Concerning George W Bush’s 7th State of the Union Address

While speculating the bright points to find in Bush’s then up-coming speech, a White House spokesman hopefully replied "You know, it's difficult to say. It's like looking in a drawer full of diamonds." Awesome.

I find one diamond particularly shiny:

"Free people are not drawn to violent and malignant ideologies."

Malignant:
1- disposed to cause harm, suffering, or distress deliberately; feeling or showing ill will or hatred.
2- very dangerous or harmful in influence or effect.

3 - tending to produce death, as bubonic plague.

3- (of a tumor) characterized by uncontrolled growth; cancerous, invasive, or metastatic. (dictionary.com unabridged v1.1)

Which of these do not wholly or in some major way define the foreign and even domestic policy of Mr. Bush?

There’s a whole lot of people out there with their very own idea of what’s best for their selves and family. I just wish this guy’s worldview wouldn’t actually be so impactful on, well, the whole world. From Seoul to the Athabasca tar sands, from Tehran to Washington, and everywhere between - the whole world feels the ripples of his splashes. Won’t someone please remove the mask over this man’s eyes?

Other sparkling gems include mention of his troop escalation, the “big push” in Iraq. "Our military commanders and I have carefully weighed the options. We discussed every possible approach. In the end, I chose this course of action because it provides the best chance of success." The troops could make it home by Christmas! Left unsaid was that he had fired those generals who disagreed.

This reminds me of the hopeful rhetoric slung throughout the second World War, by both sides. Memorably, of Hitler’s last major offensive in the Ardennes forest. (I knew those afternoons filled with Band of Brothers episodes would work themselves out somehow) The big push leading to the battle of the Somme and its subsequent slaughter also shares striking resemblance. Bigger guns now, I suppose.

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