PRESIDENTIAL EBULLIENCE

PRESIDENTIAL EBULLIENCE

By Peter Fredson

June 30, 2005

A comment from a reporter concerning George W. Bush’s speech on June 27th was that he was “ebullient.” . My collegiate dictionary describes ebullience as “A boiling up or over: overflow.” While ebullient is a “boiling up or causing such action; hence, manifesting exhilaration or excitement, as of feeling.”

My computer WORD thesaurus describes ebullient as “cheerful, happy, fun, jovial, bright, and cheery.” I thought all those descriptions were strange as he had little to be ebullient about.

I watched Bush for a while on TV as he began the Ft. Bragg entertainment spectacle. He swaggered, smirked, grinned, waved happily, then settled down with grim determination on his face, with pleading looks, and utmost sincerity on his visage. He waved his arms constantly, smiled widely, and stared sincerely at his captive audience.

He showed his teeth a lot while pleading for the spectators to believe his fiction. His gestures and “little Teapot” posture did indicate some boiling over. Perhaps he had some artificial aid to happiness, or was hypnotized into believing what he was saying.

Then I realized he was a con artist, using all the personality tricks at his disposal to get people to like him and perhaps forgive his abominable presidency. He has perfected the “hard sell.” He could sell flood-damaged used cars to penniless widows.

After his speech I wondered why in the world he had made it, except for self-promotion. There was absolutely nothing new in it, no exit strategy, not a hint of understanding grave problems. He made constant references to what he evidently considers “leadership.” He really admires himself, basks in his own glory, and believes his own lies.

He might have had large signs saying “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED BY YOUR GLORIOUS LEADER,” but that might have been a bit too much. Karl Rove knows when to quit one line of propaganda.

Ever since 9/ll he has used the tragedy constantly to boost his political audience. At Ft. Bragg he mentioned 9/11 several times as though he had done something heroic, something for which people might respect him. Yet we know that the entire Bush cabinet failed to recognize the onset of 9/ll, did nothing to foil it, then headed for their bunkers. Bush made a speech then, in front of flags and firemen.

So what the **** is he doing claiming any merit?

He made no reference to the ostensible reasons he took the nation to war: those Weapons of Mass Destruction, the Yellow Cake, the Aluminum tubes, those pilotless planes that would bomb the U.S. into the Dark Ages. He made no reference to all his haranguing the public about going to war. He never said he made a mistake in letting Osama slip away or that he quickly diverted attention to Saddam, or that he had the moral authority to declare anyone “evil.” He never said that his neoconservatives had planned (long before 9/11) to start wars for resources in the Middle East. He made no reference to the British memoranda showing him manipulating intelligence to start a war.

He never apologized for the 1,700 soldiers he sent to Iraq on a lie, in order to seize oil and territory, from which he could launch the neuron dream of world domination. He seemed to regret that some soldiers died for him, but “it was worth it.” We are sure that he would sacrifice twice or quadruple that number to achieve his imperial ends.

He never mentioned that the “sovereignty” of Iraq was a hoax, a scam, and that he was building a huge airbase for permanent occupation, and a huge embassy from which his sycophants could start wars for any pretext. He never mentioned that U.S. soldiers are daily killing Iraqis, destroying their homes, ruining their lives, and that the “reconstruction” is more like corruption.

He never mentioned the contractors and Millennium or the proselytizers, or the hunger of Iraqis to be free of American bullying, destruction and death.

But he did show his teeth in broad smiles, he waved a lot, and he swaggered back down the aisle, while the captive soldier audiences were told when to clap by Bush claquers.

Evidently he is in terror of losing his appeal, even to the faithful True Believers, and has to resort to vaudeville tricks to charm his audiences.

His “legacy” is not only tarnished, but is getting awfully rusty. But his sycophants and FOX reporters were seemingly delighted. They thought it was a good speech, even if there was nothing new in it and certainly showed no reason to be “ebullient.”