Please read this

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/columnists/story/0,14669,1333748,00.html

It says it all, really.

"Quite frankly, the man's either wired or mad. If it's the former, he should be flung out of office: tarred, feathered and kicked in the nuts. And if it's the latter, his behaviour goes beyond strange, and heads toward terrifying. He looks like he's listening to something we can't hear. He blinks, he mumbles, he lets a sentence trail off, starts a new one, then reverts back to whatever he was saying in the first place. Each time he recalls a statistic (either from memory or the voice in his head), he flashes us a dumb little smile, like a toddler proudly showing off its first bowel movement. Forgive me for employing the language of the playground, but the man's a tool."

 

[Rolfe]

On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod's law dictates he'll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?

What is it with people in America? This is self-evident. Of all the gadzillion people in the country, isn't there anyone with intelligence, integrity and statesmanship?

What is it with you guys?

Rolfe.

 

[Dorian Gray]

Yeah, because British/English leaders have NEVER been killed by commoners in the entire history of Britain.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

What is it with people in America? This is self-evident. Of all the gadzillion people in the country, isn't there anyone with intelligence, integrity and statesmanship?

What is it with you guys?

Rolfe.

Yes.

And they are unelectable.

 

[Charlie Monoxide]

Maybe this quote from Norman Mailer (famous American author), which he says in the opening credits of the documentary "The World According to Bush" will give insight:
"We have the worst president in US history. He's arrogant. He's stupid in all ways but one: He's immensely shrewd about the American people, particularly the less intelligent half of America"

Charlie (quote pilfering) Monoxide

 

[crimresearch]

What is it with people in America? This is self-evident. Of all the gadzillion people in the country, isn't there anyone with intelligence, integrity and statesmanship?

What is it with you guys?

Rolfe.

Plenty of people with those qualities...apparently none of them willing to subject themselves to the process of becoming elected President.

 

[shuize]

So it's okay to write about killing U.S. presidents in European papers now?

From the Guardian article:

John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?

Is this the European left? It makes me wonder why the U.S. spent a dime to defend Europe from the Soviets.

By the way, the Republicans in Ohio send their thanks to the Guardian for it's letter writing campaign. If Bush wins in Ohio he'll win the election. And if he wins that closely contested state the Guardian will only have itself to blame. Odd as it may seem to the European mind, it appears most Americans don't really care for know-it-all socialists telling them how they should vote.

 

[Frank Newgent]

Maybe this quote from Norman Mailer (famous American author), which he says in the opening credits of the documentary "The World According to Bush" will give insight:
"We have the worst president in US history. He's arrogant. He's stupid in all ways but one: He's immensely shrewd about the American people, particularly the less intelligent half of America"

Charlie (quote pilfering) Monoxide

Was it Karl Rove who first said:

You can fool half of the people all of the time. And those are the ones you need to concentrate on.

 

[H3LL]

So it's okay to write about killing U.S. presidents in European papers now?

It's called freedom of speech.

I heard a rumour that the USA was thinking about having it too.

 

[Grammatron]

It's called freedom of speech.

I heard a rumour that the USA was thinking about having it too.

Certainly it is, but is that what passes for good journalism, I would like to think not. I would expect something idiotic like that from fundamentalist but not from a journalist, even one working for the Guardian. It's just sad.

 

[H3LL]

...but is that what passes for good journalism...

IMHO not really. I'm still trying to figure out if it's 'tongue in cheek' or not. Not knowing the person's record, it's hard to tell.

BTW...Does anybody know if Bush was wired (I first read it as wierd...Oops), or is it of no interest?

 

[SRW]

Why would the Europeans support Kerry? Is it anyone but Bush? Or could it be that it is in their best interests to have a weak indecisive president in the U.S. Europe wants to be the world economic superpower, a U.S. in the hands of Kerry would help them in this endeavor. Yes get the great master debater into office, and keep the guy out who will most likely keep the U.S. moving out of recession. Kerry's record is clear, after 19 years in the Senate he missed intelligence briefings, sponsored a feeble number of bills and married a multi millionaire. Sounds like the perfect do nothing president the Europeans are drooling over.

