The image is next to CSPAN’s announcement of its special London Bombings Coverage tonight. I find the image utterly comical for some reason! But I can’t find the words to describe it. Help me!
And it reminded me of what I’d just read at columnist Chris Floyd’s blog, Empire Burlesque. Floyd was at Heathrow this morning when the attacks came. He didn’t know what was going on until he got into London by taxi. …
“Then Tony Blair appeared on the screen. A brief statement, very halting, off-kilter, apparently choked with emotion. A short time later he was there again, this time with the whole panalopy of G8 leaders and the various world worthies that were attending them at Gleneagles. As the cameras narrowed in, Blair was framed with a somber Jacques Chirac towering over his left shoulder, while good angel standing at his right was George W. Bush, standing stiffly with that striking look of profound constipation he wears on portentous public occasions. … more below:
What a vertiginous, wrenching disconnection from reality in those words! Here were two men responsible for the deaths of up to 100,000 innocent people if not more; two men whom – as the Downing Street Memos prove – knowingly launched a war of aggression based on “fixed” intelligence, in defiance of the laws of their own nations and international law as well. Today’s violence and destruction in London – horrific, sickening, indeed barbaric – still pales in comparison to the epic destruction, looting, chaos and death that Bush and Blair have inflicted upon Iraq. The hour of destruction and fear in London, and a day of partial paralysis (already easing as I write, at 5 p.m.), while terrible in its own right, especially for those left grieving or injured, again pales in comparison to the daily horror Bush and Blair have engendered in Iraq, particularly Baghdad, where the simplest actions of daily life have become a dance with death, where the people live and breathe fear, ruin, terror and strife every day of their lives.
Bush has done this. Blair has done this. They didn’t have to do it. There were no compelling reasons of national security or national survival that compelled them to launch this murderous action – a war of aggression in the very heart of Islam, a war that the US-UK intelligence services admit has engendered more terrorism. They have made senseless, violent, barbaric war on others; and now others make senseless, violent, barbaric war on them. This not to excuse the terrorists in any way. Their crime is as heinous as the war made by the great Christian statesmen. Murder is murder – foul, brutal, the all-devouring of a unique human consciousness – whether it is carried out wholesale in aggressive war and state terrorism, or in the “asymmetrical,” piecemeal attacks of stateless terrorists, or one on one, between individuals. But you cannot make war and not expect war in return. Once you set the red wheel of slaughter in motion, you can’t control it, now matter how powerful you are – or think you are.
I wrote some lines the day after September 11 that still hold true, I think, on this new day of infamy, July 7: “Blood will have blood; that’s certain. But blood will not end it. For murder is fertile: it breeds more death, like a spider laden with a thousand eggs. And who now can break this cycle, which has been going on for generations?”
****
There is much else to say on the London bombing and its ramifications, but I’m too tired at the moment. I had to break off this blog post earlier tonight to write a story at the request of the Bergen Record in New Jersey, where I used to free-lance quite a bit. They called to ask for a story on the London situation, to be turned around in just a few hours. I will either continue this post tomorrow, or else post the NJ story.
posted by Chris Floyd at 11:29 PM
P.S. Would you believe that, the other day, Chris Floyd lamented the lack of traffic at his blog? We regular visitors wrote him notes of encouragement. I think he’s positively brilliant. I treasure his anger, his knowledge of politics and literature, and his ability to write. His newspaper columns are published in the Moscow Times and St. Petersburg Times every week.
again from critics and low polls.
They look like wax statues.
Damn, this isn’t what Karl said was going to be happeing here. I just thought I was gonna meet Bono.
That’s so funny.
And add, “Shit. Those scrapes on my arm and hands hurt. That damn policeman! Why didn’t he jump outta my way, or catch me?!”
“And these are the life-like replicas of world leaders that we used at Gleneagles to foil any terrorist attacks. For this reason alone the outcomes of our meeting is historic. Never has so much wax contributed so little for so many”.
