Diplomacy still isn’t his strong point

June 21, 2006

At a [tag]press conference[/tag] in [tag]Vienna[/tag], [tag]Austria[/tag], this morning, a [tag]reporter[/tag], speaking to the [tag]president[/tag], noted that only 14% of Austrians believe the United States is good for peace and more British citizens see Bush’s policies as a destabilizing force in the world than Iran’s. The reporter asked Bush to explain why, from his perspective, he’s failed to win over the [tag]Europeans[/tag]’ “[tag]hearts and minds[/tag].”

Time for the president to go into diplomatic mode, right? Turn on the [tag]charm[/tag]? Well, not exactly.

“Look, people didn’t agree with my decision on Iraq. And I understand that. For Europe, September the 11th was a moment; for us it was a change of thinking. […]

“I believe in the universality of freedom. Some don’t. I’m going to act on my beliefs so long as I’m the president of the United States. Some people say, ‘It’s OK to condemn people to tyranny.’ I don’t believe it’s OK to condemn people to tyranny, particularly those of us who live in the free societies.”

He’s quite a [tag]diplomat[/tag], isn’t he?

On the other hand, I suppose I should give the president credit for consistency. He uses the exact same baseless, straw-men demagoguery against his critics in Europe as he does against his critics in the U.S. If you disagree with [tag]Bush[/tag], you don’t understand [tag]9/11[/tag] and you want to condemn people to [tag]tyranny[/tag]. Where have I heard that before?

As for Bush’s standing in [tag]Europe[/tag], I had foolishly assumed that he couldn’t get any less popular. The president, once again, is able to go well beyond my expectations.

As always, CB, never underestimate the president’s ability to make things WORSE! It’s one of the few (okay, only) things he’s good at.

  • Boy George II to the world:

    “You’re entitled to your opinion and I am entitled not to give a damn!”

  • Hey, that sounds more diplomatic than some of what he says domestically. Yes, he’s saying critics are in favor of tyranny, but at least he’s not saying they feel that way because of racism. Bush has often talked about how “some people” think that brown-skinned people (or “people whose skin color is different from ours” — who are “we”?) can’t “self-govern”. There’s some variety in his straw men.

  • what i’m hoping is that someone screws up in the white house and agrees to let the shallow little man be interviewed by european reporters, who actually still believe in an adversarial relationship with power.

  • The answer to the question, Why, from Bush’s perspective, he’s failed to win over the Europeans’ hearts and minds, is: Europeans don’t vote for him and they don’t contribute to his campaigns. So they do not exist.

  • Ahh, the straw man comes to the aid of Bush once again.

    “I believe in the universality of freedom. Some don’t. I’m going to act on my beliefs so long as I’m the president of the United States. Some people say, ‘It’s OK to condemn people to tyranny.’ I don’t believe it’s OK to condemn people to tyranny, particularly those of us who live in the free societies.”

    Considering that he’s talking about his critics and not the terrorists, who exactly among those critics doesn’t believe in the universality of freedom (whatever the hell that means)? Will you please stand up, raise your hand, be counted?

    And those of you that say “it’s OK to condemn people to tyranny,” shout out now, c’mon, be heard on this, now’s your chance.

    Funny (not funny ha-ha but funny scary) that this guy says he doesn’t want to condemn people to live in tyranny and he’s referring to the Iraqi people and yet, nearly every single one of his executive decisions – CB, how many per day are discussed here, and it seems new ones every day – are designed to ensure that Americans live under perhaps the most tyrannical government/administration in our history. I’m generally not one given to hyperbole but the mission of this administration to consistently undermine civil rights in order to further its own goals of power and wealth are truly scary.

  • This is the guy who has publically stated that he does not need to explain his actions/decision to the public.

    Is this unmatched arrogance or is he unable to thoughtfully discuss the consequences of his policies?

    I believe some of the reviews on the Suskind book answer this question.

  • Every time The Decider puffs himself up, he seems smaller. Small men do big damage.