 

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

IMHO not really. I'm still trying to figure out if it's 'tongue in cheek' or not. Not knowing the person's record, it's hard to tell.

Definitely ironic not a literal appeal to arms.

What we on this side of the Pond find extraordinary is that even in a forum such as this people leap to the defence of Bush. The same was true with Reagan. Remember however, that most of us also saw Bill Clinton as a fairly slippery customer, that Kennedy took you into Vietnam while it was the corrupt Nixon administration that disengaged. So, don't raise the strawman that those of us cheering from the sidelines think Kerry is wonderful, it's more that we are amazed that the most powerful country in the world gives itself the chance to choose between these two men of all the millions that could do the job.

I could respect a cynical argument that says that the side represented by Bush is what America needs and to get that you have to vote for the puppet on the strings i.e. vote for Bush to get Cheney etc. What we find odd is the level of non-cynical outright support for Bush as a person.

 

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

Another thought.

Do those who have got on their high horse over this topic see why many other people accuse Americans of lacking a sense of irony? The tendency to take themselves so seriously is in itself unnerving to the rest of us sitting on this blue dot.

Now I'd better run for cover

Actually, I need to go and meet the US-resident member of my family at Heathrow.

 

[Nitpick]

from H3LL's signature
<marquee style="font-size: 8pt;">"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams</marquee>

Sorry, off topic, but:
Thanks for reminding me to turn off the marquee tag in my userContent.css (FireFox)
And no, I didn't set the visibility to none, I just stopped the scrolling, as it's a very fine quote!


On Topic:
It's the harshest article on Bush I've read so far and it really made me shiver.
But I think he's clearly gone too far in the last paragraph. No fury, however justified, justifies that last sentence!

 

[TillEulenspiegel]

It's called freedom of speech.

I heard a rumour that the USA was thinking about having it too.

Actually , It's not covered under the 1st amendment. If an American makes a threat to the president , they will be summarily thrown in jail. It is a criminal offense.

Never confuse the man with the office.

 

[geni]

It's called freedom of speech.

I heard a rumour that the USA was thinking about having it too.

We have fredom of speach in the uk? First I've herd.

 

[csense]

Do those who have got on their high horse over this topic see why many other people accuse Americans of lacking a sense of irony? The tendency to take themselves so seriously is in itself unnerving to the rest of us sitting on this blue dot.

Yet we're supposed to listen to idiots who think wrinkles in a suit is really a hidden electronic device....ya, right.

 

[Rolfe]

Yet we're supposed to listen to idiots who think wrinkles in a suit is really a hidden electronic device....ya, right.

I agree that the lump on the back isn't a wire. Everyone who knows about these things agrees that if you want to wire him you can do it invisibly, and you wouldn't put anything there. Who knows what it was, maybe body armour?

It's the way he behaved.

He looks like he's listening to something we can't hear. He blinks, he mumbles, he lets a sentence trail off, starts a new one, then reverts back to whatever he was saying in the first place. Each time he recalls a statistic (either from memory or the voice in his head), he flashes us a dumb little smile, like a toddler proudly showing off its first bowel movement.

Just because what could be seen on his back probably wasn't anything to do with a wire, doesn't mean he wasn't wired.

Rolfe.

 

[geni]

Why would the Europeans support Kerry? Is it anyone but Bush? Or could it be that it is in their best interests to have a weak indecisive president in the U.S. Europe wants to be the world economic superpower, a U.S. in the hands of Kerry would help them in this endeavor. Yes get the great master debater into office, and keep the guy out who will most likely keep the U.S. moving out of recession. Kerry's record is clear, after 19 years in the Senate he missed intelligence briefings, sponsored a feeble number of bills and married a multi millionaire. Sounds like the perfect do nothing president the Europeans are drooling over.

Stupidest consipiry theory ever. While bush is in office europe gain infulence as an anyone but the US option. Sure this results in a few downsides (the euro is stronger than it should be) the the ares some definte upsides (greater stability of oil prices in euros.