APPROPRIATION
I am not a political writer as you can tell from my other blog entries but in recent days, I find it difficult to not have a political opinion. And while I am not a supporter of the war and our mission to bring democracy to the world like forceful traveling salesmen with a propensity for violence, there's nothing more offensive than Bush's appropriation of September 11th.
By now, you're probably over-exposed to 9/11 memorial coverage and don't need to hear the thoughts of a magazine editor and freelance music journalist, nevertheless, I felt it necessary to verbalize the importance of challenging our current administration regardless of how many times George Bush links the innocent deaths of thousands to his borderline-tyranical strategy.
Last night, Bush said, "We learned that America must confront threats before they reach our shores, whether those threats come from terrorist networks or terrorist states. I am often asked why we are in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The answer is that the regime of Saddam Hussein was a clear threat."
He continued, "[This is] a struggle for civilization. The safety of America depends on the outcome of the battle in the streets of Baghdad." But if we've already unseated Hussein, the ultimate terrorist, then what are we doing now?
The President asks that we stand behind him in unity but also manipulates the feelings we have associated with a day of tragedy into a plea of support. This is appropriating 9/11.
I cannot recommend Euegen Jarecki's sobering Why We Fight any more for those trying to understand our war with Iraq. While Bush claims that we are at war for our freedom, there are many that suggest this is all just business as usual.
I am not a political writer as you can tell from my other blog entries but in recent days, I find it difficult to not have a political opinion. And while I am not a supporter of the war and our mission to bring democracy to the world like forceful traveling salesmen with a propensity for violence, there's nothing more offensive than Bush's appropriation of September 11th.
By now, you're probably over-exposed to 9/11 memorial coverage and don't need to hear the thoughts of a magazine editor and freelance music journalist, nevertheless, I felt it necessary to verbalize the importance of challenging our current administration regardless of how many times George Bush links the innocent deaths of thousands to his borderline-tyranical strategy.
Last night, Bush said, "We learned that America must confront threats before they reach our shores, whether those threats come from terrorist networks or terrorist states. I am often asked why we are in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The answer is that the regime of Saddam Hussein was a clear threat."
He continued, "[This is] a struggle for civilization. The safety of America depends on the outcome of the battle in the streets of Baghdad." But if we've already unseated Hussein, the ultimate terrorist, then what are we doing now?
The President asks that we stand behind him in unity but also manipulates the feelings we have associated with a day of tragedy into a plea of support. This is appropriating 9/11.
I cannot recommend Euegen Jarecki's sobering Why We Fight any more for those trying to understand our war with Iraq. While Bush claims that we are at war for our freedom, there are many that suggest this is all just business as usual.
2 Comments:
The most egregious problem with his speech is in the first quote you have here.
He says Saddam Hussein was "a clear threat."
It is absolutely unbelievable that he would say that in 2006. He knows, we know, the entire world knows that this is complete bullshit. A clear threat to whom? How?
It's simply amazing that he has the balls to trot this line out again -- it's basically saying he had WMD again. What's even more pathetic, though, is that he basically got away with it. Our sad excuse for a fourth estate will say nothing, because they've decided, and the President has counted on, that they will not sully the memory of 9/11 with petty things like questioning our leaders or standing up for our democracy.
Spot on, Tinky Tonks. Spot on.
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