Palace Intrigue?
Throughout the evolution of the buildup and prosecution of the latest war in Iraq, what has escaped comprehension is how President Bush has been able to ignore all the evidence contrary to his rationale for this ‘preemptive’ attack. Last night all became clear. Ted Koppel was interviewing former Marine Corps Four Star General Anthony Zinni on Nightline. During this program, mention was made of the fact that our president does not read the newspaper! An excerpt from the end of a September 22, 2003 interview with Britt Hume of Fox News, included below, that reads to that effect.
The question, how can Mr. Bush continue to trumpet the same policy line over and over; weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein, terrorists, September 11; seemingly without regard for the evidence and the changing political and military climate in and outside of the US, has finally been answered. I quote, “I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are(sic) probably read the news themselves…the most objective sources I have are people on my staff…” Actually, by definition, the most objective sources are precisely NOT those people.
Apparently, Mr. Bush’s Yale education did not include Roman history. Had it, he would be all too well aware of the dangers of listening solely to your inner circle. (Insert name of any emperor, say Constantine, and do just a little research on how a few voices can manipulate a leader like a puppet)
That our president hasn’t the time nor the inclination to read for himself from the media really comes as no surprise. From his evident lack of expertise with the spoken language, it would indicate that he has not ever been much of a reader. Frankly, it is frightening that the most powerful leader in the world has his news spoon-fed to him by policy wonks, neo-conservative oil money hawks, and career politicians. This same man launches tirades against his staff for not unquestioningly falling into lock step with the party line. What is the upside, for a staffer, of trying to change his mind by telling him the truth?
Our president is out of touch with reality, insulated by a staff that is steering the United States into bankruptcy and perpetual war, their true agenda clouded by hyperbole and rhetoric. This administration must be removed from power. Mr. Bush’s policies threaten our very way of life to a much greater extent than any terrorist attack.
Please read the entire interview. It drags on and on, but soon you will start to wonder to yourself, “This has to be some kind of joke, right? This can’t be the actual text of an interview with a president, can it?” You may be assured, however, that the link below will take you to the complete, unadulterated text at foxnews.com. The interview was done by Fox, reported on Fox, and posted on Fox.
Judge for yourself.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,98006,00.html
HUME: How do you get your news?
BUSH: I get briefed by Andy Card and Condi in the morning. They come in and tell me. In all due respect, you’ve got a beautiful face and everything.
I glance at the headlines just to kind of a flavor for what’s moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves. But like Condoleezza, in her case, the national security adviser is getting her news directly from the participants on the world stage.
HUME: Has that been your practice since day one, or is that a practice that you’ve…
BUSH: Practice since day one.
HUME: Really?
BUSH: Yes. You know, look, I have great respect for the media. I mean, our society is a good, solid democracy because of a good, solid media. But I also understand that a lot of times there’s opinions mixed in with news. And I…
HUME: I won’t disagree with that, sir.
BUSH: I appreciate people’s opinions, but I’m more interested in news. And the best way to get the news is from objective sources. And the most objective sources I have are people on my staff who tell me what’s happening in the world.
HUME: Mr. President, thank you very much.
BUSH: Thank you, sir.
If you have read the whole interview, I rest my case.
The Palace Intrigue? by SharedThought, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
September 27th, 2003 at 5:25 am
Chris:
Reading the newspapers is not necessarily the best way of finding out what was going on in Iraq. Here (http://www.editorandpublisher.com/editorandpublisher/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1979014) the New York Times own correspondent describes the corruption the media stooped to in Saddam’s Baghdad.
And here, CNN’s own person says they just outright lied, because they were scared:
http://foi.missouri.edu/jouratrisk/newswekept.html
Still sure that media is how you find out the “truth?”
September 27th, 2003 at 8:07 pm
Dear John,
You’re right, the media is at times both dishonest, and biased. But to eliminate it as a perspective is quite narrow minded. I dare say that you read the paper, don’t you? When I write a piece for distribution, I don’t just sit down and write it in one sitting. Although I may be drawn to a subject from a single article, I spend a good deal of time reading from many sources prior to a first draft. Often, it will take hours of research before I feel that an issue is worthy of further attention. My work goes through an editing process that also may take additional hours, double checking sources, and then frequently discovering new information. As a world leader, I would seek the widest ranges of views for myself, not just those of my local staff. I simply have the feeling that W does not go through an exhaustive process prior to formulating his views, that it is more seat of the pants than anything else. It is this myopia which has infected our country and placed us in the tenuous position we now occupy. I welcome the feedback. Just so you know, I am not offended by opposing views, only closed minds. Thanks for your input.