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Citing Faith, Bush Defends War Actions
by NY Times
Thanks to Logicel for the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/world/middleeast/12prexyweb.html?_r=2&ref=middleeast&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Citing Faith, Bush Defends War Actions
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
NASHVILLE — President Bush delivered a rousing defense of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Tuesday, mixing faith and foreign policy as he told a group of Christian broadcasters that his policies in the region were predicated on the beliefs that freedom was a God-given right and "every human being bears the image of our maker."
In a 42-minute speech to the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Mr. Bush called upon European allies to step up their efforts in Afghanistan, and conceded that recent security gains in Iraq "are tenuous, they're reversible and they're fragile." Still, he insisted his troop buildup there is succeeding.
"The decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision early in my presidency," Mr. Bush said, to a standing ovation. "It is the right decision at this point in my presidency, and it will forever be the right decision."
The speech, coming a week before the fifth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq, is the first of three talks on terrorism and war policy that Mr. Bush will give before next month's Congressional testimony by the top American military commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, and the senior diplomat there, Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker.
General Petraeus is widely expected to recommend a temporary pause in troop withdrawals from Iraq, although at least one senior administration official said the president envisions further reductions this year. With the nation's attention turned to the race to succeed Mr. Bush, White House aides say the speeches are a way for the president to frame the Iraq discussion, taking it back from the presidential candidates and Democrats on Capitol Hill.
"It's a way of resetting a little bit," said one senior White House official. "There was a lot of talk about the surge, and then when the surge worked, it was like, 'O.K., it worked,' and then '08 heated up and people sort of moved on. People need to be reminded of who we're up against and what the stakes are."
On Tuesday, Mr. Bush cast the stakes in stark terms, repeatedly invoking his desire to spread freedom and democracy, the central themes of his foreign policy. Those themes are hardly new to American presidents. Woodrow Wilson talked about making the world safe for democracy, while Ronald Reagan warned that "freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."
But Mr. Bush, most experts agree, has taken the American freedom agenda to an entirely new level, by trying to foster democracy in nations that have not known it before, like Iraq and Afghanistan. Some historians have called it folly, and Mr. Bush conceded in an interview with conservative commentators last year that his critics believe he is "hopelessly idealistic."
Still, he renewed his case on Tuesday, predicting that liberty will soon be on the march in the region.
"The effects of a free Iraq and a free Afghanistan will reach beyond the borders of those two countries," Mr. Bush said. "It will show others what's possible. And we undertake this work because we believe that every human being bears the image of our maker. That's why we're doing this. No one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave."
Mr. Bush's faith is well known; he credits his acceptance of Jesus with turning his life around by helping him to quit drinking at age 40. His beliefs have colored his policy decisions on matters ranging from abortion to embryonic stem-cell research to fighting malaria and AIDS in Africa.
Christian conservatives are an important component of Mr. Bush's political base, and the broadcasters greeted him so enthusiastically on Tuesday that he laughed and called them "kind of a rambunctious crowd."
The last time he last time he talked to the religious broadcasters, in 2003, he focused on his faith-based initiative.
On Tuesday, he opened with a nod to the Rev. Billy Graham, who is recovering from surgery at his home in North Carolina. Mr. Bush said the preacher "brought the gospel to millions, and many years ago he helped me change my life."
He went on to praise the broadcasters for "standing up for our values, including the right to life," and pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to give air time to opposing views.
Mr. Bush often talks about his belief in "the universality of freedom," as he did last year to a conference of political dissidents in Prague. But rarely has the president mixed the language of faith and God so closely with talk of war and terrorism, as he did Tuesday at the Opryland hotel here.
Calling freedom a "precious gift," Mr. Bush said: "The liberty we value is not ours alone. Freedom is not America's gift to the world; it is God's gift to all humanity." His words were punctuated by shouts of "Amen."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/world/middleeast/12prexyweb.html?_r=2&ref=middleeast&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Citing Faith, Bush Defends War Actions
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
NASHVILLE — President Bush delivered a rousing defense of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Tuesday, mixing faith and foreign policy as he told a group of Christian broadcasters that his policies in the region were predicated on the beliefs that freedom was a God-given right and "every human being bears the image of our maker."
