Hypocrisy in Action

In deference to my previous remarks about Taking on Democracy, I would now like to highlight Hypocrisy in Action. I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I consider myself to be moderate - veering towards conservative on issues of small government and towards liberal on social policy (a contradiction in itself). However complicated my political mindset, there is no comparison to the idiotic tendencies of the people in the White House Communications Office who have not all quit their jobs. Seriously, they should never let the man have a podium.

Example: Quotation from the President of a country that has a majority of the nuclear weapons in existence today: "if the Iranians were to have a nuclear weapon, they could blackmail the world; if the Iranians were to have a nuclear weapon, they could proliferate."

Hi! Welcome to the real world! Why do we have the right, France has the right, Russia has the right ... lots of places have nuclear weapons ... why do we have the right, and not them? I understand that our governments are more predictable, restrained, and less likely to revolution. However, I don't think we have the right to get upset because other countries want to create nuclear weapons. Every country has the right to do what they want. Even if we don't like it. Unless they join a union or agreement or something. Then they are obliged to follow it. Until then, we need not invade them because we are scared of their inconsistency. Nothing works to spark peoples' desire to blow other people up like being invaded. Idiocy.

So here he goes, instigating using military resources (practical considering our forces our overdrawn at the moment):
"The threat from Iran is, of course, their stated objective to destroy our strong ally Israel," he said in a speech to the City Club of Cleveland.
"That's a threat, a serious threat. It's a threat to world peace... I made it clear, I'll make it clear again, that we will use military might to protect our ally, Israel."
Bush also stressed the desire for a united message on Iran from the Security Council "in order to say loud and clear to the Iranians this is unacceptable behavior".

If to make something clear you have to repeat yourself, using the same word three times, you either have no back up vocabulary, you are an idiot, or your point stands no chance of being clear. Stop while you are ahead; meaning just don't talk.

Read the rest of his poorly worded comments in the link above. Feel free to comment on it yourself. I guess in this case I am less politically opposed to what he is saying then to the fact that I am an oratorical snob and cannot handle poor public speakers - especially on a national and international stage.

If you read the full transcript, you get comments on stuff from home too. My favorite so far is:

"I'm going to continue to work with Congress to restrain federal spending."

Yeah dork, do that while building the infastructure of another country and paying the military forces hazardous duty pay to be there. Good plan.

"Now I'd be glad to take any questions you have, starting with the AP person."

Could we try learning their name?

"...by the way, other than Mr. Allawi -- who I know, by the way; like. He's a good fellow."

Add 'jolly' and we've got, like, a valley girl birthday song, by the way.

"Iraq would become a place of instability, a place from which the enemy can plot, plan and attack."

Yeah, 'cause they aren't doing that now. And when do you stop the learning curve by the way - if you say we can't leave too early. Isn't there a point where the teacher is done and the student becomes responsible for their own progress?

"I believe that my job is to go out and explain to the people what's on my mind. That's why I'm having this press conference, see? I'm telling you what's on my mind. "

Wow. Profound.

"That's the job of the president. The job of the president is not to worry about the short-term attitudes. The job of the president is to confront big issues and to bring them to the front and to say to people: Let's work together to get it solved."

Delete the second sentence and you have got a clear, conscise, actually qualifiable statement.