How do you live with yourself if you�re responsible for the deaths of 4,000 American soldiers and uncounted hundreds of thousands of Iraqis?

Is it enough to believe your own public political platitudes about making the Middle East safe for democracy? Is the unstated rich peoples� platitude about making the same region safe for Halliburton et al. enough to calm your troubled presidential mind?

Over the years of this national (international) tragedy we�ve heard � and picked apart � enough of Bush�s speeches to conclude that both those rationales are at work.

His 2008 Memorial Day radio address gave away the game in one sentence that, strangely, no one seems to have noticed. Partly, I suppose, because we are by now so inured to his inanities that nobody except talking heads and columnists hard up for analytical fodder is paying much attention to what he says.

I couldn�t get this one sentence out of my mind after it flashed through whatever media I was tuned in to.

Right at the end of a few minutes of the usual patriotic vacuities, he asks all Americans to remember the soldiers who paid the ultimate price, who were �delivered out of the agony of war to meet their Creator.�

My first reaction of jaw-dropping surprise was followed, the more I thought about it, by incredulity and then embarrassment, which finally morphed into a kind of nightmarish despair, the kind you feel when Slim Pickens at the end of Dr. Strangelove reveals his true cowboy colors and happily rides one of the bombs to earth shouting �Hee-haw� with a big grin on his face.

I was stunned that a president could and would say such a thing in public on the radio 1) without shame and 2) apparently without awareness that there might be any cause at all for shame in making such a statement.

A statement which basically says, �4,000 soldiers have died, but that�s OK because however awful their deaths were, they�re now a lot better off than they were before (and than we are who are still struggling along on Earth) because, well, they�re face-to-face with the Big Guy Himself. So, not to worry.�

We�ve known that Bush some good while ago delivered himself into the hands of evangelical Christians. We�ve had a number of hints that Biblical prophecy concerning Israel, End Times, and all that, may have played a part in shaping White House policy in the Middle East.

But here, in this one sentence, he revealed in total clarity, the extent to which he has bought into the most simplistic, bedrock faux reality of the right-wing religionists.

Clearly the mountains of the dead weigh on him. Just as clearly, he�s found a way to sleep under that crushing weight, a way to think himself beyond the horrors that he has caused into a happier world: �As your president, I say to all you loved ones and friends of our dead soldiers, never mind your sadness and feelings of loss, because the simple truth is that they are much better off now than we are and certainly much better off than they were before they died.�

Some call it faith. What do you call it when the leader of an ostensibly secular nation uses his position of power to spin an unverifiable tale to justify and celebrate the deaths for which he is responsible? I call it obscene.

Douglas Milburn is the founder/editor of the Internet magazine, Magellan�s Log (since 1999). He is the author of several books and former editor of Houston City Magazine (RIP).

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/28/9235/

Loved his Memorial Day Speech

Not suprised

As I am not surprised you hated it....wait, hold on, let me add a smiley icon for awesome effect

President Bush Attends Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Day Commemoration

Arlington National Cemetery

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thank you for the kind introduction. Members of my Cabinet, members of the administration, Admiral Mullen, members of the United States Congress, Senator Warner and Congressman Skelton, members of the military, our veterans, honored guests, families of the fallen: Laura and I are honored to be with you on Memorial Day and thank you for coming.

A few moments ago, I placed a wreath upon the tomb of three brave American[s] who gave their lives in service to our nation. The names of these honored are known only to the Creator who delivered them home from the anguish of war -- but their valor is known to us all. It's the same valor that endured the stinging cold of Valley Forge. It is the same valor that planted the proud colors of a great nation on a mountaintop on Iwo Jima. It is the same valor that charged fearlessly through the assault of enemy fire from the mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq. It is the valor that has defined the armed forces of the United States of America throughout our history.

Today, we gather to honor those who gave everything to preserve our way of life. The men and women we honor here served for liberty. They sacrificed for liberty. And in countless acts of courage, they died for liberty. From faraway lands, they were returned to cemeteries like this one, where broken hearts received their broken bodies -- they found peace beneath the white headstones in the land they fought to defend.

It is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom that the number of headstones in a place such as this grows with every new Memorial Day. In a world where freedom is constantly under attack and in a world where our security is challenged, the joys of liberty are often purchased by the sacrifices of those who serve a cause greater than themselves. Today we mourn and remember all who have given their lives in the line of duty. Today we lift up our hearts especially those who've fallen in the past year.

