Near the end of the show, they had a great routine of various characters talking to the camera saying “I just lost my job due to layoffs. Ðámņ you Saddam Hussein.” “I worked for Enron until it was mismanaged into the ground. Curse you Saddam”. Etc.
It’s probably just as well that you didn’t watch because no matter what Bush had to say you’ve already made up your mind.
Like the Democratic party, it’s not in your best interest for Bush (or the Republicans) to succeed so you have to try your hardest to roadblock/badmouth him at every opportunity (and no, I don’t think Bush is perfect). Would it hurt to show some respect to the office of the President?
Heck, I really didn’t care for Clinton but I repected the fact that he was the President and thought people should support him as best as they could (I just don’t see how the greater good of America is served by people bìŧçhìņg and moaning that their political party didn’t win and trying to sabotage the opposite party all of the time).
I did vote for Bush. While I may not always agree with everything he does, I do understand how the system works. We DO NOT go to war on his say so alone. What the heck do people think. He needs to be backed by congress. And let’s face it we are the ones who voted all these people into office.
The economy is not faultering over something Bush did, it’s faultering because people do not have faith and try to hoard thier money. New England is the only area that get’s the fact that life goes on no matter what. After 9-11 the economy took a major donward spiral, everywhere but in the North-East. We know that running scared is no way to live. It’s what the terrorist want. So we chose to live life on our terms not hiding our heads in the sand hoping that when we finally look up someone else has solved our problems for us. If you want a better world, wake up, smell the coffee, and do something about it!
Watched just enough of the darned thing to send me into a depressed funk for the next half-hour, until I dragged myself out by copious doses of gallow’s humor and a lot of distraction.
Now I know how my parents felt back when they thought the world would end during the Cold War, or that they’d be drafted into Vietnam, or just plain die from all the destruction we cause our poor planet. Hopefully there’s a peaceful, sane solution yet to be found, but I don’t trust Bush to find a peaceful solution to anything more complex than a jigsaw puzzle.
Bush is a joke. Being from Canada, Bush is regarded as a buffon to the world outside of the US. He is regarded as nothing but a gun slinging cowboy with a “shoot first ask questions later” attitude. Even our minister in Canada called him a moron.
There are so many other pressing issues that need to be dealt with in the US but hey let’s forget those and lets fight instead. That way the public will forget what’s wrong with the homeland and forget the fact that we couldn’t get Osama. Let’s blame Saddam for everything and just bomb Iraq because it’s an easy target and easier to determine the victor. You have to give Bush credit though, he’s got a good PR staff.
By the way, PAD: I was amazed by the latest Captain Marvel. Didn’t know how great you could be with such a different style – but seriously, what happens next?
I know how you feel, Pete. I had the same problem every one of the eight years that Clinton was giving the speech.
It only makes me more convinced that people who like Marvel and DC, or watch Star Trek and related movies like that a lot. I think they are the ones who are sane and know what to do and what to like. It’s really the rest of the world that is all crazy and messed up. I think reading comics and being interested in science fiction is the best thing to be doing right now.
“Bush rose to the occassion as always.”
Him and Palpatine. Great men both.
Just wondering if you guys know how US government is actually seen overseas… let’s go further to how US as whole is seen….
How Bush’s attitude is seen in other countries (UK doens’t count).
Fighting for Freedom and Democracy… Seems like a joke. Just wondering what is Bush’position about CUba.
COmparing Saddam to Hitler? Too easy, too obvious. WHy don’t we try to compare Bush to Hitler, we could also find some similarities. I don’t mean this as an insult or something like that. But just suggesting, “Let’s think outside the BOX”.
I was watching the news today, and the reporter informed that the war against Iraq supproters inside US increased from 63% to 71% after Bush’s speech.
Why insist on war, when a diplomatic resolution is still possible. Why does War has to be the first option instead of the last resourse….
Well, those were just some random thoughts.
Changing the subject… Hey, PAD any thoughts about this week’s Angel?
Johny
Born in Taiwan, living in Brazil for almost 17 years.
“‘Bush rose to the occassion as always.’
Him and Palpatine. Great men both.”
Good thing someone else said it. I thought I was the only one who noticed a possible connection between what America has gone through the last ten years and the Star Wars prequel “beginnings of the Empire.” Think about it.
Call me cynical, but throughout the speech I was expecting Bush to announce that the cruise missiles were already falling on Baghdad. Such an action would have had an air of the dramatic to it, and Bush would have had his largest audience of the whole year to short-circuit any further criticism of his Iraq policy until the rubble was settled and the war over.
Fortunately, my cynical expectation was proven wrong. Which means we just have to wait another couple of weeks for the bombs to begin falling.
Once Bush wins an undisputed election, then I’ll extend my respect for the office to include him. Until then, he’s the resident of the White House in my eyes, and nothing more. If he wins in 2004, I’ll regret it, but at least he’ll have legitimacy.
Diplomatic solution with Iraq…seriously? While I’m not entirely sure where W got his own personal mandate to go make everybody play nice, what gives anybody the idea that Saddam would ever seriously entertain any kind of diplomatic solution to anything has escaped me.
The Bush administration will do more harm to our country than any three previous administrations combined. It will also be found to be more corrupt than the Nixon administration.
Bush and his cronies are going to get us into a war that isn’t neccesary. If the US goes into Iraq in its own without the support of the United Nations, then I would expect that Bush and his cronies would be tried by the World Court as war criminals.
On the domestic front, Bush is so slanted towards big business that the expression “of the people,etc.” will be changed to “of the rich people, for the rich people, and by the rich people.”
As far as Liberals sticking their collective heads in the sand, well that’s a lot better that where the conservatives have theirs.
*snicker* Bush rose to the occasion. *snicker*
How can anyone not see that his entire presidency is about redeeming his father’s legacy. However, to hide his continuing oil interests, Bush did offer to have a hydrogen-run car available in 16 years or so, so that’s cool. Do you think it will be more like Luke’s land speeder or like George Jetson’s flying car?
We’re about to go to war; a large portion of the U.S. believes that the Taliban rose from Iraq (does anyone really think about Afghanistan anymore); there aren’t any jobs and the jobs there are to be had don’t replace the manufacturing jobs being sent overseas, but dámņ it, we’re going to have cars that run on hydrogen.
I wonder if we’ll buy hydrogen from filling stations or will these magic engines breakdown water itself?
Why do people keep saying I commented on the speech without having seen it, when I *didn’t* comment on the speech?
As for Iraq, simply consider the following: They’ve been off doing their thing for ten years, and on a day to day basis, did people *really* think about Saddam all that much? Really? Aside from when he was providing entertainment value in South Park? Did anyone *really* think on an average day, “Y’know…I wonder if we should be bombing Saddam, because he might be up to something?”
I’m thinking no.
And if 9/11 hadn’t happened…an attack which did NOT involve the Iraqis…I’m thinking the answer would continue to be “no.” Which means that if Bush were sabre rattling without 9/11, I’m thinking the vast majority of people in this country would be thinking, “What the HÊLL is his problem?”
But 9/11 happened. And the American mindset that fears more attacks is being ruthlessly manipulated by the powers that be into support for a war that few would have countenanced before.
Folks are slowly starting to catch on, though. The dropping approval ratings show that.
PAD