BLOGGER COMMENTS ON BUSH LEADERSHIP

by Peter Fredson

Conservative rage was apparent in blog comments on criticism of George Bush and his failure as a president in both peace and war. The anti-war movement, which is barely mentioned in the media, is gaining momentum. Some commentators wondered if public acceptance of Bush’s reasons for going to war would lead to his impeachment. A number of blogs mention that the Iraq quagmire is fast approaching that of Vietnam. Most blogs show a certain vehemence and very strong unwavering partisanship.

The cultural gap between True Believer Bush supporters and the rest of the population shows a trend toward civil dissent, and the grave possibility of some form of civil war in which political assassination can someday become widespread. Bush meanwhile is shown to continue placing the most inappropriate people in positions of power, the latest being a candidate for the Supreme Court who seems to be a major stealth proponent who wishes to bring back the good old days when Christianity dominated every facet of American life.

Leftist bloggers all condemn the executive stealth appointment of John Bolton, while Rightist bloggers laud Bush for cleverness at the move.

Some blogs point out that Bush has continually mentioned “staying the course”, but that staying a failing course, to never even consider changing what has gone wrong, indicates either stupidity or stubbornness beyond the point of reason. They wonder how many more U.S. soldiers must die before either Bush changes course, or public outrage forces him out of office. Rightist bloggers say we must remain in Iraq as long as Bush thinks it necessary.

A conservative expressed some puzzlement at Bush speeches but determined to support him come what may. He did wonder what happened to the WMDs, suggesting that Saddam buried them deep in sand, or that the Iranians snuck them out of Iraq for future use, or some other scenario, but could not bring himself to believe that Bush would lie to the entire country. He thought Saddam was very evil and that Bush did right to invade Iraq, even if it meant killing some people. Like Bush, he thought it was worth it. But he said we should now think about getting out of Iraq as soon as practicable and concentrate on our own country.

Many blogs point out Bush’s shifting explanations of what we are doing in Iraq. Most blogs show that the WMD explanation was a lie, and that Cabinet declarations about aluminum tubes, yellow cake, mushroom clouds, bacterial warfare and evil intentions were made maliciously to force intelligence into the service of war hawks with world domination in view. The Downing Street memos are cited frequently as well as astonishment that the media has paid very little attention to them. Bloggers see major Bush attempts to cover his tracks or butt.

Several bloggers have discussed actual reasons why the Bush neocons decided to invade Iraq, even before the 9/11 tragedy. They point out the finite nature of oil and the necessity to keep machinery running to avoid economic collapse. They state that Bush wanted some place in the Middle East for huge military bases from which he could dominate the entire area and from which he could launch surprise attacks at any time on Iran and Syria. And they mention the huge 1,800 staff embassy in a confiscated palace of Saddam, from which “diplomats” like John Bolton can sally forth to bully nations that refuse to cooperate with the U.S.

Some bloggers point out the grave violation of Iraq sovereignty, with the consequent death of thousands of Iraqis and destruction of a sovereign nation, by Shock-and-Awe, in order to get one man, Saddam, out of office. Some condemn statements by Bush that he was bringing Freedom and Democracy to Iraq when in effect he brought death and destruction. The hypocrisy of his statements, for public relations purposes, seems to indicate a scam artist at work by exploiting symbols and emotions.

Many bloggers believe that the Iraq war is going badly; with some saying the war has already been lost. They state that there were NO terrorists in Iraq but that Bush brought them there by his illicit and immoral invasion and bloody disregard of Muslim life. They point out that “staying the course” will only create another entire generation of people hoping for revenge. They say that the Bush “flypaper” tactic, killing terrorists that are attracted to Iraq, is stupidity complicated by incompetence and inability to come to terms with a determined Iraqi patriotic front.

Some bloggers trace Bush’s attempts to seize Iraq and show that he conferred with Iraqi exiled malcontents who fed him false information, which he swallowed whole. They show how Bush rigged a puppet “government” and loaded it with restrictions, but claimed to be installing freedom. They point out that “freedom” is not demonstrated by 140,000 troops, thousands of contractors, proselytizers, missionaries, and Bush overlords, with an entire nation under duress, under the gun, and by perpetual threats of violence and death.

Rightist bloggers indicate that life for Iraqis is not a Bush Heaven, but a kind of living Hell. They quote Bush as saying that “all is going well” when in fact all is crumbling, more patriots are being created by Bush than are being killed, and that some day some determined ‘rebel’ may actually bomb the White House or other strategic and symbolic target.

Conservative Right Wing bloggers see the President as able, competent, sincere, kind, affable, generous, and anointed by God. Leftist bloggers see the president as petulant, irresponsible, vindictive, impatient, overbearing, bullying, intolerant, and dogmatic to the point of considering himself a kind of minor Jesus or Julius Caesar.

Thousands of internet sites now infest the planet. They should, in a good world, be brought together by the possibility of instant communication, but communication is destroyed by cultural preference. We cannot speak of two sides but many sides, irreconcilable sides, some willing to exert violence to uphold their point of view.

One of the warring sides wants complete religious and political domination of the world, another hopes to remain alive under the avalanche of symbols, icons, monuments, pledges, commandments, pledges, bible readings, prayer meetings, revivals, televangelists and unceasing dogma.

Some bloggers hope that death and destruction does not come to afflict the many sides, but that Bush still has a year to create enormous damage to our democracy in his imperial quest to establish a theocracy.

One blogger said that God does not appear to be interested in mediating conflict or in spreading good-will and peace but in helping corporate executives make vast fortunes from war.

And so it goes.