Slog
News & ArtsFriday, January 16, 2009
2008 USA TODAY
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 9:41 AM
The layout of the front page of this newspaper is not innocent. It's saying things in a language that the whole world can understand. The pilot saved the passengers because he knew what he was doing. He was an expert, a professional, a hero for no other reason than he was doing exactly what his job required him to do. He was not a horse judge flying the plane because he has friends in the right places in the airline company. He was a pilot because he knew how to fly and handle emergencies. We have not seen heroes with actual substance in a long time.
Bush, history will not rescue you. There are no future people waiting for the moment to pull you out of the cold and restore glory to your name. Those future people will never be born. When you call on the future, your words enter a complete vacuum and vanish. Now is your time, and it is now you must go and be nothing more than a very bad memory, a very bad taste in the mouth of history.
1
Of course, Bush actually is a jet fighter pilot and has flown in military situations.
But then, reality never bothers Democrips...
But then, reality never bothers Democrips...
2
@1 I know! It's a good thing running a huge country in a time of war and financial crisis is exactly the same thing as flying a plane. Phew!
3
Bush flew in "military situations"? I thought he avoided that "military situation" in Vietnam? Or did you mean "military simulations"? Like the flight he "piloted" to the aircraft carrier with the "Mission Accomplished" banner?
5
Charles,
I'm aware of your contempt for Bush and I won't mount a defense of him. But, you're comparing apples and oranges here. The pilot was doing his job and did it well. He didn't have much of a margin of error. Pres. Bush did a job for better or for worse. Yes, it can be argued that he did a horrible job. But, I would keep the two professions the President & the Pilot separate.
BTW, we can compare Mugabe & Bush. Both are heads of state. Can you admit that Mugabe is worse than Bush?
I'm aware of your contempt for Bush and I won't mount a defense of him. But, you're comparing apples and oranges here. The pilot was doing his job and did it well. He didn't have much of a margin of error. Pres. Bush did a job for better or for worse. Yes, it can be argued that he did a horrible job. But, I would keep the two professions the President & the Pilot separate.
BTW, we can compare Mugabe & Bush. Both are heads of state. Can you admit that Mugabe is worse than Bush?
6
People like the moron @1 and the 58 million more who thought Sarah Palin could be President are proof that this country has a lot more to overcome than one departing dipshit from Texas.
8
Charles...
Leave the political BS off this story.
Why? because you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about in regards to a water landing and an Airliner.
Stick to subjects that you are relatively familiar with. When it comes to the love between a man and a horse, I'll listen to what you have to say. Some overly analytical/academic pretentious rant on Architecture? Sure, I'll endure it, but this? You are in way over your head and you sound like a child.
Leave the political BS off this story.
Why? because you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about in regards to a water landing and an Airliner.
Stick to subjects that you are relatively familiar with. When it comes to the love between a man and a horse, I'll listen to what you have to say. Some overly analytical/academic pretentious rant on Architecture? Sure, I'll endure it, but this? You are in way over your head and you sound like a child.
9
And both of them are better pilots than Obama. Still, what's that got to do with the price of beans?
11
@8. I often feel that way about Mudede's posts.
This time, though, he's right. People are eating this story up for a reason. We are hungry for substance. No amount of Bush BS can keep this plane from crashing into the approaching river. We need a pilot.
This time, though, he's right. People are eating this story up for a reason. We are hungry for substance. No amount of Bush BS can keep this plane from crashing into the approaching river. We need a pilot.
12
So often when I read something Charles has written, I am reminded of my 1st and 2nd year college students who grasp at disparate themes trying to make a connection and be original.....ut novelty isn't enough.
As South Park's Cartman says..."Lame"
As South Park's Cartman says..."Lame"
13
@5 - I believe his point was that while the pilot had a job and he did it, Bush had a job and he not only didn't do it, but he broke everything in the process. I realize that the metaphorical connection between an airline pilot and POTUS is tenuous, but they both come down to "did you get everyone safely from point A to point B?", and we all know how bush did on that one.
