The following is my opinion and critique of Bush’s speech to the American people. Bush’s quotations are in bold followed by my commentary.
Bush did it again. Trying his best to persuade and propagandize, defend his ego, justify his presidential mandated invasion of a nation and the subsequent needless deaths of our American service men and women, as well as the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths, Bush’s speech resulted not in a strong reinforcement of how he had duped the American people before but a pathetic manipulative appeal again to fear.
“My greatest responsibility as president is to protect the American people…”
Failed responsibility. In my opinion, America and our way of life is less protected now than ever before, for rather than focusing the billions of dollars and expertise of American military men and women on strengthening our nation’s internal defense, Bush has instead wasted enormous resources (including American lives which are far more precious than any amount of wasted money) in pursuit of his and thereby other’s (corporate) domination/control agenda of the Middle East…meanwhile leaving the American people less protected (compared to the security measures we could have implemented) and simultaneously increasing our enemies worldwide by the millions. It’s like a hornet’s nest…Bush has beaten the hornet’s nest with a stick…and now they (our enemies) are swarming enraged and ready to sting.
In my opinion, Bush cares nothing about protecting the American people, he is a narcissistic greed-driven puppet…he could not care less about the protection of the American people…in my opinion, he cares about protecting special corporate interests not the interests of we the people. His behavior speaks louder than any of his words.
True– it is Bush’s greatest responsibility to protect the American people– and in that he has failed miserably.
“The terrorists who attacked us and the terrorists we face murder in the name of a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance and despises all dissent. Their aim is to remake the Middle East in their own grim image of tyranny and oppression by toppling governments, driving us out of the region and exporting terror.”
From the Iraqi civilian perspective: parents grieving the death of their children, spouses mourning the loss of their loved one, these are people who can also say “The terrorists who attacked us and the terrorists we face murder in the name of a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance and despises all dissent. Their aim is to remake the Middle East in their own grim image of tyranny and oppression by toppling governments, driving us out of the region and exporting terror.” Bush (in the name of all of us as Americans) attacked Iraqi cities resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians…It is the Bush administration that ironically kills civilians in the name of “freedom” while taking away more and more American freedoms, while rejecting tolerance and whose supporters despise dissent of the American people who dare to question the emperor and his court. A republic and democratic nation as ours should not engage in empire building by toppling governments, driving out and killing other nation’s inhabitants, exporting terror (what else would you call what is happening to the Iraqi people but terror? Imagine living in your home fearful of the next bomb…fearful of your home being invaded by soldiers who may take away a family member…the people in Iraq are the same as you and I…they seek to live their lives in their “homeland” free from tyrannical invasion and the death and destruction such invaders bring.) What is the result? Ask yourself how you would feel and react if your home and family were under constant siege and threat of death because of outside invaders…would it make you welcome them or enraged at them? It is right to defend America, but what Bush and his gang is doing is not defense. Terror, regardless of who uses it, only begets more violence. Unjustified violence from America provokes violence upon us. Terrorism whether by others toward the US or from the US toward others is always wrong.
“The terrorists believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent, and with a few hard blows they can force us to retreat.”
Based on the way the Bush administration runs this country, others worldwide have every reason to believe America is essentially corrupt and decadent…how many Iraqis would never have become “terrorists” if not provoked by Bush’s unjustified invasion of their country. In my opinion, the American people are being lied to…then the world…only the world has been quicker to see Bush (and those who support him) for what he is. Of course, the terrorists who wish to hurt America may feel that “with a few hard blows they can force us to retreat,” because Bush’s misuse of our military might is in essence a sign of weakness. Bush is a weak man using the might of a great nation to feed his egotistical political agenda…this results in others worldwide viewing America as corrupt…my opinion is that our current foreign policy under the Bush administration is corrupt, for it is an imperialistic policy which goes against every value America used to stand for. Even others worldwide can identify such a moral weakness…and such weakness always marches to defeat.
“Many terrorists who kill innocent men, women and children on the streets of Baghdad are followers of the same murderous ideology that took the lives of our citizens in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. There is only one course of action against them: to defeat them abroad before they attack us at home.”
Twisted “logic.” Bush is admitting those in Baghdad he calls “terrorists” are not the ones responsible for the horrific 9-11 attack on Americans…Bush says they believe the same, though they are not responsible…thus, Bush says because he thinks they believe the same as those who committed the crime, even though they did not commit the crime, they should be held responsible and punished. Bush’s illogic continues, predicated on his assertion people who he thinks believe the same are to be regarded as if they did do it, then Bush rationalizes killing them in their home to make sure they don’t ever decide to kill us. Bush’s rationale of “defeat them abroad before they attack us at home” is a dangerous precedent which I think he will continue to endlessly use to “justify” future attacks on other sovereign nations.
“Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. Among the terrorists, there is no debate. Hear the words of Osama Bin Laden: “This Third World War is raging” in Iraq. “The whole world is watching this war.” He says it will end in “victory and glory or misery and humiliation.”Iraq is NOW a central front, because Bush has used America to make it so. Yes, it will end in either “victory and glory or misery and humiliation“…and I do not believe the oppressors/invaders will “win.” There is no such thing as a “war” on anything. Sadly, the American government uses the word “war” to manipulate our thinking … such as “war on drugs,” “war on terror,” to try and create justification and support from the American people. To even begin to accept the word “war” in such a context is ludicrous…there will always be drugs, there will always be terrorism – domestic and international…our nation cannot and does not wage war on an object…we can only wage war against an enemy government…thus, the use of the word is to manipulate you into feeling patriotism and a need to support the values of America…when in actuality it has nothing to do with the best interests of America…we are not engaged in any war…in my opinion, we are as a nation engaged in hostile aggression to feed the needs of a president with an agenda to benefit those who benefit from the aggression.
But if we use the word “war” now to mean any military aggression (rather than a legitimate use of military power against a government), I think as a nation America will sadly suffer “misery and humiliation” all because of Bush.
“So they are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. And there is no limit to the innocent lives they are willing to take.”
Bush means “they” the “terrorists.” But it is just as true to say that Bush is waging a campaign of murder and destruction on the people of Iraq. And there is “no limit to the innocent lives Bush is willing to take.” Sadly, Bush represents America…so those worldwide view America (as they must since he is president) as being the great evil empire waging a campaign of murder and destruction without regard to loss of innocent lives.
“Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done.”
Bush’s ego will not admit his mistake. As for a “job” “being done,” Bush’s “war on terror” will never be done…it is endless…terrorism will always exist…thus, under Bush’s control the “war” will continue….Americans will continue to die overseas if Bush adheres to such an absurd policy of waging “war” against “terrorism.” It is merely the excuse, packaged and delivered to you in speech after speech, that this “war” will end… It will not. “Terrorism” was the word chosen to “wage war” on because it conveniently gives Bush a reason to try and justify aggressive action using American lives and deaths for his own end. Bush will try to use this excuse to get your continued support for his war on Iraq as well as future attacks on other countries. The end does not justify the means. And “the end” Bush tells you he’s sending our American men and women to fight and die for is not, I believe, the “end” or goal he’s really after.
“We know that if evil is not confronted, it gains in strength and audacity and returns to strike us again. We know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not retreat, it is courage. And we know that this great ideal of human freedom is entrusted to us in a special way and that the ideal of liberty is worth defending.”
First, I agree with this statement when applied to what we the American people must do to protect our best interests against those who would adulterate, twist, and eliminate our constitutional basis of government. We cannot retreat. We must have courage for the work is hard… to demand that Bush (and all those complicit in his evil) stop their unjustified aggression against Iraq and others they may plan to overthrow. Our proper response when faced with an administration committing evil is to expose it and demand a change in policy or else it will gain strength, audacity, and will continue to erode our American freedoms, rights, and reputation for good around the world. America is no longer respected as it once was…Americans must speak out for what they see happening and let the world know that our president’s actions do not reflect our wishes… We must demand the republic be returned to us. Liberty? Ideal of freedom? These are not ideas to be fought “for” in Iraq…but ideals that once defined America that must be reclaimed on our soil for us–the American people…they are the ideas you, as an American, must defend. “Liberty” is worth defending — true. There is a big difference between defense and offensive attacks…we are not “defending” liberty in Iraq…we are unjustifiably invading another nation unrelated to the 9-11 attack on us.
“And the best way to honor the lives that have been given in this struggle is to complete the mission.”False. Easy for Bush to say. Translation: The best way for Bush to save face and to try and complete his mission is to allow more American men and women to die for his sake. “Honor” is not a value Bush comprehends much less exhibits…it is a word he uses because he knows good people relate to it.
“When the history of this period is written, the liberation of Afghanistan and the liberation of Iraq will be remembered as great turning points in the story of freedom.”
False. When the history of this period is written, it will be remembered as dark days under a bad president who used American’s love of freedom to manipulate them to give their lives for his own power. The “wars” raged by Bush will be rejected as unjustified imperialistic throes of a president who misused the power entrusted to him. I believe Bush will go down in history as one of the worst presidents America has ever had.
