Honestly, it’s the most presidential action I’ve seen him take.
Cool. I want to see film.
No one else has commented here?
I can’t wait for the made-for-TV movie 
Secret Serviceman getting dogpiled by rapid Chilean guards
George W Bush: “NOOOOOO!” :eek: dramatic slow-motion dive for stricken secret serviceman
The Chileans did the same thing to the Chinese head of state. Only, his didn’t get in. It’s all one big WTF to me. What in the hell were the Chileans thinking?
The Chileans were probably thinking, “Who the hell are these gringo thugs that come armed onto our turf and push us around?”
It’s not like they couldn’t have known that the POTUS always travels with his own protection. :smack: WTF! And then they had to cancel the dinner because they still wouldn’t let them attend. :mad: Duba’s ratings finally went up in my eyes today.
You know, they’re our counterparts to the (wetback? greaser? you started with the racial epitaths, pick which one you prefer to use) thugs that come armed onto our turf whenever their head of state comes to visit the U.S.
“Gringo” is not a racist epithet, and is not an offensive term in most of Latin America – it’s not remotely equivalent to greaser or wetback.
I am a Gringo and not offended when I am referred to as one. Then again, maybe I’m just to ignorant to know when I’m being insulted. :wally
“Nigger” isn’t an offensive term to most members of the KKK, “Kike” isn’t an offensive term to most members of the NAZI party, and “Raghead” isn’t considered an offensive term to many (by no means all) Americans. It’s easy not to be offended if it’s another group being belittled. What exactly is your point?
(FTR, “Gringo” doesn’t offend me either, but it is a racial epiteth.)
Well let’s see. I am half Mexican and half American (US born), I’m married to a Mexican national, and spend a lot of time in Mexico. Gringo is not considered or used as a racist term by most of the people I know. What exactly is your PC point?
My point is actually an anti-PC point. Any and all of the terms used by me as an alternative to “Gringo” in this thread are offensive, can we all agree on that? “Gringo” may or may not be offensive (and I know some folks back in Texas who have taken offense at being referred to as gringo), but lots of folks will tell you that it’s not because it refers to white folks, and white folks aren’t allowed to get offended, in other words, the playing field isn’t level. Take the original sentence I quoted, make the subject an African leader, and substitute the word “nigger” for “gringo”. Would that be acceptable? Of course not. Epithets are Epithets and should all be treated the same, regardless if one is “serious and offensive” and another “not that big a deal”. It’s a principle.
If I might papraphrase, in memory to JFK who passed away 41 years ago today:
Ich Bein Ein Gringo !!!
Sorry, Dave. Try substituting the word “foreigner” for the word “gringo”. That’s a closer translation. At worst, substitute “stranger”.
IMO it can be taken as badly and given as badly as ‘wetback’ sometimes is.
Sorry to butt in to point out more than half the posts in this thread are really off topic and entirely a nitpick debate on p.c.ness.
but man… a lot of interesting threads die because of that.
Won’t someone think of the threads?
If we can get back to the OP, I loved what happened.
Quick background on custom as reported by CNN, FOX and MSNBC. In Chile, most Heads of State travel to Chile and rely on Chilean security. This seems to have been a problem in the past with a few other countries (no cite) that travel with thier own security detail. In the past it seems this has been forgotten by Chilean security as it isn’t thier custom.
As Bush was entering the hall with the Chilean President and his wife, along with Laura standing next to them waiting to greet Bush, Bush’s head bodyguard was held up outside the door. They weren’t letting anyone in as they thought they were providing protection for Bush.
Bush got maybe halfway to the Chilean Prez and realized his detail was held up. He immediately turned back, pushed his way to his bodyguard and grabbed his lapel and literally pulled him through the Chilean security detail. Right after he shot the look of death to those keeping the guy out giving a few choice words.
I loved it. It reminded me of a regular guy that wasn’t going to take shit handed to his people, and made sure they knew to have some respect. I wouldn’t mind him being in my group at a bar.
Re: The OP: I have to . . . can’t stand it but . . . must . . . can’t resist! . . . Praise Bush!
Hats off for doing something ballsy and human, Dubya. As opposed to all the ballsy and inhuman things you normally do.
The word “Mexican”, as well as the words “Black”, “Jew”, “Foreigner” and “Stranger” can be given and taken just as badly. What’s your point?
In regards to the OP, and as a bleeding-heart liberal and rabid anti-Bushian, I agree that this was an awesome thing for Bush to do, and I agree with Duffer that (at least in the context of this incident) I wouldn’t mind having the dude in my crew.
Why would Bush go there if he didn’t trust the Chileans to provide a certain level of security?
Ok, if he is roaming about aimlessly in a foreign country you can bet he needs security but if he is attending a formal function then he should arrange his own extra-special security before hand or trust that security has been provided.
How stupid are his “people”? They made him look like a dick and they made it look like he was insulting the Chileans.
If he is that precious then he should have stayed at home because this incident made him look stupid. That or someone who feels free to run over everyone else.
I don’t believe for ONE minute that had his people been on the ball, and had discussed The Smirking Ones security desires with the Chilean’s, that Bush’s sunglassed guys would have been kept out.
He was one of twenty leaders. The Chileans had an obligation to keep them ALL safe. Obviously Shrub Junior is verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry important, someone on his team fucked up.