Bush clearing brush as he pretends to be a " Cowboy Rancher " in the Old West.
But there's no livestock on the Ranch nor does Bush grow anything - Americans unable to tell the difference between a photo-op and PR Ploy and reality. The Dumbing down of America.
Update: 12:05 PM Sun. Jan. 18, 2009
Bush's farewell speech shows he and the Neocons and Republicans are still delusional believing Bush to be one of America's greatest presidents
But while in office Bush tore up the American Constitution and tossed out the Bill of Rights but Conservative Americans never really believed in these anyway
Anyway Bush gave his fare-well address this week and he seems to believe that his presidency was not a disaster. in fact he believe possibly because Cheney or Karl Rove or Bill Kristol told him that he was a success. From his disastrous trickle down theory of economics and deregulation of the financial sector to his wanton ignorance about Al Qaeda 's abilities and intentions to attack America to his decision to declare a Holy War and to challenge all comers to " Bring it On ' to his inability to appreciate what was happening in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to his desire for revenge misplaced against Saddam and the Iraqi people .
So did Bush the dry alcoholic learn anything worthwhile and the answer is no. He believes he was not appreciated by all those who criticized him. Or did he in fact learn that for eight years he was able to foll most Americans and was able to make the mainstream media into a bunch of kow towing idiots.
So the media played not according to their rules of journalistic integrity but rather by Bush and Cheney's rules. Even now Fox News and other media outlets still believe that Bush and the Neoconservatives were right about everything and now the country will go downhill as it is taken over by over educated do gooder liberals.
So it is going to be difficult for the Media and Faux Journalists to adapt to a new administration. Will they decide to act as real journalists and ask Obama the difficult questions or following the lead of Fox News and the Neocons just begin a relentless attack on President Obama or once again accept everything he says as if it had come down from on high as they did with President Bush. Is real journalism for the most part dead in America. A real Journalist is interested in following the facts to their ultimate conclusions that is to the truth .
But most Journalists these days in the United States or here in Canada see themselves as part of the Infotainment industry . So they cheer on the politicians or not based on their ratings or by those pay their salaries. But truth is a scarce commodity in our current society. For instance we this in how the Media is ready to believe whatever the Israeli government tells them about the situation in Gaza . But they also do their best to paint a somewhat positive picture of Iraq or Afghanistan or that these wars were and are necessary and eventually we will be victorious . Meanwhile they like the public at large ignore the million or more people killed in these conflicts. But is there really a difference in attitude or is it just a continuation of our colonial attitude towards most of the world . These people in foreign nations are not as civilized as we are and need to be coaxed like children into behaving in ways that we find acceptable.
Update:5:35 PM Jan. 18, 2009- Hamas agrees to Ceasefire
Hamas Announces Ceasefire After Israel Declares truce Sunday 18 January 2009 by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters
Gaza - Hamas said on Sunday it would cease fire immediately along with other militant groups in the Gaza Strip and give Israel, which already declared a unilateral truce, a week to pull its troops out of the territory.
A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in response: "We'll play this day by day. We'll see how this goes. We want to leave Gaza. We'll do so as soon as we can."
Ayman Taha, a Hamas official in Cairo for talks with Egypt on the conflict, said the group and other factions were announcing a Gaza ceasefire "starting immediately" and Israel, which launched its offensive on December 27, had a week to withdraw.
anyway here's a few bits and pieces for your entertainment.
To begin Israel has decided to declare a unilateral Cease fire as predicted given that Bush is out and Obama becomes President on Tuesday and Obama's reactions to the Israelis once he takes power is still unknown or unpredictable. But I doubt whether President Obama would be very critical of Israel or that he would insist on investigations into the actions of Israel in Gaza to determine if Israeli forces committed war crimes during the current conflict. Nor can I see Obama criticizing Israel for its various crimes against the people of Gaza during its Medieval style siege on Gaza. He too will probably fall into line behind most of America's presidents since 1948 in giving his full and unconditional support of Israel. So Israel can go on treating the people of Gaza unjustly and Obama will not question Israel's right to its Apartheid Policies . In part Obama fears being labeled anti-Semitic but I guess being anti-Arab or Anti-Palestinian is an acceptable form of racism in America as it is here in Canada. And it appears that the idea of collective guilt and punishment has made a come back as Geneva Conventions are seen the Mainstream Media as irrelevant and quaint. So using Phosphorus / Napalm or cluster bombs and blowing up schools , hospitals and UN facilities is now acceptable. So what sort of Change is this!