In a 42-minute speech to the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Mr. Bush called upon European allies to step up their efforts in Afghanistan, and conceded that recent security gains in Iraq "are tenuous, they're reversible and they're fragile." Still, he insisted his troop buildup there is succeeding.
"The decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision early in my presidency," Mr. Bush said, to a standing ovation. "It is the right decision at this point in my presidency, and it will forever be the right decision."
The speech, coming a week before the fifth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq, is the first of three talks on terrorism and war policy that Mr. Bush will give before next month's Congressional testimony by the top American military commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, and the senior diplomat there, Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker.
General Petraeus is widely expected to recommend a temporary pause in troop withdrawals from Iraq, although at least one senior administration official said the president envisions further reductions this year. With the nation's attention turned to the race to succeed Mr. Bush, White House aides say the speeches are a way for the president to frame the Iraq discussion, taking it back from the presidential candidates and Democrats on Capitol Hill.
"It's a way of resetting a little bit," said one senior White House official. "There was a lot of talk about the surge, and then when the surge worked, it was like, 'O.K., it worked,' and then '08 heated up and people sort of moved on. People need to be reminded of who we're up against and what the stakes are."
On Tuesday, Mr. Bush cast the stakes in stark terms, repeatedly invoking his desire to spread freedom and democracy, the central themes of his foreign policy. Those themes are hardly new to American presidents. Woodrow Wilson talked about making the world safe for democracy, while Ronald Reagan warned that "freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."
But Mr. Bush, most experts agree, has taken the American freedom agenda to an entirely new level, by trying to foster democracy in nations that have not known it before, like Iraq and Afghanistan. Some historians have called it folly, and Mr. Bush conceded in an interview with conservative commentators last year that his critics believe he is "hopelessly idealistic."
Still, he renewed his case on Tuesday, predicting that liberty will soon be on the march in the region.
"The effects of a free Iraq and a free Afghanistan will reach beyond the borders of those two countries," Mr. Bush said. "It will show others what's possible. And we undertake this work because we believe that every human being bears the image of our maker. That's why we're doing this. No one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave."
Mr. Bush's faith is well known; he credits his acceptance of Jesus with turning his life around by helping him to quit drinking at age 40. His beliefs have colored his policy decisions on matters ranging from abortion to embryonic stem-cell research to fighting malaria and AIDS in Africa.
Christian conservatives are an important component of Mr. Bush's political base, and the broadcasters greeted him so enthusiastically on Tuesday that he laughed and called them "kind of a rambunctious crowd."
The last time he last time he talked to the religious broadcasters, in 2003, he focused on his faith-based initiative.
On Tuesday, he opened with a nod to the Rev. Billy Graham, who is recovering from surgery at his home in North Carolina. Mr. Bush said the preacher "brought the gospel to millions, and many years ago he helped me change my life."
He went on to praise the broadcasters for "standing up for our values, including the right to life," and pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to give air time to opposing views.
Mr. Bush often talks about his belief in "the universality of freedom," as he did last year to a conference of political dissidents in Prague. But rarely has the president mixed the language of faith and God so closely with talk of war and terrorism, as he did Tuesday at the Opryland hotel here.
Calling freedom a "precious gift," Mr. Bush said: "The liberty we value is not ours alone. Freedom is not America's gift to the world; it is God's gift to all humanity." His words were punctuated by shouts of "Amen."
Comments 1 - 50 of 57 |
Reload Comments | Back to Top | Page Numbers2. Comment #176918 by T4Baxter on May 8, 2008 at 10:38 am
Sweet, gentle, Jesus! how do you make the bad man stop? Other Comments by T4Baxter
3. Comment #176920 by Cartomancer on May 8, 2008 at 10:42 am
He went on to praise the broadcasters for "standing up for our values, including the right to life," and pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to give air time to opposing views.First they came for the communists...