We remember Army Specialist Ronald Tucker of Fountain, Colorado. As a young man, Ronnie was known for having an infectious smile and a prankster's sense of humor. And then he joined the United States Army, which brought out a more mature side in him. Ronnie transformed from a lighthearted teenager into a devoted soldier and a dutiful son who called his mother every day from his post in Iraq. In his final act of duty, less than a month ago, he worked with other members of his unit to build a soccer field for Iraqi children. As he drove back to his base, an enemy bomb robbed him of his life. And today our nation grieves for the loss of Ronnie Tucker.

We remember two Navy SEALS -- Nathan Hardy of Durham, New Hampshire, and Michael Koch of State College, Pennsylvania. Nate and Mike were partners in the field and they were close friends in the barracks. Through several missions together, they had developed the unique bond of brotherhood that comes from trusting another with your life. They even shared a battlefield tradition: They would often head into battle with American flags clutched to their chests underneath their uniform. Nate and Mike performed this ritual for the last time on February the 4th -- they both laid down their lives in Iraq after being ambushed by terrorists. These two friends spent their last few moments on earth together, doing what they loved most -- defending the United States of America. Today, Nathan Hardy and Mike Koch lay at rest next to each other right here on the grounds of Arlington.

The men and women of American armed forces perform extraordinary acts of heroism every single day. Like the nation they serve, they do not glory in the devastation of war. They also do not flinch from combat when liberty and justice are embattled. Ronald Tucker, Nathan Hardy and Mike Koch make clear, they do not waver -- even in the face of danger.

And so today, here in Washington and across our country, we pay tribute to all who have fallen -- a tribute never equal to the debt they are owed. We will forever honor their memories. We will forever search for their comrades, the POWs and MIAs. And we pledge -- we offer a solemn pledge to persevere and to provide the security for our citizens and secure the peace for which they fought.

The soil of Arlington and other sites is filled with liberty's defenders. It is nourished by their heroism. It is watered by the silent tears of the mothers and fathers, and husbands and wives, and sons and daughters they left behind. Today we pray for God's blessing on all who grieve and ask the Almighty to strengthen and comfort them today and everyday.

On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the Commander-in-Chief and try to tell you how proud I am at the sacrifice and service of the men and women who wear our uniform. They're an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens. (Applause.)

I am humbled by those who have made the ultimate sacrifice that allow a free civilization to endure and flourish. It only remains for us, the heirs of their legacy, to have the courage and the character to follow their lead -- and to preserve America as the greatest nation on earth and the last best hope for mankind.


May God bless you and may God bless America. (Applause.)

To political, I come here to escape this stuff

hopefully they did meet their creator, it's a lot better place than anyplace here on earth. At least i have faith that it is

It's sad how uninformed some people are... wow

I have to say that I agree. If you are a person that pays attention to the media, then you can see that the people are preparing themselves. we where not given gun rights to hunt, our forefathers gave us the second amendment, not to hunt, and not to stop burgalers, but to defend ourselves from them. deppression after deppression assaults the middle and lower classes, we have no power, and we are the ones who are abused. to say the least, we are ready for a change. the government is not going change willingly, so the people will change it by force. It has happened before and I say now that it will happen again. civil war. rioting and hell. be prepared.

Wed 05/28/08 02:54 PM
A friend of mine sent this to me and it speaks volumes


Letter from one 'Angry Woman'

I don't know who wrote it but they should
have signed it. Some powerful words.

Written by a housewife
from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off
lady.



'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was
'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and
repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for
chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his
gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in
search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their
First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care!!

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your
E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!

If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:

'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan

I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.

'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under' Also by.. Ronald Reagan

One last thought for the day:

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.'

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ

2. The American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS
MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.
AMEN!

Sir Sir, thankyou--


YOU CANNOT CLAIM YOU ARE AN AMERICAN UNLESS YOU ARE PATRIOTIC

"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today -- our sense of patriotism is particularly strong." - Obama, the 'great' orator

On this Memorial Day, he sees fallen heroes in the crowd? Oooookay.

I don't even watch him anymore. He is so full of sh*t. He revels in his control over us instead of realizing that he is there in that position because of us. He laughs at us with every word and people just suck it up like a sponge thinking how great he is, yuck.

i wonder who wrote it for him?

I you

An underpaid good writer :D