Philadelphia Inquirer BLASTS Bush -- Bring Reality On

[enough]

Posted on Sun, Jul. 06, 2003
Editorial | Bring reality on
Continued hubris in high places heightens risks for U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

"Bring 'em on"?

U.S. soldiers are dying and dodging guerrilla bullets in a hot and hostile country and their commander-in-chief says, "Bring 'em on"?

Mr. President, do you live in a play house or the White House?

No matter how Ari Fleischer tries to spin it, childish taunts such as that are not the calibrated words demanded of the United States president at this turn of history's wheel.

Calibrated does not mean sterile or soft. But a president's words have global impact. And these words have people here and abroad scratching their heads about this war that's supposedly over, but clearly continues.

The President's macho quip rankles in particular because American troops have been put at greater risk by the awful U.S. planning for Iraq post-Saddam. From the moment U.S. forces so ably captured the Iraqi capital, it was the United States' legal and moral obligation to act as provider and protector of the Iraqi citizens with whom the President always said we had no quarrel.

much much more --

This is a very long editorial, worth reading the whole thing. The critical tone is new for the Inquirer.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/6239952.htm

Hope it's okay to re-post something posted before the changeover. Seeing this in a major regional paper can give us a lot of hope.

[Outvoicer]

1. play house, indeed.

the whole Bush presidency is like a play ... it's a work of complete fiction!

[diplomats]

2. Yes, I read this on buzzflash

it's linked there.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. A US soldier was shot point blank today

while buying a Coke at Baghdad University. I'm sure his family is real happy with Bush's comment right now...

:mad:

[MoonAndSun]

4. This should start happening more and more, especially now that

the interview by Wilson on the Niger connection has now come out. I think that the bush* house of cards may be ready to start tumbling down.

[akitamata]

5. Decent reasons...

(to break int'l law, engage in a violation of national sovereignty and) to wage this war? This editorial piece justifies all it seeks to criticize. Puff piece to provide some distant hope for the Dem's...? The * and his fascist friends had NO REASON aside from greed, so why don't you just admit it? America is WRONG to be in Iraq and VIOLATED THE LAW TO WAGE THIS GENOCIDE IN THE MAKING.

[enough]

8. puff piece

"The * and his fascist friends had NO REASON aside from greed, so why don't you just admit it? America is WRONG to be in Iraq and VIOLATED THE LAW TO WAGE THIS GENOCIDE IN THE MAKING."

akitamata, I agree with you completely about this, and I think almost everyone who posts on this DU would too, given what has been said and linked here in the past couple of years. In that sense, you are right that this editorial is a "puff piece." It does not touch on the root issues and the true history. Absolutely right.

On the other hand, we also need to concern ourselves with what is being said in the mainstream media, since that is what most of our fellow citizens believe in, and changes can't be made without them. It is so unusual to find ANY criticism of *Bush in the mainstream that I think when it happens it's of interest.

[Merlin]

6. Makes me proud to be from this neck of the woods.

The Inquirer has for many years been a fairly decent example of good journalism.

[shirlden]

7. WOW!!!!!!

I am impressed. A moment of truth from an American newspaper.

:wow: