W. did explain his reasons for the invasion of Iraq: to combat a dictator "enriched by oil", with "the capacity to build weapons", and worst of all, an "aggressive attitude toward the United States." Many in the audience nodded encouragingly. It was all the explanation they needed.
Bush Jr. also recalled his emotions on 9/11: "anger", "unspeakable sadness," and feeling "helpless", but then his "instincts kicked in" -- though not immediately, because "The leader of an organization cannot overreact"I made the decision just to wait." He made the decision to wait and then overreact, I guess (starting a new Cold War-like era of belligerence against the entire world, and so on). But at least, while he was in that classroom, he avoided upsetting the children. And when he made that first speech about 9/11, he "wanted to console and help people try to heal" -- it was only on the next day and subsequent seven years that he wanted to scare the bejesus out of everyone.
But this crowd had a special relationship with Bejesus: when Bush recalled using his 9/14/01 cathedral speech to "try to start the grieving process" and yet also to "let the enemy know we're going to come and get them," the congregation jumped to their feet in a thunderous ovation. It may have been their favorite part of the whole evening. Bush had actually been trying to say that he was worried in 2001 about expressing a war-like sentiment in a church, but he looked at the bloodthirsty throng of Orange County citizens in the Saddleback Church on Mon., and didn't even bother to finish his sentence.
In a gee-shucks way that his audience lapped up, Bush also stressed that he didn't know much about economics, but when told of the fiscal crisis, "didn't want to gamble on whether or not we had a depression." And so, this former friend of Ken Lay, "decided to use your money to bail out Wall Street, and I was really unhappy about it, but nonetheless I do believe that decision saved the country from a depression."
The Clowner-in-Chief spent a fair amount of time talking about humor and how important it is to him, since it's a "sign of a relaxed personality" -- quite evidently a priority for him in times of national crisis. He joked frequently during the dialogue, impressing the audience with his modesty and folksiness while turning it around at the same time. For example, he quipped that people are surprised he can write a book, since they don't even think he can read one. Then he casually mentioned that the way he read 92 history books in one year was to read on the exercise machine and wherever he could. Warren did not ask if TinTin comics count as history books.
The evening was almost over when Bush proclaimed that "Everyone loves America." His audience seemed momentarily confused, since after all he'd spent his presidency telling us that we were surrounded by people who hate us for our freedom. Then, a Middle Eastern-looking man in a somber suit, sitting by himself, stood up from the very back of the auditorium and began purposefully walking forward. It was at this dramatic moment that I remembered there had been no metal detectors at the entrance; security seemed to remember it at just that moment too. But the gentleman turned to the nearest exit and went to find the restroom. Later it turned out he was Latino.
When it was all over, a complete stranger said to me, beaming: "It doesn't get any better than that." By that point I had lost all ability to form words, so I merely glowered back. Before crawling into my car with its "Jesus called: he wants his religion back" bumper sticker, I checked all my tires and lights for damage. Then I realized that they would have had no need to assault my car. Decision Points is currently at #1 on the L.A. Times hardcover non-fiction list.
Our efforts to move the book to the True Crime, Fantasy, and Psychotherapy sections of our local bookstores have clearly been inadequate. And when a man that the Mayor of London has warned might be arrested as a war criminal if he shows his face in the borough can get away with telling such whoppers -- and the public's response is to think it would make a good Christmas gift -- then it would indeed seem that we are well and truly fucked.
However, one small glimmer of hope struck me. Twice during the book talk, Bush referred to the time when "it looked like Iraq was lost." Bush said that. As in, Mr. Chauncey Gardiner, who kept perpetually saying that the U.S. was just about to claim victory in Iraq, any minute now. He didn't even believe it himself? It seems like a chink in the armor. Perhaps there are others. Of course he's trying to resurrect his image, but he clearly is aware of his unpopularity; when the Saddleback Church audience stood and cheered one of his remarks, he ad-libbed "Thanks. I forgot what it was like." That lifts the gloom a little, to hear that the delusional narcissist is aware he's not universally admired.
Hell, I might even be persuaded to place a bet on justice being done and the old man getting a fair trial some day. Sometimes you just have to place your bets on principle. In any case, I've been known to back a few losing causes in my day.
(* by Jennifer Epps, in tribute)
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