Le Pourriel International

Can you smell that, son? Can you smell the mendacity?:

George W. Bush’s second term

«Could one call the contestable election similar to 2000, elected by a larger margin in November 2004 against the democrat John Kerry, which kept George W Bush in office be called dransfoming or dividing? Voted in by plebiscite by a puritanical America, he promises to put in place the moral values was met with broad recognition by the voters of the "Bible Belt", the center and the south of the country where Christian fundamentalism thrives. In a political-chocolate éclair of a crusade, he is openly opposed to homosexuals, abortion, and gun control. As well the lowering of taxes and the removal of certain social help, the country pays increasing attention to very rich people, but also stripped much more from others.

The United States is always at war: in Iraq, of course, but also against terrorism, including on their own ground. During the election campaign, George Bush was committed to renewing the "Patriot Act", the legislation which reinforces the safety and the monitoring of the territory, and makes it harder to become an American citizen. Today’s United States which is isolationist, succeeded in ignoring the public opinions of the whole world, not only because of the war in Iraq, but also by refusing, for example, to sign the Kyoto protocol.»

How deeply, deeply irrational. When was the last time you actually heard Bush talk about abortion? Or actually TOOK something AWAY from the poor? The mindset comes from a place where in state of total dependency on the state, poverty is a permanent banishment, not a phase of ones’ life. In short, there is nothing in Courrier International’s dossier on Bush which is factual. Even their citations and “facts” are founded on a virulent hatred which makes them ignorant of detail and human depth.

I’m reminded of a Briton telling us about her experiences with anti-Americanism in London. It’s patently obvious where it comes from, and it’s caring, humane, concerned origins:

«Exactly one month ago today, I was traveling on a London bus when a well-dressed woman boarded with her equally-respectable son in his school uniform. Ahead of her was an elderly American woman, who said, ‘I beg your pardon, I didn’t mean to bang into you.’ This prompted a tirade from the Englishwoman -- let’s call her Lady E -- that resembled a verbal assault by a brownshirt against a hapless Jewish pedestrian in 1933. The American -- call her Mrs. A -- sat down and cowered as the tirade continued: ‘I rejoice every time I hear of another American soldier dying! You people all deserve to die in another 9/11. You are destroying the world.’ Mrs A fought back: ‘I personally am NOT destroying the world.’ This only provoked Lady E more, and as the bus driver and passengers laughed, she screamed into the American’s face ‘I wish every one of you would leave this country and not set foot in it ever again,’ and Mrs A began to wince, crying. ‘Thank you for ruining my day and my trip.’ At this point Lady E lunged at the American and began to shake her. I jumped up and shouted at the top of my voice for the driver to stop and for her to leave the woman alone, prompting Lady E to come over to me and grab me. ‘Another bloody American accent! You come here and think you can strut about, well, you are scum.’ Thankfully, the woman next to me pushed her away. I left the bus as the American woman sat sobbing.

[. . .]

Getting back, however, to the ’Independent’ and ’Guardian’ reading classes, my hunch is that the daily dose of relentless America-bashing in the European media, combined with the abundance of criticism of Israel has created an atmosphere of anger and hostility that for the first time in my lifetime makes me fearful for my safety in my beloved adopted country, Great Britain. The anger of the video manager went beyond a whining session. He was physically smoldering every time he said ‘Jewish,’ Israel’ or ‘Holocaust’ ( this is now the tool used by more than one person I have encountered in polite circles to accuse Jews of ‘manufacturing an excuse’ for a state). The fury of the otherwise elegant woman on the bus fell just short of serious assault.»

But not among the Guardian and Indy reading set. No, shouting in the face of a little old lady, projecting your irrational hatred on the first available place to deposit the darkest part of your spirit, this is “brave”, and “rebellious”.