Bush's "freedom" speech revealed as usual Bushie rank hypocrisy

[Inland]

With Bush talking about bringing freedom around the globe, people wondered about the three possibilities:

1) Bush lying sack of shit, won't do a thing about freedom and liberty beyond curtailing it with Gitmo and Patriot act;

2) Bush meant what he said, war with China, Saudi and Pakistan imminent;

3) Bush rank hypocrite, will use "freedom and liberty" as cover for invading countries we want to occupy for other reasons, as we did in Iraq.

Bush was good enough to tell us that number 2 is right out, see quotes below. China, Saudi and other good dictatorships will get a mention or two while we discuss the things that really matter, like oil and lending the US money.

My bet is on three, if only because it has worked so well for Bush so far. Say it is all about freedom and liberty while bombing the shit out of civilians in a country that Bushie deems hostile or available for invasion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/27/politics/27prexy.html

When meeting Chinese leaders, he said, "I will constantly remind them of the benefits of a society that honors their people and respects human rights and human dignity." He noted that he had brought up the repression of Tibet and China's efforts to suppress Catholicism, and said that he would remind President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia that "if he intends to continue to look west, we in the West believe in Western values."

But Mr. Bush seemed to signal that he would be patient with countries that failed to liberalize quickly. "There won't be instant democracy," he said, adding later, "That's why I said we're talking about the work of generations."

[Ian David]

1. By "Western Values" he means the values of "The Wild West."

and

[CWebster]

2. True, but what else has he got?

This is just the latest spin. The latest soundbyte, the latest angle, the latest charged rhetoric of patriotism appealing to the lowest common denominator targeting base nationalism.

It means nothing, amusing that people expect him to explain himself.

[bluedog]

3. quote by GOP'er.......................use it!!

"When the strongest nation in the world can be tied up for ... years in a war ... with no end in sight, when the richest nation in the world can't manage its own economy, when the nation with the greatest tradition of the rule of law is plagued by unprecedented lawlessness, ... and when the President of the United States cannot travel abroad or to any major city at home without fear of a hostile demonstration - then it's time for new leadership for the United States of America."
-- Richard Nixon, 1968

[Jawja]

4. I listened to his Press Conference

from yesterday and it scares the bejeezus out of me.

Unless it is at gunpoint, how does he propose to spread "democracy and liberty?" What gives him the right to make that decision?

It was hard to stomach the bullshit about the Iraqis who are fighting to get US the hell of THEIR country "hating democracy." What pure and utter bullshit!

Will we, as a nation, survive this lunatic?

[Inland]

5. The answer is given.

He plans to spread freedom and liberty mostly by mentioning it.

But I think that when he sees a country he wants to invade for other reasons, he will give installing freedom and liberty as cover. He is already doing it post hoc in Iraq.

[Felix Mala]

7. All in all, the spread of democracy is great

It's nice to see the Republicans grasp it after so many misteps, like the Reagan administration!

Unfortunately, this speech was only made to white wash Bush's failures. He isn't really serious about accomplishing anything. He's already been fudging and parsing, as he did when he was asked about China and Saudi Arabia. It's so frustrating writing this hear when I really want to scream it at the Republicans. Maybe I should start my own blog.

[Inland]

8. Bush is just telling us what sounds good.

You can almost see the wheels turn. People have said freedom is good. I want to be seen as being for good things. Therefore I will say that freedom is the reason why I do everything. The Iraq war is spreading freedom, not stealing oil or military bases. On the other hand, a quiet word to China is about spreading freedom, not financing my deficits, because that's what works best with them. And Saudi is already improving. And the Iran war will be because, despite elections of a sort, they aren't moving as fast as the Saudi princes.

[Felix Mala]

6. Inaugural as home fix up project

If we had real media in this country, they would be asking whether or not shrub's speech was merely designed to dress up the disaster in Iraq as a beautiful success, or at least a noble failure. Like one of those home fix up shows where they have 2-days to turn a hovel into a mansion, the inaugural address should be careening into the history books as a desperate attempt to dress up a cowardly and illegal war. History isn't as anxious to be lied to as 53 million Americans are.