Bush Getting The Usual Welcome In Germany
MAINZ , Germany, Feb. 23 - President Bush of course is not the first president named Bush to come to this town on the Rhine, but the very physical circumstances of this president's stopover here on Wednesday suggest how different, how less automatically warm, German-American relations are now than they were when his father stopped in Mainz 16 years ago.
Most conspicuous was the lack of contact between ordinary Germans and an American president visiting what could almost have been a stage setting: a town with buildings but no people, the shops and restaurants in the center of town closed, and only uniformed police officers on the streets…
Of course, in the security-minded post-9/11 world, a visiting American president cannot just stand exposed before throngs of German citizens, as John F. Kennedy did in 1963 when he made his famous "I am a Berliner" speech, or as Ronald Reagan did in 1987 when he declared "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Of course! This “post 9/11” world is so much more dangerous than the world in which Kennedy lived in. Hell, in Kennedy’s time, he could actually drive through downtown Dallas in a convertible limousine! Without any fear for his life!
Shit, before 9/11, there wasn’t any danger to American presidents! Bush is so brave! I mean, before 9/11, no terrorists had ever attacked the United States.
Well, except for when al-Qaeda attacked the World Trade Towers in 1993. But that was totally different from when al-Qaeda attacked the World Trade Towers in 2001!
In 2001, it was scarier to the Preznit!
It must have been! Because, you know, after al Qaeda attacked the World Trade Towers in 1993, and tried to blow up a dozen jets at the same time, and tried to launch their millennium attacks, and attacked the Cole, well, there was ol’ panty waist Bill Clinton, out and about, in a fucking African country—and good Christ almighty! Clinton was actually being touched by the dirty heathens!
ACCRA , Ghana (CNN) -- President Clinton began a six-nation tour of Africa on Monday with a brief stop in Ghana, speaking to a wildly enthusiastic crowd on the benefits of democracy, trade and justice -- and taking a side-swipe at military rule in Nigeria…
After the speech, Rawlings draped a brightly colored kente cloth over Clinton's shoulders.
A mob of people eager to shake Clinton's hand knocked down a barricade, apparently trapping two women on the ground. An alarmed Clinton shouted to the crowd "back, back!"
On his way to Independence Square, Clinton was cheered in the muggy streets of the capital by scores of school children wearing orange and brown school uniforms and waving American and Ghanaian flags. Ten of thousands of citizens crowded the route.
Accra was festooned with cheerful banners reading, "Akwaaba, Bill Clinton," welcoming the president. Billboards showed painted photographs of Clinton and Rawlings shaking hands.
That was Bill Clinton in Africa. What about The War Preznit in Germany?
But what of the eerie absence of the population of Mainz, and the cancellation of the town meeting? Mr. Voigt said that, aside from restrictions imposed for security reasons, the invisibility of ordinary Germans illustrated the skepticism felt by a majority of Germans toward Mr. Bush.
What kind of security? In Germany?
That is why 10,000 police officers, 100 bomb-sniffing dogs, several German fighter jets and an army tank will be on hand to protect Mr. Bush - sealing this city tighter than a barrel of the local Riesling.
In Germany!
I mean, never mind his shameful bolting to a deep, deep underground NORAD shelter on September 11th, the day that made him awesome, Bush is too afraid to be exposed to people in London, or Mainz, or in Canada. Is Bush the biggest pussy who ever resided in the White House or what???
Christ, what a chickenshit. How embarrassing for us all.
I was no fan of Reagan. I thought he was dumb and mean. But, I have to say, at least Reagan wasn't a coward. I mean, shit, Reagan even got shot, and he wasn't as terrified of being in public as Bush.
What a fucking sissy.
Did I miss something? Why is no one talking about the fact we got to hear bush admitting to toking up? Maybe that's why he's so damn paranoid.
Posted by: =AnnA= | February 24, 2005 at 12:24 PM
=AnnA= is right. I move that "Hail to the Chief" be replaced by Steve Miller's "Space Cowboy." Not "The Joker" (man is he sooo self-referential!) though that fits pretty good too. Maybe a medley...I'll work on it.
But, hey, the worst thing dope-paranoia ever caused in my life was hiding my stash so well I couldn't find it the next day. It never gave me grandiose delusions of my ability to effect regime changes around the world so I would be "safe!"
Posted by: Jerry | February 24, 2005 at 02:29 PM
Yeah, Jerry, but I'm sure you were smoking regular street pot, which, no matter how yum it is, is NO match for the shit the gov't keeps for it's cronies and up-and-comings. Plus, it seems that 'gradiose delusions' are a genetic trait. Mix the two together and you've got...well, THIS retard and his maniacle laugh with an OBVIOUS smoker's hack to it.
Still, though, I'd rather have a couple doses of whateverthefuck Laura Bush is on.
Posted by: =AnnA= | February 24, 2005 at 05:46 PM
Anna, we think alike (about Lauralou's drugs). And Jerry, pot made me very paranoid after many years even though I never inhaled, except for hash, of course. I think "Space Cowboy" is much too good for dubya. How about "Little Johnnie Paper".
Posted by: Ellen | February 24, 2005 at 07:12 PM
Naw, Ellen, Little Johnnie loved that rascal Puff!
All the Yellow Rose has done is eembraced his enhanced delusion that "Noble kings and princes would bow whene’er they came."
Posted by: Jerry | February 24, 2005 at 07:28 PM