I was inspired to write this diary after reading a comment by Mentaldebris in “Tough one from Zogby’s latest online poll.”
“I’d also vote off where Cheney was born. Not the state or the city, but the actual spot. For while Bush may be the foreman of the destruction, IMO, Cheney is the architect.”
I don’t see Cheney so much as the architect of the “destruction” as much as a member of the design team which included Rice, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Feith, Gonzales and (fill in your own choices here) with Bush as the General Contractor.
Not the great general contractor that finishes the job on time with excellent results, but rather the kind that destroys the driveway and landscaping just to get to the job, destroys surrounding rooms to get to the room needing the work, destroys the room itself to fix it, leaves it that way and then says, “What do you mean, “bad job”, I brought you the freedom to see the mess, congratulate me for a job well done.”
Then he gives awards to the members of the design team, gets elected to the CEO of the Board of Contractors for a second term, for which he reshuffles his design team, promotes design team assistants to head their own teams and then heads to his ranch for a nice vacation while patting himself on the back for being a great Contractor General and makes plans for expanding his business to all the countries of the world.
He prints business cards with the slogan “No Country too small, we do them all,” and then sends them out with a mass mailing to the world.
When the countries respond by asking for references, he points to incomplete and shoddily done work and says, “You too can have the same kind of work done in your country, ‘what you say no’, well sorry, I’m doing the job anyway, my contract comes from God, and then even though you did not know you needed it, I will have built for you too the freedom to see the mess.”
What say you? How would you put it?
Because, really, he’s responsible for our ‘mess’. And not only that, but he’s squandered all the money he started this ‘company’ with. Most people would be fired for much less.
See what you have done, unleashed me. For others reading this Mindmouth inspired me yestereday to write my first ever diary and here I am on day 2 with a second one. All those pent up words are starting to flow to my keyboard.
Thanks again sincerely, I’m having a lot of fun doing this.
Write another one tomorrow! 😉
I’m enjoying your comments and diaries, Diane. I’m thrilled that you came out of that shell!
More like the unscrupulous salesman i.e. “Herb Tarlek” from WKRP in Cincinatti…
Hi Diane, it’s great to see you here! I didn’t vote because my opinion of GW often gets me in trouble (flamed) The guy just doesn’t strike me as bright enough to pull much of anything off.
Now Cheney, I think he’s just pure evil.
Great analogy. I’m reminded of something I read a long time ago about Bush where it had been mentioned he had this strange habit of agreeing with the last person who left the room. Whatever had gone before, whatever views he may have held previously, (even as little as a half hour before) he always agreed with whatever the last person told him. If that isn’t the description of a puppet, I don’t know what is. Sadly, I know people like this. Easily influenced by the last thing they heard.
Yes, Bush is a contractor manipulated by a bunch of incompetent architects who probably spend a lot of time jockeying to see who will be the last to leave the room; except when they agree and it doesn’t matter. Their plans and specs mark the end of America as a respected power in the world. But hey, they and their buddies are getting rich off of the destruction, er I mean, building process.
Wow, first time I ever inspired anyone in a positive way. Feels kinda nice.
so I will.
You were right—I’m not as big a fan of this post as I was of your other, but that’s ok. It’s your right to feel this way, and honestly, I understand the way you feel.
I disagree, though, probably because I’m a neocon. But I’ll leave that for you to decide.
One of the big arguments against our going into Iraq was based on the “you’ll destabilize the region,” and another was “you’ll destroy their infrastructure.” Well, isn’t it just possible that it’ll be worth those problems?
Think about it this way: if we’d left things the way they were, Saddam would still be in power. Assuming he doesn’t live as long as Castro, still he’s got a decent number of years ahead of him, probably to be succeeded by Uday or Qusay. Within the next five years, probably, the sanctions would have collapsed, and Saddam would have had nearly unlimited funds to throw at whatever project he wanted, making the chances of his people rising up themselves even less significant. And do you think he’d invest to improve their standard of living? Not likely beyond his inner circle…
Meanwhile, the rest of the Middle East continues along the path it was on. Sure, Arafat dies, and maybe a moderate is still elected in his place. But have you noticed in the past two years how much the suicide bombings have decreased in Israel? Maybe part of that is that families of bombers don’t stand to gain as much without Saddam to pay them cash…
My point is this: the region was already destabilized. His people were already suffering miserable existences. Yes, for a short time things are getting worse in some ways. And that’s regrettable. It sucks that the driveway and the landscaping are getting damaged. But in the end, the contractor does some beautiful work on the house. And then you dip into your own pocket a bit to have the driveway and landscaping restored, maybe he even pitches in a bit. And in the end, you have a total product that you can be extremely proud of.
So yes, if you look at the sausage being made, you might be pretty disgusted. But it tastes dang good in the long run.
Interesting comments you have made and this is my response.
As far as the Iraq situation goes, I agree with a lot you have said and I have a particular interest in that due to the fact I have an Iraqi penpal and friend, which I acquired in October.
She is a 26 year old educated women living with her mother as the rest of her family was killed in an house gas explosion before the war. She was living in Basra at the time.
Anyway we have had some interesting conversations regarding this subject such as she has stated to me that while she is very happy that Bush took out Sadaam, (she is anti-Bush however, and pro American,) she is disappointed at the way things have been handled there by occupation forces, etc.
I am sure you know all the mistakes and misteps. Well to her they have caused a great deal of problems in her daily life, such as traveling, even to work, no electricity, except for a few staggered hours per day, water goes on and off, undependable, etc.
She thinks that a lot of the problems over there now are due to the mishandling at the beginning, such as not securing sites, etc.
There are aditional problems there with religious groups imposing restrictions on women such as wearing headscarfs, long dresses, that did not exist there pre war.
The whole depleted Uranium issue is another things, which apparently is in the air all over the country, due to the explosions.
So, I do hope that the house turns out beautifully, and the landscaping gets fixed, etc. we all do I think, we all wish for this.
BTW she has told me that you could make that country a heaven on earth and she would still not want to live there. She is trying to get out and it is very hard, right now applying for a Fullbright, to futher her education here. She has a BS degree and wants a PHD.
Have you tried contacting your congressman/senators about her? They might be able to intervene… even if they can’t get her a fulbright, they could probably help with progress towards getting her out.
Yes I have written to Barbara Boxer, but no response, do you think I should try again.
I have also written to Arnold and no answer, but didn’t expect one from him.
Do you think there is a chance? Haven’t tried congressmen yet.
I would try your congressman… start with an email, if that doesn’t work, make a phone call. They may not be able to do anything, but it’s worth a shot, right?
and just wanted to commend you two for the very reasonable and respectful exchange. Even though you have opposing views you both honored the others right to opinion and even agreed on some points. What a joy to see for a change.
As a folowup to the dialogue we had on this site last and he also posted on this diary below, that is no longer on list, called converting the red to purple.
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2005/3/22/142132/826
We also exchanged several emails after that and finally went to IM and chatted till I got too tired.
It was really quite interesting and he was quite reasonable. He is a neocon you know and I invited him here to this site as he was a troll rated poster on DK for a comment that I did not think was all that bad. Booman has said that all are welcome here and I hope that is so.
He posts on DK to do the same kind of reaching out that I am trying to do (I am posting on conservative sites) and I think we have to establish some civilized discourse between the two sides.
Anyway we found some common ground and that is what my aim is.
We ALL must continue to reach out to the “other side” as often as possible. Yes, there are neocons that will never budge from their views as there are the same with liberals. I had a conversation with my republican sister last evening that went quite well for a change. We both agreed on this whole Shiavo obscenity. SHe is deeply angered by the governments intrusion. I was able to tell her about the law then Gov Bush signed into law in Texas that she was unaware of. SHe is starting to believe what I am telling her. It takes one person to talk to another. We must keep our emotions out of our discussions as much as possible. Thank you for your great diary. Keep writing!
Well I am very heartened by what you and others have said in response to my diary.
I just had an idea and wondered what you and others would think about it.
Thinking of doing a co diary with this man,(if he was willling) something like point, counterpoint, type. With one of us writing something and the other respondng with their point of view.
What do you think?
Regarding your sister, I had a falling (total) out with mine last year over Kerry, she kept sendng me emails of Zell Miller, Ollie North, etc., and I said why in the world do you send me these things. I wrote her very detailed linked (to sources for her to get the truth) and thoughtful replies, to which she responded with more of the Ollie North ilk.
If she would have been like the neocon above, that would have been wonderful, we could have had a dialogue.
I believe you and our new “friend” should attempt something like that. What do you/we have to lose. Compromise is always a good solution and this would be a start.
The same thing not only happened with my sister but with rep friends too. One instance was with emails and I was told I was no living in reality!? Oh brother the heated exchange back and forth was quite distressing. As with my sister in order to keep the relationships I had to say either we don’t talk politics or we don’t talk period. So far this has worked but quite honestly there is a strain there now.
When the name calling and cussing ensues one knows this discourse is going no where. Sad!