Bush notes US cultural excesses

[Khephra]

ISTANBUL -- A day after Iraq regained sovereignty, President Bush told Turkish university students that adopting democratic reforms in the Mideast does not mean embracing the cultural excesses of American society.

Ending a visit to Turkey for a NATO summit, Bush said the birth of democracy in Iraq is sending a message to the region -- and to Iran and Syria in particular -- that pressure is growing in the Mideast for openness and reform. He challenged leaders in the region to "recognize the direction of the events of the day."

But Bush also acknowledged Muslim concerns that American-style democracy could bring unwanted cultural changes in the region.

"Some people in Muslim cultures identify democracy with the worst of Western popular culture and want no part of it. And I assure them, when I speak about the blessings of liberty, coarse videos and crass commercialism are not what I have in mind," Bush said. "There is nothing incompatible between democratic values and high standards of decency."

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2004/06/30/bush_notes_us_cultural_excesses/

[dbt]

1. Let's talk about "crass commercialism" for 8 seconds!

Is that anything like starting a WAR FOR PROFIT and dressing it up in the flag?

:nuke:
dbt

[Bertha Venation]

2. Some standards of decency are higher than others, George.

For example: I believe it's wrong to start a war because you want to. You don't. I say my standard of decency is higher than yours.

What a moran. :eyes:

[Q]

3. Bush* doesn't even understand the words coming out of his own mouth...

...otherwise he'd know that he was being a hypocrite. The whole world knows that democracy, liberty and 'democratic values' are dead in America and that he gives only lip service to their meaning.

[Catfight]

4. But lying, manipulating and threatening the media, and stealing

elections is Bush's idea of democracy...oh...and making sure only certain people who fit certain narrow minded views enjoy the pursuit of happiness.

[teryang]

5. Killing for profit is what he has in mind

His policies are so destabilizing to Turkey, you'd think he was trying to destroy democracy there and break up the country. Then he'd have a string of broken countries from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf.

[salin]

6. and who better to comment on it than he?

-Mr greed over all (cheat investors)
-Mr coke and booze (partying through the sixties/seventies and mideighties)
-Mr live and party among the enron and other tycoons now known for their excessive partylives (think - video tapes of christmas party of enron... think - video of the birthday party for Tyco exec., etc.)

Regardless of his religious right rhetoric... those with whom he runs relish in the greatest level "cultural excess" in this society. This is one area about which he is very qualified to speak.

[Corgigal]

7. Pass it on

Bush hates Amerika.

[jeff5]

21. You are Close, Yet Far Away

Bush* LOVES Amerika, and is promoting and creating it with both hands.

Bush* HATES America, and all it stands for. If this was 1775 Bush* would be a devout Royalist.

If I had PhotoShop I'd put the Shrub in a British uniform in front of the "Mission Accomplished" banner. He is doing what Cornwallis couldn't.

[lovedems]

8. Crass commercialism? Hmmm.....

Isn't it the Bush/Cheney 04 website that is responsible for the Wild-eyed coalition of democrats? That is a direct conflict with coarse videos, crass commercialism, democratic values, and high standards of decency. Geesh, in one 30 second political ad, his campaign managed to debunk all of his concerns.

[tlcandie]

9. The haves and have mores...some call you the elite.. I call you my base...

Now may we talk about excesses? Thought not! :eyes:

[booksenkatz]

10. Excesses such as

freedom, privacy, due process... all those other pesky ideas in the Constitution?

And decency? _Bush wouldn't know decency if it knocked him squarely between his girth-challenged gonads.

November cannot come soon enough for this gal. This has been the longest Cheneying 4 years of my entire life.

[Neshanic]

11. Take my daughters for example, paragons of virtue...

[cthrumatrix]

12. he would rather see us "poor" and kneel to his throne .... a wealthy

intelligent individual that can see through his crap is a "threat".... they can see the lies and can speak to others...connect the dots of BS rhetoric * spews.

[David__77]

13. Didn't he STUTTER while saying this?! Why did media "correct" him?

I heard a clip of this on Randi Rhodes. He stuttered--why is the media correcting him like a protective parent? They're enabling his peach inspediment.

[cliss]

20. did he stutter? I missed that part on Randi Rhodes.

Interesting concept. Maybe he stutters when he's lying. Or at least when what his speechwriters are asking him to say is a complete, and abominable TRAVESTY. Interesting....I think I'll keep an eye on that.

Lying = hard-core stuttering

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. If anyone would know about excesses.

It would be the drunken coke monkey.

[progressivebydesign]

16. Creepy photo. N/T

[mainer]

15. Crass commercialism made this country great!

After all, the business of America is business.

[Fovea]

17. There is nothing incompatible between democracy

and dubya's adminsitration in a federal prison, either.
Too bad we don't have a democracy anymore.

[prodigal_green]

18. No but apparently there is something incompatible between

Republican values and high standards of decency.

[DemoTex]

19. "High standards of decency?" You must be kidding me.

The Bu$hco tenure is like a long limbo party, the bar keeps getting lower and lower.

[TahitiNut]

25. Man, that's a Rog!

It's a regime in search of ever-lower standards ... standards which they even then cannot meet or exceed.

Have you noticed how DimSon has been campaigning against Saddam? Even with an opponent that's gagged and in jail, he can't seem to win the contest. Surreal!

[Barkley]

22. Was Cheney's cursing out Pat Leahy a 'high standard of decency'? nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

23. The USA's worst "cultural excess"

RW zealotry, especially if coupled with religious fundamentalism.

[Ivan Zero]

24. It's the same old snake oil

"We encourage reforms, as long as they're the kind of reforms we have in mind."

If the son of a bitch hates crass commercialism so much, why isn't he speaking out against the complete domination of it over his own goddamn country?

[louis-t]

26. Why do they let this man speak?

Total embarrassment.

[liveoaktx]

27. Except for using Hitler to Trash my Opponents in a coarse video

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

28. This reminds me of

when * declared "National Sanctity of Life" day, and then commenced to invade Iraq. How do you spell hypocrite? I spell it B-u-s-h.
:)

[Voltaire99]

29. How laughable: Bush is trying to win approval from Muslim reactionaries

...as if by saying the West is filled with excess, they'll somehow like us more.

Nothing like the "leader of the free world" playing to the worst instincts of a culture drenched in reactionary medievalism!

But you have to admire the convenience: he can use the same speech whether he's addressing Islamicists or Murrican Bible thumpers. That's handy, eh?