” the life-like replicas of world leaders” YES! exactly! Like those wax museums. Really odd.
too!! I didn’t knwo he had his own blog though — bookmarked and THANK you, Susan (if I had a dime for every time I have written and/or though that! lol)
Several years ago, after I had read a few of his columns, I wrote and asked him if he might be the same Chris Floyd who was my best friend when I was six (with other details and compliments on his writing and such all) — he responded right away and was so gracious about it…I am so glad to see him blogging! I will be a regular from now on! Still haven’t found my bud though — last time I saw him, he was just back from Gulf War 1…..
That’s wonderful, Brinnaine. And thank you!
I think he’s a smashingly good writer. He doesn’t have an RSS feed (I asked him to add one), so I’ve got him bookmarked and pop in at least once a day.
It was great to read his riff on Tony Blair et al.
The other day, after he posted that his blog traffic was low, many people wrote complimentary notes, and he responded to all of them.
Just read through that thread…what a class act he is and damned talented as well!
Forgot to mention yesterday — I saw in that thread that you mentioned Unknown News — I have a huge place in my heart for the Highwaters too, when I first decided to get my news elsewhere on a permanent basis (9/12/01), they were one of the first sites that I began to frequent daily — they have more heart and grit (my favorite combo) than a million other people on the web!
Did he turn out to be your childhood friend?
Nope…still looking for my Chris…if I could remember exactly what branch of the service he was in (I think Army) maybe they would help me…saw him once when he came home from Iraq in ’91 (he had been back for about 2 weeks) and I haven’t seen him since…
That’s the same, stunned, “I’m not in control” look he had on 9/11. Clueless, utterly clueless. (calling the master of pics – bood adides – for a side by side comparison)…
My caption would be:
“Where the heck is my earpiece so I can have somebody tell me what the hell to do here?”
bood abides: No Photoshop Opportunity Left Behind
“Hmmm… what’s that lump in Tony’s back? Does Dick talk to him, too?”
Kinda OT but it speaks to the PATHOLOGY that is Brit Hume:
Hume’s “first thought” on hearing of London attacks: It’s “time to buy” futures
Today, 4:21 PM
During Fox News’ coverage of the July 7 London bombings, Washington managing editor Brit Hume told host Shepard Smith that his “first thought,” when he “heard there had been this attack” and saw the low futures market, was “Hmmm, time to buy.” Smith had asked Hume to comment on the lack of a negative U.S. stock market reaction to the London attacks.
From Fox News’ July 7 breaking news coverage between 1 and 2 p.m. ET:
SMITH: Some of the things you might expect to happen, for instance, a drop in the stock market and some degree of uncertainty across this country — none of that really seen today, and I wonder if the timing of it — that it happened in the middle of the night and we were able to get a sense of the grander scheme of things — wasn’t helpful in all this.
HUME: Well, maybe. The other thing is, of course, people have — you know, the market was down. It was down yesterday, and you know, you may have had some bargain-hunting going on. I mean, my first thought when I heard — just on a personal basis, when I heard there had been this attack and I saw the futures this morning, which were really in the tank, I thought, “Hmmm, time to buy.” Others may have thought that as well. But you never know about the markets. But obviously, if the markets had behaved badly, that would obviously add to people’s sense of alarm about it. But there has been a lot of reassurance coming, particularly in the way that — partly in the way the Brits handled all this, but also in the way that officials here handled it. There seems to be no great fear that something like that is going to happen here, although there’s no indication that we here had any advance warning.
Fucking pompous asshole.
Gosh, my first reaction was, “I hope no one has been killed.” Of course that hope proved futile, and at least 700 have been counted among the injured in addition to the 37 dead, but we can’t allow that Brit Hume might trouble his head about the loss of innocent life.
I used to think that being English or American meant that your life was worth more to the heartless sons of bitches who run the British and American governments and the corporations that own them.
Now, I’m beginning to think that anybody who hasn’t got a fat bank account just doesn’t matter. We’re all just pawns to be swept off the board.
I hope Hume loses all of his money in the stock market, by the way.
All units relate.
All units.
Norman, coordinate.
Unhappiness does not relate.
We must study this.
Star Trek, “I, Mudd”
classic “Trek” episodes.