"Israel Declares Unilateral Cease-Fire in Gaza"Saturday 17 January 2009 CNN.com
Jerusalem - Israel has declared a unilateral cease-fire in the fighting in Gaza beginning at 2 a.m. Sunday (7 p.m. ET Saturday), Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.
"Hamas has been dealt a very serious blow," Olmert said. "We can say that the conditions have been brought about that enable us to say that the aims that we laid down for the operation have been completely achieved."
Yet Israel is prepared to respond if Hamas militants continue fighting in the Palestinian territory, Olmert said.
"If foes decide to continue to fight against us, then we will be ready and we shall consider ourselves justified in replying," he said. "I do not suggest that Hamas or other terrorist organizations try us."
Immediate Palestinian response to Olmert's announcement was pessimistic.
Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator involved in diplomatic talks on the conflict, noted that Olmert did not say Israeli troops would be leaving Gaza.
"I'm afraid this means the cease-fire will not stand; it will break," Erakat told CNN International. "Anybody can fire a shot now.... It's a very fragile moment."
As for Bush's image as a cowboy was a PR ploy which America's media and people fell for . This image of Bush which he and his fellow travelers exploited so he could utter otherwise silly phrases such as " bring 'em on " and " dead or alive '. But Bush was never a cowboy or rancher as Cenk Uygur points out in this next article. Yet the media played up this image of Bush as a cowboy and never bothered about what the actual truth was. But I would argue that this is just more of the Myth-making which the US media and people are constantly involved in in which the Myths are more important than the reality of America. It always reminds me of such bits of American Myths such as George Washington chopping down the Cherry Tree or the Mythology that was created around the Alamo . But Americans even today are unable to examine the historical facts surrounding any of the myths and legends they have created and passed on from one generation to the next . So Bush goes off to his " Ranch " clears brush for no real reason except for Photo-Ops to create a " Cowboy " image for himself and the Press and American people buy into this nonsense.
"Bush Drops Fake Cowboy Shtick"
by Cenk Uygur, Huffington Post Jan. 16, 2009.
Why does the press think its their job became to reinforce the fake images and storylines of politicians rather than to challenge them?
George Bush bought his "ranch" down in Crawford in 1999 shortly before he started running for president. And now that he's done with politics, he is moving out of there as soon as he possibly can. The Bushes have bought a new home in a tony neighborhood (and until recently a whites-only community) in Dallas. So, what happened to retiring down to the ranch?
Well, it's what most of us suspected -- all total bullshit. He was never a cowboy. That ranch had nothing on it. No cows, no farming, just a lot of bullshit brush that Bush pretended to clear (for what fucking purpose?). The ranch was always a political gimmick. It was purchased so that Bush could play the role of the Texas cowboy when in fact he has always been the Andover cheerleader.
So, that pisses me off a little bit. And his brazen abandonment of the ranch as soon as he is out of office just throws it in everyone's face, as if he's saying, "You didn't really believe all that cowboy bullshit, did you? You weren't that stupid, were you?"
But what pisses me off a lot more is how the press never told the American people the truth. Now, it might seem like a small thing, in light of all the horrors of the Bush administration and how the press hardly challenged him on any of it. But it is truly indicative, and it did matter when it counted -- during the elections.
Also see:
" Is America's Love Affair with Stupidity Finally Over? "
By Liz Langley, AlterNet. Jan. 14, 2009.
Americans' embrace of the Obamas and other intelligent public figures may be part of a much-needed cultural shift.
And:
" Now I Understand Why They Hate Us "By David Hilfiker, AlterNet. Jan. 12, 2009.
How a middle-class white guy came to accept the evil embedded in American political and military might.
Rachel Maddow and Arianna Huffington on Bush's Farewell Speech
Goodbye and Good Riddance- Rachel Maddow on Bush's farewell Speech
Bush is a Psychological Mess- The Young Turks Jan. 12, 2008
Cenk talks about Israelis bombing schools etc. in Gaza. State Terrorism should be condemned like any other form of terrorism but it isn't. The mainstream Media is all too willing to make excuses for Israeli actions.
Israel is Saving School Children ( Of Course, by Bombing Them ) Jan. 7, 2009
and so it goes,
GORD.
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