Other Comments by Cartomancer
4. Comment #176923 by 10 on May 8, 2008 at 10:48 am
He went on to praise the broadcasters for "standing up for our values, including the right to life," and pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to give air time to opposing views.
Mr. Bush often talks about his belief in "the universality of freedom,"
So he supports your right to choose various flavors but only of one opinion ?
Other Comments by 10
5. Comment #176924 by Eventhorizon on May 8, 2008 at 10:50 am
Tell me something I havent heard a thousand times before.
Bush has got himself in such pickle that as soon as he says white most sensible people automatically say black!
Other Comments by Eventhorizon
6. Comment #176926 by Naturalist1 on May 8, 2008 at 10:52 am
This just scares the daylights out of me. They don't realize they are in a race to the bottom. Last night I had the opportunity to attend a lecture at The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo On. Canada given by Dr.Gerard t Hooft, 1999 Nobel Laureate in Physics. The title of his talk was, "Science Fact-Science Fiction". He talked about what the LHC will accomplish this summer, the future of space travel, communications, nano technology etc...a very good and at times very humourous talk.
At the end during question period a young woman stood up and asked him, " In all that you have talked about..What scares you the most?"
His answer was rather surprising...He said.."That how religious the United States is becoming...This I do not understand." Then he briefly continued about how irrational this is. The room was silent.
Other Comments by Naturalist1
7. Comment #176927 by Prankster on May 8, 2008 at 10:58 am
Faith, like Patriotism, the last refuge of the Scoundrel?Spreading freedom, backed up by faith and possibly at the point of a gun, and furthermore vetoing an opposing view-makes me proud to be part of the same speices he says sarcastically......
Other Comments by Prankster
8. Comment #176929 by Szkeptik on May 8, 2008 at 11:00 am
"has pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," "The single thing on which I happen to agree with him.
Other Comments by Szkeptik
9. Comment #176931 by AnthSynthasome on May 8, 2008 at 11:03 am
Yuck. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Other Comments by AnthSynthasome
10. Comment #176933 by Incredulous on May 8, 2008 at 11:04 am
Mr. Bush's faith is well known; he credits his acceptance of Jesus with turning his life around by helping him to quit drinking at age 40.
Well, I guess he feels it is good to replace one unhealthy addiction with another.
There are numerous alcoholics in various hostels who say stuff like this. Luckily, they don't get to lead the most powerful entity that has ever existed into battle.
How do you convince someone who is so sure that god is using him as some kind of truth conductor, that his effect is not a productive one and his actions need to be based on more than the catastrophic idea that his god is always right.
The problem is I don't see any future leader of USA being any less credulous and therefore any less arrpgant or dogmatic.
Why?
Other Comments by Incredulous
11. Comment #176936 by mesomodel on May 8, 2008 at 11:12 am
Comment #176933 by Incredulous
Well, I guess he feels it is good to replace one unhealthy addiction with another.
There's an old Cheech 'n Chong skit that goes something like this:
"I used to be all messed up on drugs. Then I met the lord. Now I'm all messed up on the lord."
Other Comments by mesomodel
12. Comment #176941 by Dax on May 8, 2008 at 11:19 am
For someone who says "every human being bears the image of our maker" he sure killed a lot of these "images of our maker".Somehow I don't wonder what the "maker" thinks about that, just like I never wonder what faeries think of their portrayal in fantasy literature.
Other Comments by Dax
13. Comment #176945 by Chris Jackson on May 8, 2008 at 11:23 am
Faith is the retreat of the less-intelligent in the face of overriding social/ Political/ Economic issues. The Argument from the "Invisible Sky-Man" (or Woman) is the sanctum of the ignorant. In this statement, Bush is basically saying, "I don't understand the criticism, so I'll say "Goddidit" ". Poor show. Other Comments by Chris Jackson
14. Comment #176947 by Just Plain Cliff on May 8, 2008 at 11:26 am
Sweet, gentle, Jesus! how do you make the bad man stop?
Hopefully in January, 2009, he will be just another religious ex-drunk who will eat up my tax dollars by requiring the continued protection of the Secret Service.
