If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed. It must be exciting for you ... in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. — President George W. Bush, 3/13/08As for me, "I used to be disgusted, and now I try to be amused," as the song goes, but I can certainly imagine many people being profoundly revolted by Bush's paean to "romanticism."
Vietnam veterans, for example, survivors of that conflict which was either too romantic or not romantic enough for Bush, Richard "Dick" Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, and the rest of the current cheerleaders and war profiteers who managed to avoid assignment to Southeast Asia in their salad days thanks to, in Limbaugh's case, a romantic boil on his big fat idiotic ass.
An astute observer reminds us that last April, First Lady Laura Bush thoughtfully informed the country that, "No one suffers more than the President and I do." No one.
That would exclude the bereaved families of both Americans and Iraqis, as well as the thousands returning home without legs, eyesight, or other essentials. Quite romantic, I'm sure all that must be. One is nearly inspired to compose a dainty verse to a flower.
"If I were not employed here ..."
A 'mission accomplished' that can't happen soon enough.