  • I don’t believe it’s OK to condemn people to tyranny, particularly those of us who live in the free societies.”

    So, what exactly is Bush doing about all the other countries where the people are condemned to tyranny? North Korea comes to mind. Burma comes to mind. Darfur comes to mind. The indigineous peoples of Guatemala come to mind. Need I go on? I think not.

  • Homer’s got it. I’ll be very interested to see if the press corps in Europe calls him on the “some say” bullshit… as our Fourth Estaters, alas, so rarely do.

  • Small men do big damage.—Comment by Dale

    Well said. I don’t think our President cares about the opinion of anyone past his little neo-con circle. After all, he can’t see the carnage from the rose garden, and he doesn’t have to run again. All he has to do is figure out how to ride a mountain bike on a flat terrian and not hit a tree.

  • Every time Bush goes off to Europe and opens his mouth I wince because he invariably says something stupid or wrong or insulting. Can’t we keep him here where at least we’re sort of used to it? Someone please teach him how to use email so he can send in his comments to these conferences (I’m referring to a recent photo of him at his desk and there was not a computer in sight). He doesn’t like to travel anyway.

  • “September the 11th was a moment; for us it was a change of thinking.” GW
    Like before when I got an intelligence report on Osama flying planes into buildings, I could respond with quips like, “you covered your ass, now get the hell out of here and let me git back to cuttin’ brush.” Now, I got to think about how that sounds before I go a spoutin’ off like that. So, some people may not think I changed my thinking, but I sure as hell did. Just like Jesus changed my heart. And fuck you too.

  • “For Europe, September the 11th was a moment; for us it was a change of thinking.”

    America lost 3,000 citizens on September 11th.
    Europe lost MILLIONS of its citizens in the last century alone to war and genocide.
    Not to meniton the fact that they suffered under communism and fascism, and would have been the first people to be vaporized if the Cold War had gone hot.

    This is the problem with this admininstration, they act like 9/11 gives the US the right to do whatever it pleases all in the name of “national security”.

    While that day is probably the most horrible in OUR nation’s history, to tell the Europeans, and the rest of the world for that matter, that “you don’t know what we went through” is arrogant, shallow, and tactless.

  • Before 9/11, Boy George II wasn’t paying attention to the dangers of international terrorism and failed states.

    Nope, he was paying attention to the dangers of long range ballistic missiles and rogue states.

    When he was not on vacation, of course.

    Now North Korea has reared its ugly head again and threatened to demonstrate a range ballistic missile in the hands of a rogue state.

  • Dear Mr. President,

    I understand all too well the meaning of 9/11. I understand that you knew it was coming before it happened—and like a yellow dog, you tucked your tail and did nothing to stop it. People died because you wanted to avenge your family name against the embarrassment of the ’91 Gulf War. People died—and are continuing to die on a daily basis—because, Mr. President, you elected to “cut and run” in the Summer of 2001.

    I also understand the meaning of tyranny. I understand the subjugation of the People of these United States to the heinous tyranny of your Presidency. You have lied your way through five-and-a-half years of this nation’s history. Time and again, you have failed in your mission—a mission given by the citizens of this country, by the way—to “uphold, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

    You should know, sir, that your reign of zenophobic ideology; your blatant disregard for the Rule of Law; your insidious claims that you have improved everyday life for myriad peoples of this planet; your disdain for Truth; your impoverished ethics and moral fortitude as regards your fellow human being—are destined to end. Your legacy—if the People of this country choose for you to even have one, rather than to simply consign your family name to the mists of historical forgetfulness—shall be the legacy of a lying, cheating, thieving, murderous yellowbelly.

    And that, dear sir, is only if you are a very lucky individual, and don’t forget to say “please.”

    ***Just watch and see if the idiot doesn’t send me an autographed picture. I can let my son use it for pitching practice!***

  • There is personal aspect of torture and the Bush Presidency.
    It’s the torture of having to watch Bush speak to the world on live T.V. as my President
    Aaaaaaagh!

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