Other Comments by Just Plain Cliff
15. Comment #176953 by rotaTOR on May 8, 2008 at 11:32 am
the irony is they will build a "library" in this dolts name,as they do for all ex-presidents. what a cruel joke that will be. I wonder if "On the Origin of Species' will be on the bookshelves or if it will be banned? probably the latter.. Other Comments by rotaTOR
16. Comment #176956 by mordacious1 on May 8, 2008 at 11:41 am
After quiting office in January, bush will become the new "King of Fucktards" with Ben Stein as the Prince of Norks. Other Comments by mordacious1
17. Comment #176957 by mordacious1 on May 8, 2008 at 11:44 am
Naturalist1 I'm jealous. But that's what I get for living in a backwater with no Universities nearby. We do have several hundred churches though. Other Comments by mordacious1
18. Comment #176960 by Diacanu on May 8, 2008 at 11:50 am
Speaking of the douchebag in chief, and his putrid legacy, there was a documentary last night on PBS about George Bush Senior.Ugh, what a bunch of gilded flowery perfumed bullshit propaganda that was.
Vomitous.
All "ohhh la de da de daaa, he loves this country, and honor this, and integrity that, and laa de da dee daa", and I kept saying to myself "do they actually believe this shit? Is their little bubble really so isolated? Do they not at all see how fucking evil they are, and they buy into their own infomercial?".
Because I'm starting the think that's the case.
I think they're in their own little world, and the horror just doesn't touch them at all.
Like those dumb old ladies at the country club in "Roger & Me".
Hideous.
Other Comments by Diacanu
19. Comment #176961 by FightingFalcon on May 8, 2008 at 11:51 am
He went on to praise the broadcasters for "standing up for our values, including the right to life," and pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to give air time to opposing views.
I love the bias of the NY Times.
For non-Americans: the "fairness doctrine" was a piece of shit legislation that would allow the FCC to FORCE private broadcasting companies to air opposing viewpoints. It would effectively put an end to any sort of partisan/independent radio stations and pave the way for centrally dominated and federally controlled airwaves.
His answer was rather surprising...He said.."That how religious the United States is becoming...This I do not understand." Then he briefly continued about how irrational this is. The room was silent.
Non-Americans simply do not understand America. It's not like Americans woke up one day and all-of-a-sudden decided to become religious. We've always had Christian evangelical groups in our country, even during the hey-day of the Clinton administration and earlier. The difference is that we currently have a president who provides a very strong patronage to them and basically owes them his presidency.
Just as I guaranteed this board that Mike Huckabee would not win a single state outside of the Bible Belt, I can guarantee you that America will return to "normal" once the patronage of the White House ceases. All three presidential candidates are much more secular than the current one. Obama might even be a closet Agnostic while Clinton/McCain simply pander for votes. None of them have anywhere near the faith that our current president does.
Other Comments by FightingFalcon
20. Comment #176971 by mordacious1 on May 8, 2008 at 12:04 pm
John McCain promised to appoint Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Scalia. Enough said. Other Comments by mordacious1
21. Comment #176983 by konquererz on May 8, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Freedom is god's gift to man kind? So he is going to force it on the world? Sounds crusadish to me. But that aside, gods gift to the world is freedom and Jesus and if you don't accept them you burn in hell for ever. What a douchebag Bush is. Other Comments by konquererz
22. Comment #176991 by Naturalist1 on May 8, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Mordacious1...you should invite Dr. Dawkins or Dr.t Hooft or Christopher Hitchens(especially Hitchens) to speak at one of those hundreds of churches. Think of the possibilities! Other Comments by Naturalist1
23. Comment #176994 by Diacanu on May 8, 2008 at 12:35 pm
mordacious1-
John McCain promised to appoint Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Scalia. Enough said.
Holy shit, I had not heard that.
Gah, threw up in my mouth a little.
That bitter bile that burns that back of your throat.
Kkkkkk!!
