The author of this article read my mind:
Published on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 by the Progressive
Knucklehead Diplomacy, Bush-Style
by Ruth Conniff
News about Bush's foul language at the G-8 Summit got disproportionate coverage, of course. If you want to get the US press buzzing, get the President to swear, or fool around with an intern. Never mind the conflagration in Iraq. The more alarming part of the story was Bush's apparent boredom with the meeting of international leaders, his eagerness to go home, where he has "got something to do," and his apparent confusion about geography.
Here's the leader of the free world speaking to President Hu Jintao of China: "Where you going? Home? This is your neighborhood; it won't take you long to get home. . . . You get home in 8 hours? Me too! Russia is a big country, and you're a big country."
The era of cowboy diplomacy may be over, but we have two and a half more years of knucklehead diplomacy to go.
It would be funny if it weren't so terrifying. Remember, right after 9-11 when the big Republican talking point was "thank god the grown-ups are in charge?"
Doesn't have quite the same ring today.
But as terrorist violence and military reprisals worsen in Israel and Lebanon, and Americans feel less safe, a certain skepticism of the political motivations on all sides is some comfort.
Check out Al Jazeera and the poll question "Who do you think is mainly to blame for the current Middle East crisis?" Israel wins the race with 33% (no surprise, especially given the political leanings of Al Jazeera's readership). Hezbollah comes in second with 21%. Iran and Syria together get 19%, and the United States is tied with "all of the above" at 13%.
What's interesting is that 40% blame Hezbollah, Iran, and Syria, with a comparable 46% placing the blame on the usual fall guys, Israel and the United States....
The rest is at:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0719-30.htm