I'm not pro or anti Bush, but just because I hear an imbalance of Anti-Bush remarks, I thought I'd post these to help balance the scale. I personally like the third one (which isn't about bush-bashing at all).
When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
It became very quiet in the room.
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Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
Once again, dead silence.
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A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.
You could have heard a pin drop
4 comments:
Well...besides the fact that these stories sound too pat to be true... and two of them sound anti-French...
Re story 1: the US may not have overtly claimed people's land over the last few decades, but they've overthrown democratic govts, and plotted against democratic leaders, and don't forget about the army bases they have all over the place. Absolutely an imperial power. (I'm studying Southeast Asia right now, which has the US stamped all over it.)
Personally, I am anti-Bush. Not as a human, of course, but as a president. Larry Diamond called the invasion of Iraq criminal negligence (because SO monumentally poorly planned) and I agree. This administration has had way too much pride and ego, resulting in a lot of violence and deaths. That's a pretty high price to pay for someone not being capable of listening to the counsel of others. Grrrr!!! Makes me angry.
I too have deep concerns about the Bush administration... but sometimes even greater concerns about the tone of some of his detractors.
I wonder if these stories can be verified/denied ala snopes? hmmm...
Snopes Reports:
1. Colin Powel's remarks - true but context heavily edited:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/powell.asp
I've been unable to find an entry to determine the accuracy of the other two items.
I liked these - if only as antithesis to the slant of the media these days. I get so tired of the anti-Bush, anti-American blather, especially when the youth in our society believe the whole package without question and spew the same.
I do have to admit that although I do not agree with everything the current administration has done, I can't help but have a soft spot for a president who has stated that he is "but a sinner saved by grace." Amen, Brother George.
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