Other Comments by Diacanu
24. Comment #176996 by Spinoza on May 8, 2008 at 12:38 pm
20. Comment #176971 by mordacious1 on May 8, 2008 at 12:04 pm
John McCain promised to appoint Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Scalia. Enough said.
It was always fairly certain that McCain would be the next President.
This essentially just confirms it.
It obviously doesn't help that Clinton is purposely staying in the race [clearly helping McCain] so she can run again in 2012.
McCain doesn't strike me as "stupid", which, at least, is something... I think perhaps he's just vote-pandering at the moment... and hopefully his presidency will at least be more secular than the current one.
Other Comments by Spinoza
25. Comment #177006 by exquisitetruth on May 8, 2008 at 1:05 pm
and Mr. Bush conceded in an interview with conservative commentators last year that his critics believe he is "hopelessly idealistic."
Well, he's half right.
Other Comments by exquisitetruth
26. Comment #177011 by WilliamP on May 8, 2008 at 1:08 pm
He went on to praise the broadcasters for "standing up for our values, including the right to life," and pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to give air time to opposing views.
So he opposes equal time for opposing views in the media, but favors equal time for Intelligent Design in the classroom? I wonder what his justification is for that.
Other Comments by WilliamP
27. Comment #177013 by Rawhard Dickins on May 8, 2008 at 1:10 pm
My gosh! he'll be converting to Catholicism next just like our Tony. Other Comments by Rawhard Dickins
28. Comment #177022 by mordacious1 on May 8, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Naturalist1 I don't know, do those guys like being chased by villagers with torches? Besides some of the churches here know me too well. St. Joseph's for example, they have a sign in their parking lot that reads "St Joseph's parking only". So I added "all other saints must park in the street". I thought it was funny and harmless, but they got pissed. Get a sense of humor already. Other Comments by mordacious1
29. Comment #177030 by FightingFalcon on May 8, 2008 at 1:37 pm
John McCain promised to appoint Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Scalia. Enough said.
His comment on conservative judges was such obvious vote pandering that I can't believe you are taking it seriously.
Does anyone honestly think politicians will keep their election promises?
Other Comments by FightingFalcon
30. Comment #177052 by quantum tuba on May 8, 2008 at 1:53 pm
"But Mr. Bush, most experts agree, has taken the American freedom agenda to an entirely new level, by trying to foster democracy in nations that have not known it before, like Iraq and Afghanistan."Somebody needs to give these people some Chomsky! Perhaps Failed States would teach them how to look beyond the morally vacuous fallacies of faith heads.
This president has done so much to undermine democracy at home, from being appointed by the Supreme Court to shredding the Constitution in the name of counter-terrorism. As for his work as missionary for democracy, our Iraq occupation does not respect the will of the Iraqi or American people, and I have a hard time considering Afghanistan free when blasphemy still qualifies as a capital offense.
Other Comments by quantum tuba
31. Comment #177060 by mordacious1 on May 8, 2008 at 2:02 pm
If McCain wants only one term, fine, but to be re-elected he is going to have to give Dobson and those other goons something. One more Supreme Court Justice is what they want and I'm afraid they will get it. Other Comments by mordacious1
32. Comment #177088 by Naturalist1 on May 8, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Mordacious1...hmmmm...villagers with torches?...really?...hadn't thought of that. I recind my previous post in the interest of safety. Other Comments by Naturalist1
33. Comment #177094 by amalthea on May 8, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Hmmm... I have an idea that World Leaders should be subject to the same constraints as anyone else applying for a high powered position. Psychometric testing to see if a) you're up to the job, and b) are you completely and utterly sane. I don't say this to have a go at Dubbya per se, I'm a Brit, and as such am horrified by such as Mugabe (who is so obviously insane) and there is nothing anyone can do. How many millions of people have to die because of special interest groups funding genocide for the sake of oil, minerals, land, basically short term gains?
Time for a UN sanity commission.
I'm REALLY not having a go at Dubbya, when our Tony Blair (proposed left-wing candidate) mentioned that he prayed for guidance, I knew we were screwed in the UK.