If it had been Bush flying that plane, he would have been rubber stamped through flight schools by his buddies, gotten the job through a lawsuit, he would have killed 100,000 people on the ground and only 28% of the people on the plane would have made it out by way of selfishly clamoring over and robbing all the others in the process.
That airline pilot represents not having a terrorist attack on american soil because he was asleep at the wheel. He represents not invading and occupying two sovereign countries. He represents not committing war crimes. He represents not neglecting a major city during and after a massive natural disaster. He represents not enabling the worst financial disaster in decades. He represent us being, at the very least, exactly where we were eight years ago.
If it had been Bush flying that plane, he would have been rubber stamped through flight schools by his buddies, gotten the job through a lawsuit, he would have killed 100,000 people on the ground and only 28% of the people on the plane would have made it out by way of selfishly clamoring over and robbing all the others in the process.
That airline pilot represents not having a terrorist attack on american soil because he was asleep at the wheel. He represents not invading and occupying two sovereign countries. He represents not committing war crimes. He represents not neglecting a major city during and after a massive natural disaster. He represents not enabling the worst financial disaster in decades. He represent us being, at the very least, exactly where we were eight years ago.
14
To the delusional posters (@1,8,5): Get your heads out of your asses and come to grips with Bush's legacy. It can be summed up in three words: Worst President Ever. Nothing you spin or he spins or anybody else in the Republican party spins is ever going to change it. Repeat after me: Worst President Ever. Now go collect your unemployment check and stfu, please.
15
I think the connection charles was trying to make, the reason he included the image of the newspaper, was because directly above picture of the ditched airplane is the headline, "Obama's Day One Plan". The juxtaposition informs us that in a few days we will no longer have a retard piloting this nation, that in this time of crisis we will finally have at the controls someone who is competent, someone who might have the ability to resolve the situation with as few casualties a possible.
17
@13Super Jesse,
Thanks for your input. I categorically disagree with you. That's what this SLOG is about. I am not going to mount a defense. But, can you at least admit Mugabe is worse than Bush?
Is Bush expropriating minority family farms that are the breadbasket of a country (continent?)?
Is Bush responsible for 1 out of 5 citizens infected with HIV?
Is Bush responsible for a cholera epidemic and (lack thereof) response which has claimed the lives of over a thousand people?
Is Bush responsible for an inflation of over 1000%?
Bush is leaving in less than 5 days and will not remain in power for 28 years.
Even Bush's critics acknowledge that he did more (AIDS/Malaria initiatives) for Africa than any American President. And, Bush certainly has done more than Mugabe has done for his country (Zimbabwe).
Hammer away at Bush all you want. But, Mugabe is the real villian.
Thanks for your input. I categorically disagree with you. That's what this SLOG is about. I am not going to mount a defense. But, can you at least admit Mugabe is worse than Bush?
Is Bush expropriating minority family farms that are the breadbasket of a country (continent?)?
Is Bush responsible for 1 out of 5 citizens infected with HIV?
Is Bush responsible for a cholera epidemic and (lack thereof) response which has claimed the lives of over a thousand people?
Is Bush responsible for an inflation of over 1000%?
Bush is leaving in less than 5 days and will not remain in power for 28 years.
Even Bush's critics acknowledge that he did more (AIDS/Malaria initiatives) for Africa than any American President. And, Bush certainly has done more than Mugabe has done for his country (Zimbabwe).
Hammer away at Bush all you want. But, Mugabe is the real villian.
18
Let's hope that Bush won't be forgotten - that he won't slip away silently into the night and become a "bad memory" - he must answer to America for all of the atrocities, cover-ups, indigities, and lies. And we must learn from his mistakes.
20
The major difference Charles is that pilots are hired by other experts. Politicians are hired on the basis of a popularity contest.
21
Charles @0 for the win.
America for the loss of the last eight years - and our national honor and treasury.
America for the loss of the last eight years - and our national honor and treasury.
22
Bush is much worse than Mugabe. Mugabe has brought misery to a few million people. Bush has brought misery to billions. But between Mugabe and Ian Smith, I think Ian Smith was a better leader. Very few Africans have the guts to admit that.
