So Monkey Boy has “apologized.” Supposedly he
apologized in a joint press conference with his
co-defendant, um, counterpart, Tony Blair during Blair’s visit to Washington D.C. Only, as some
have noted, it did seem more of a political maneuveur than an admission of wrongdoing.
Bushie claims that “we’ve been paying for Abu Ghraib” for some time. But have not the people of Iraq been paying even more? How many Iraqis have died since then? According to
Iraqi Body Count, over 40,000 Iraqis have died in the conflict, so you do the math. Obviously
The Lancet claimed a couple of years ago that 100,000 had died. And even if that number has not died, how many live in poverty? Unemployment was about
60% two years ago. Things have only gotten worse since then, so undoubtedly the unemployment situation has not improved. and while Bush looks wearied, what about the millions of Iraqis who have lost loved ones, who have now,
about one or two hours of electricity a day? About an ever worsening Civil War? About
limited mobility within the
Sunni Triangle?
And just who has been paying for Abu Ghraib here? Has he? Politically,
maybe but even the press really doesn't give the impression that this President is so significantly mistrusted and disliked. And really, if an administration is weakened, they are politically impotent and unable to impose their political will. Bush still continues to saber-rattle with Iran. He still
chooses, and has confirmed a CIA director with a very poor understanding of the
Fourth Amendment and about whom there were significant
concerns.
Admittedly, this is not all his fault. His confirmation can not be tired wholly to him. A supine Congress would probably implement the mandatory sacrifice of the occasional child if the President said it was in the interests of "fighting
turrr". He also stands behind
Veteran's Secretary, Jim Nicholson who sat on the information that millions of veterans’ personal information had not been adequately protected and who didn't address the weak security protecting it. He also stood behind his
Housing Secretary who cancelled a large government contract because the recipient was critical of President Bush. And even when Kenny Boy Lay, another
Bush friend is sent to jail, he still governs as though he were a talented, popular, widely trusted President. He said he intended to
spend his political capital and to me it seems as though he’s a good number in the red now.
And another thing, once again reminds us that nothing this man does can be taken at face value or that he can be taken at his word, he doesn’t really “apologize” for the abuses of Abu Ghraib or his careless, provocative talk with phrases such as “bring it on” and “wanted: dead or alive”. He says that these things were
”misinterpreted overseas” . No they weren’t. They were taken to mean exactly what you meant them to mean, one reason they were so harmful. So he doesn’t really apologize but rather says some words that too many Americans will cite as penitence.
People have a hard time demanding an apology from people. Sports figures have also made similar non-apologies, such as Terrell Owens. Again, this is scapegoating mildly cleverly disguised as an apology. He says that we didn’t understand him when he spoke. Well, given his oration, I guess there’s a possibility of that.