B
Other Comments by amalthea
34. Comment #177096 by Sh!fty on May 8, 2008 at 2:39 pm
For non-Americans: the "fairness doctrine" was a piece of shit legislation that would allow the FCC to FORCE private broadcasting companies to air opposing viewpoints. It would effectively put an end to any sort of partisan/independent radio stations and pave the way for centrally dominated and federally controlled airwaves.
About that, here in Mexico we are going through that. After a very dirty campaign season in 2006, political parties want to use something like that. Including a "reply right" and something like "you cannot criticize political figures". This of course create a rage from public and media and everyone is trying that this doesn't get approved. The problem is, all parties have agreed to do it. Our only chance is that we create enough pressure, along with international entities, so if you can please help. We are becoming a "particracy".
Other Comments by Sh!fty
35. Comment #177110 by SilentMike on May 8, 2008 at 3:23 pm
"The decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision early in my presidency,"
Even if it were a good decision (and Saddam was a despot with quite a lot of blood on his hands), could the objective not have been achieved in a less inept and costly fashion? How this man can say these things and expect to get away with it is beyond me.
That war was either a very bad idea to begin with, or it was a good idea that was botched beyond belief. Either way on mister Bush falls the blame.
Other Comments by SilentMike
36. Comment #177125 by mrjonno on May 8, 2008 at 3:45 pm
For non-Americans: the "fairness doctrine" was a piece of shit legislation that would allow the FCC to FORCE private broadcasting companies to air opposing viewpoints. It would effectively put an end to any sort of partisan/independent radio stations and pave the way for centrally dominated and federally controlled airwaves.Most democracies do have restrictions on media when it comes to politics especially during elections (James Whale being sacked, very sad but unfortunately deserved).
Really comes down to if you believe in one man one vote or one dollar/pound/euro etc. Some restrictions on media are not without risks but no restrictions at all is even scarier.
Watching the various candidates in the US elections trying to spend more millions than each other is truely frightning.
Other Comments by mrjonno
37. Comment #177138 by History_Junky on May 8, 2008 at 4:26 pm
"The liberty we value is not ours alone. Freedom is not America's gift to the world; it is God's gift to all humanity"...If freedom was the gift of a divine being then why does only a small handful of the world enjoy it?
Christians are so damn full of it.
Other Comments by History_Junky
38. Comment #177225 by DalaiDrivel on May 8, 2008 at 7:30 pm
I didn't know he was a born again.... God those people are unbearable.And just to think- if he kept on drinking it might have disqualified him from holding political office...
But if he's not drinking, you might say he's had a few too many sermons, and the effect is the same.
It's futile to speculate. But one can still reflect warmly on the possibilities if things had been different.
Other Comments by DalaiDrivel
39. Comment #177247 by dragonfirematrix on May 8, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Bush is nuts believing in the fantasies that he embraces.
BUSH, GROW-UP. THERE ARE NO GODS.
Bush, if your (to you) god is real, and if your (to you) real god is in control of everything on this planet, then he must be a real horror with all the terrible things he is doing to humankind.
SCIENCE HAS A LOT OF CLEANING UP TO DO TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE BELIEF IN GODS.
Why are we continuing to permit the religious to commit fraud against humanity? WHY?
Other Comments by dragonfirematrix
40. Comment #177370 by Dune010 on May 9, 2008 at 1:46 am
The last time he last time he talked to the religious broadcasters, in 2003, he focused on his faith-based initiative.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg appears to have a stutter. Would it be wrong to fix this when it is also in the original?
Other Comments by Dune010
41. Comment #177401 by Telic on May 9, 2008 at 3:22 am
He went on to praise the broadcasters for "standing up for our values, including the right to life," and pledged to veto any legislation that would reinstitute the so-called "fairness doctrine," which required broadcasters to give air time to opposing views.
Interesting that Bush wants to do the exact opposite within science classes...
Breathtaking hypocrisy - and on the wrong side of the argument in each case.
Other Comments by Telic
42. Comment #177407 by shaunfletcher on May 9, 2008 at 3:34 am
"Mr. Bush conceded in an interview with conservative commentators last year that his critics believe he is "hopelessly idealistic."
