Last night (Sept 11) I was sitting with my wife flipping back and forth between the Frontline special and the Learning Channel’sThe President’s Story. We wanted to remember that day two years ago.
As we were watching Bush get up on the rubble with one of the fireman, all the fireman watching were chanting U.S.A…U.S.A…U.S.A…U.S.A… And Bush just had the right words to say at that time. I was even happy that he was out president. He was saying things like, "…we are going to show those murderers who the United States really is…and…They’ve messed with America, they’ve messed with the wrong nation… and similar things to that effect.
I was proud he was our president, and last night watching his this over again made me feel similar emotions of patriotism and good will towards Bush. But then after the programme, I was watching the news. And seeing more US soldiers were killed in Iraq…and the tidal wave came again. Everything that has transpired in the last two years came flooding back into my thoughts and feelings and my distaste for the President became apparent again.
Did anyone else have an emotional flip-flop about Bush yesterday? To any degree?
It’s good if a leader can make inspirational speeches. But he also needs to be honest, well-motivated and clear-headed, especially if war is an option.
IMHO, Tony Blair is a much better speaker than Bush.
However he told our Parliament before the conflict that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, and that they could be fired at us within 45 minutes of war starting. He said there was not time to wait for UN weapons inspectors.
We currently have a Judicial enquiry (headed by Hutton), which has already established that these ‘weapons’ were battlefield only (e.g. artillery shells).
After several months there is still no sign of WMD’s (especially aimed at the UK or the US).
You can expect UK Govenrment resignations once the Hutton enquiry finishes.
And over here, we know that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11.
I think the US (which is a great country) needs a much better leader than one who relies on sentimental quasi-military appearances and misleading propaganda.
