So, then, it will be a matter of just a pack of foreigners politically jerking off by making personal attacks against someone in effigy.
No, that was what happened with that Saddam statue in Baghdad.
This is a bit of fun.
Fantasies of non-existent nighmarish oppression in the U.S. aside, the anti-Bush protests will be reported in due detail in America. Whether that will satisfactorily translate to some observers that “Everyone in England opposes Bush” remains to be seen.
I’m just ticked that Bush won’t appear before Parliament where some interesting heckling would have occurred (heah, heah, heah).
While the avoidance of close proximity to protest is surely in part due to GWB’s unwillingness to face (or publicize) dislike, there’s an amazing disregard of the safety factor among certain pundits.
It was reported in a half-page article in the 11/14 USA Today on the Bush visit and expected protests (I guess the jack-booted minions suppress this paper in rjung’s neighborhood) that some Brits were insulted by the fact that GWB will be arriving at Buckingham Palace in an armored car, “rather than in an open horse-drawn carriage like other visiting heads of state”. A London Times columnist (Libby Purves) said that “If he doesn’t think Britain is safe, perhaps he should stay at home”.
Bush is possibly the most attractive target for terrorists in the world today. We had one President murdered while riding in an open car in a motorcade, during much safer times. If anyone is “insulted” that Bush won’t be riding in an open car and mixing freely with the public, I submit that they are complete and flaming morons.
Point of order.
Not having a funnies page, USA Today can hardly be considered a real newspaper. rjung is quite right to make no mention of its existence.
I’m just wondering where Jackmannii read that I espoused a seekret konspirassy to squelch all news of Bush’s visit in the American media. After all, I only used the word “if”…
Why yes, rjung, using the word “if” automatically makes your musings respectable (don’t, for instance, address the U.S. media coverage of a visit/protests that haven’t even happened yet, including my example).
Sorry, but speculation about “if the US media will report the event at all” is goofy. I didn’t say you were starting to act like a conspiracy theorist, but if the shoe fits…
Hmmm. Interesting concept. Let’s see how it works.
If only rjung had checked the very front page of CNN.com which has had for the past several days a link to a Time.com article about anticipated protests dated four days before his post, then… what?
I’m afraid I’m not very good at this game.
Nah, unlike Karl Rove, I keep my meanings rather obvious. If I wanted to hint of conspiratorial subterfuge, I’d have written, “I’ll bet this won’t make the US news at all.”
Media coverage of the President’s trip is to be expected; how many inches the protesters would get was a variable in my mind. I’m glad to hear they weren’t marginalized.
Nah, unlike Karl Rove, I keep my meanings rather obvious. If I wanted to hint of conspiratorial subterfuge, I’d have written, “I’ll bet this won’t make the US news at all.”
Media coverage of the President’s trip is to be expected; how many inches the protesters would get was a variable in my mind. I’m glad to hear they weren’t marginalized.
Well, some of us Brits actually appreciate what Bush has done and the sacrifices the British, American, and other troops have made to bring freedom to Iraq. I’m sure the families of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis that died under Saddam’s rule are very glad to see the back of him.
Unfortunately, all the good stuff that’s happenning over there isn’t considered newsworthy so largely goes unreported. And let us not forget that the media have their own biases. Someone who only gets his news from John Pilger is going to get a very different picture to someone who only gets their news from Max Hastings.
True, but to make a quick hijack I cant resist pointing out that on the issue of Iraq, Hastings and Pilger arent perhaps as far apart as might be assumed. Hastings has wrote scathing articles about US policy and conduct in Iraq, in his previous article “I was silly to trust America” and his recent Spectator piece “Britain is furious with America”. Hastings differs from Pilger in that he supported the idea of the war but he is appalled by the lies, arrogance and above all gross incompetence with which it has been conducted.
Your complete admission that I am right in this and utter surrender by refusing to actually address what I wrote is accepted.
This just in: Japan accepts US surrender on deck of Missouri. Terms expected to be lenient.
It is perhaps understandable that what you write is not addressed, Dogface, if increasingly feeble attempts at pithy one-liner summaries are all you offer.
“…The only speech Mr Bush, who will stay with the Queen at Buckingham Palace…”
Sufferin’ succotash! Now, that’s going beyond the call of duty!
(this is kind of funny, as a couple of Brits just attacked a friend of mine on the tube because of her American accent, yelling “We’re in bloody England! Go home!” One of them ripped a clump of her hair out. Nice folks, nothing like rude Americans…)
I actually refused to sign a petition the other day that was trying to prevent Dubya from even COMING to London. I asked them if they were just against the war (I know, it’s ‘over,’ but you know…), or truly didn’t want him to even visit with his greatest ally. They kind of shrugged.
I’ll answer - he’s not welcome here. The British people (as opposed to our lapdog government) did not and do not support his illegal war. And we don’t appreciate his illegal tarrifs on our industry for the purposes of trying to get himself re-elected. I would be quite happy for the visit to be called off (save the country several million pounds and a heap of disruption anyway), happier still if Tony Blair were to do what Hugh Grant does in Love, Actually 
, as it is, I’ll guess I’ll settle for seeing him Thursday, so he can experience the wonders of democracy and free speech that he is apparantly so keen on.
The protests have started btw, an American lady has been on top of the main gates at Buck Palace flying the stars and stripes upside down for the past couple of hours.
I’m truly horrified to hear that. Although it’s not my place to apologise on the behalf of random racist assholes, I want you to know that I’m ashamed of the impression these fellow-countrymen have given you and your friend.
I’ve heard that security will be so tight, even the Queen will have to have an ID badge. I can just picture her patiently requesting the bearskin-hatted guard at the gate to look at a five pound note and see if the picture matches.
Tell me again why Bush is even making this trip?
I realize that this is Great Debates and all, but does anyone else not care about the relationship between the protestors and Bush?
I fully expect him to be egged wherever he goes abroad. Its just a given. There’s something invisible in the expected.
The reason that the protests are on the US news is because Bush’s government was pressuring the British government to not allow the protests. Londoners, being a free folk, caused a stink about this, and got the coverage necessary. Now we’re stuck with protests news, because goddamnit, we fought for their right to happen, but… I cared a lot more about the protests when there was an oppression issue.
I don’t even hold it against the US for trying. They’re sucessful in the US and Qatar, why not Britain? Since classifying the protests as “dangerous” didn’t work, they’re now trying for “silly,” which seems to have mixed results. Will everyone who distains the irrelevance of the protests be replaced by commoners heading down to enjoy the festival-like atmosphere?
And, upon preview… I wanted to mention Love Actually but didn’t want to post spoilers, Avenger. Here in the US, the movie is doing decently, and I’ve seen it twice, both times the audience laughs nonstop the whole way through. Except for the press conference scene with the US President and the British Prime Minister. That scene is met with absolute, horrified, silence. Both times. 
It’s not shame, its the silence of absolute shock that anyone would have the balls to defy our President. Much less something as mainstream as a Hugh Grant movie.