He reminds me of one of those people who, when asked what their biggest fault is, will say "I care too much" or "I work too hard", or perhaps worst "I dont take enough time for myself".
Invariably they neither care nor work at all that anyone has ever noticed.. this is similiar.
Other Comments by shaunfletcher
43. Comment #177412 by Ole on May 9, 2008 at 3:48 am
If you go here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush
you will se that "this article is semi-blocked". ;-)
Ole
Other Comments by Ole
44. Comment #177497 by JanChan on May 9, 2008 at 7:32 am
You know, if Bush got Hitchens as his advisor, or at the very least quote the reasons that Hitchens had given for the war, I bet America's foreign policy wouldn't be this bad. He really should know that Europeans are much more secular than his faithful audience.Other Comments by JanChan
45. Comment #177498 by jdzhao on May 9, 2008 at 7:35 am
"This just scares the daylights out of me. They don't realize they are in a race to the bottom. Last night I had the opportunity to attend a lecture at The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo On. Canada given by Dr.Gerard t Hooft, 1999 Nobel Laureate in Physics. The title of his talk was, "Science Fact-Science Fiction". He talked about what the LHC will accomplish this summer, the future of space travel, communications, nano technology etc...a very good and at times very humourous talk.At the end during question period a young woman stood up and asked him, " In all that you have talked about..What scares you the most?"
His answer was rather surprising...He said.."That how religious the United States is becoming...This I do not understand." Then he briefly continued about how irrational this is. The room was silent. "
I am curious about this experience. So the woman was assuming the new technologies are the things to be scared? The room is silent in disagreement? Or agreement?
Other Comments by jdzhao
46. Comment #177503 by irate_atheist on May 9, 2008 at 7:48 am
Oh man. This is well beyond fucktard. Even wilfully ignorant self-deluding mass-murdering tripe-filled cunt is too light an insult. Can anyone help me here? I'm out of my depth, drowning in a sea of madness. The lunatics are running the asylum, running it into the ground. Other Comments by irate_atheist
47. Comment #177509 by severalspeciesof on May 9, 2008 at 7:58 am
I find this part very telling and puzzling: George W. Bush: "No one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave."and earlier he says:
"every human being bears the image of our maker."
So what exactly is the God/man relationship here? Isn't eternal praise a type of slavery, when the decline of giving this eternal praise is eternal punishment?
By the way, I do agree with the first quote, but only in a secular way. But Bush has just really screwed things up with this war.
Other Comments by severalspeciesof
48. Comment #177528 by Incredulous on May 9, 2008 at 8:46 am
Comment #177503 by irate_atheistI'm having problems helping myself. Staying sane and healthy is difficult when your eyes and mind are insulted by this stuff. I think I need a break from the site for a few months.
Anyway, there's a couple of books MPhil has suggested reading and my take on moral philosophy is a little homespun and needs beefing up a bit, so maybe it's a good time to leave off arguing with nutters, I prefer fucktards - says it all really.
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49. Comment #177594 by SPS on May 9, 2008 at 10:40 am
It is the right decision at this point in my presidency, and it will forever be the right decision.
-Bush
The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right...
- Learned Hand
Freedom defined by consequence is not freedom.
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50. Comment #177647 by Ascaphus on May 9, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Hooligan wrote:So, the only 20% of Americans left who support him are basing their decisions solely on faith. Lovely...
But doesn't that make sense? To me, this is why religion is so dangerous! It is just practice in loyalty despite evidence. They practice this, value this, and are proud of this. Of course these are the people who remain 'with' Bush. They are proud that they can remain so no matter what atrocities he perpetrates, and they are well versed in brushing aside any information which might lead them to change their minds.
This is the training that they now want to introduce into science classrooms.
Matt
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DVDs
'The Genius of Charles Darwin: The Uncut Interviews' DVD
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'Root of All Evil?' DVD
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1. Comment #176914 by Hooligan on May 8, 2008 at 10:36 am
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