23
@17 - Yes, I agree that in SOME ways Mugabe IS worse than Bush, but that's not the point is it? Charles didn't mention Mugabe, and neither did I. They are about equal as far as I'm concerned. The case can be made that through his actions and those of his rubber stamp cronies Bush has affected the lives of billions of people all over the world. Sure, he didn't order the execution and intimidation of vast numbers of people (or maybe he did, and was just a bit more suave about it), but between willful negligence and malicious intent, I'd say they both failed at the only real task they had; don't fuck everything up.
24
As curses go, it's a little bit wordy.
But any curse directed at Bush is pretty much by definition a good curse.
But any curse directed at Bush is pretty much by definition a good curse.
25
@20,
Heckuvajob Brownie got his job thanks to his connections in the White House, not from a popularity contest.
@17,
You're blaming Mugabe for HIV/AIDS? Cute.
By the way, Bush's Global Gag Rule and abstinence funding has done plenty to help increase HIV/AIDS in Africa. That's what happens when you withhold funding to family planning organizations and when you tell African women to not have sex until marriage and to not use condoms while married, even when African men are rarely monogamous.
He was not a horse judge flying the plane because he has friends in the right places in the airline company.
Heckuvajob Brownie got his job thanks to his connections in the White House, not from a popularity contest.
@17,
You're blaming Mugabe for HIV/AIDS? Cute.
By the way, Bush's Global Gag Rule and abstinence funding has done plenty to help increase HIV/AIDS in Africa. That's what happens when you withhold funding to family planning organizations and when you tell African women to not have sex until marriage and to not use condoms while married, even when African men are rarely monogamous.
26
As to Bush/McCain:
Bush Jr - flew outdated jets, avoided real combat with them
Bush Sr - flew modern jets (at time), better kill ratio, lost fewer planes
McCain - flew modern jets into combat, abysmal kill ratio, bad leader (acknowledged by almost anyone at the time up to his capture, when they started pretending he was better than he was), lost way too many planes that he shouldn't have.
Bush Jr - flew outdated jets, avoided real combat with them
Bush Sr - flew modern jets (at time), better kill ratio, lost fewer planes
McCain - flew modern jets into combat, abysmal kill ratio, bad leader (acknowledged by almost anyone at the time up to his capture, when they started pretending he was better than he was), lost way too many planes that he shouldn't have.
27
Charles,
Glad you have the guts to admit Smith is better Mugabe. Though I'm a fan of neither. I don't like racists or autocrats. Still, you choose to reside and work in the US not Zimbabwe. I contend that life under Bush is better than life under Mugabe. I also believe that "Bush brought misery to billions" is a bit of a stretch. Whatever, at least I got your attention.
Thanks.
@super jesse
Indeed, I brought up Mugabe (Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe) to compare presidents and presidents not presidents & pilots.
Glad you have the guts to admit Smith is better Mugabe. Though I'm a fan of neither. I don't like racists or autocrats. Still, you choose to reside and work in the US not Zimbabwe. I contend that life under Bush is better than life under Mugabe. I also believe that "Bush brought misery to billions" is a bit of a stretch. Whatever, at least I got your attention.
Thanks.
@super jesse
Indeed, I brought up Mugabe (Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe) to compare presidents and presidents not presidents & pilots.
28
It's hard to say how Bush actually performed in the T.A.N.G (or whether he even reported for duty) considering that most of his service records mysteriously disappeared.
And WTF does life under Bush in America have to do with life under Mugabe? Talk about moving the goal posts in an intellectually dishonest attempt to put a positive spin on one of the (if not the) most failed Presidencies in US history.
Worst. President. Ever.
and
Lamest. Spin. Ever.
And WTF does life under Bush in America have to do with life under Mugabe? Talk about moving the goal posts in an intellectually dishonest attempt to put a positive spin on one of the (if not the) most failed Presidencies in US history.
Worst. President. Ever.
and
Lamest. Spin. Ever.
29
First comment ever and probably the last - but it needs to be said:
Lark, what is your fucking point???!!! Are you really a pompous and obnoxious prick or do you just play one on the internet?
Lark, what is your fucking point???!!! Are you really a pompous and obnoxious prick or do you just play one on the internet?
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