To paraphrase Elaine of “Seinfeld”, definitely “4”-worthy…
okay, gooserock, give me the cool html for the cool box. :>)
Bush: “Damn, I could be clearing brush in Crawford.”
Is that Larry Bud Melman in the turban?
Showing my ignorance here, but who is that?
He was one of David Letterman’s more bizarre sidekicks. He used to do promos for “Toast on Stick.” He was short, pudgy, wore those heavy black glasses, and had that same stiff, tortured posture.
But seriously, is this a photo of particularly bad display at Madame Trousseau’s Wax Museum, or what?
He was a delight. Did he pass away?
“How does he remember all those big words? They must be written down.”
“Now nobody’s gonna remember I fell off my bike and hurt myself on MY BIRTHDAY!”
“profound constipation he wears on portentous public occasions.”
What a sentence. That’s why people say you are a good writer.
I boycotted Bush today so I can’t possible think of a
caption. Having him demean the victims with some
nonesense would have been too much for me.
Chris Floyd wrote that. He’s a truly wonderful writer. His blog is a trip to visit… I think I love his anger even more than his writing.
(And thanks for thinking it might be me. I’m honored.)
Sybil, it’s near time you bring out the little Iraqi girl again. We need to see her.
Thanks,
Little Baghdad girl is here
“Hey Kid’s, be the first on your block to own the 2005 THUNDERBIRDS ACTION TEAM set. Complete with secret underground Thunderbird meeting chamber, and realistic dais. Each set also comes with the revolutionary micro cable puppet strings, and the hand held ‘Rovecontroller’!
“If I had known that the set was going to be so blue, I definitely would have rocked a red tie!”
of “My Pet Goat” . . . Maybe Laura can read it too me after I get in my jammies.
First I looked at the photo and told myself, “Be mature. Don’t laugh. Don’t you laugh.” That was followed by a hearty and lengthy Bwaaaaaahahahahahaha.
I felt light for an instant.
Then I read Chris Floyd’s words and it brought me back to reality. Can Bush and Blair possibly be so blind? Do they think we are? Are they total hypocrites or are they really and truly clueless?
Heavy inside again.
last night on Countdown and my first thought was, What is with all the baby blue? Same tie and background color as Bush’s last speech. Whoever designs these events is enthralled with this color and I wonder what subliminal message they think it’s sending.
The way the clip was framed, Tony was in the middle with only Chirac and Bush visible behind him. Chirac stared straight ahead with a dignified, somber look. And there was Bush, breathing thru his mouth, looking like an idiot. I became fascinated by his beady eyes darting back and forth, back and forth. What was he doing? Scanning for snipers? He looked either panicked or utterly vaccuous, not sure which. Maybe both. But definitely not in control of himself.
Maybe the set designer is a liberal and is sending subliminal messages..Think BLUE!
I noticed that almost immediately yesterday. Bush looks like an uncomfortable buffoon, feeling squeezed and wanting a fix, bad!
From my post over at dkos yesterday in the midday thread…
I’m lucky to get BBCNewsworld. They broadcast Blair’s speech from GlenEagles. The other G8 dignitaries surround him. There, of course, is George. He’s not standing dignified like Chirac, hands held together below the waist. Nope, he’s standing as though he’s at attention. He looks like a puppet with a stick shoved up his ass. Then his eyes start to do the shifty thing…looking one way, looking another, “That kamra lookin’ at meah?” And his jaw starts to go. Was he going through withdrawal? At least he was evident, and not reading a child’s story, or hiding on an airplane.
Bush: “Hey Tony, who let the towelhead in here?”
Bubble over Blair’s head: I knew I should have worn my brown suit instead of this black one.
Bubble over Chirac’s head: God, the food here stinks. I can’t wait to go home for some good foie gras
Bubble over Bush’s head: Mommy, I’ve got to go potty!
I’m not witty enough to think of a good caption but this was my thought exactly (though Floyd’s is much better phrased), seeing Bush in that lineup: “standing stiffly with that striking look of profound constipation he wears on portentous public occasions.”
What is it with him? I know I’m not the only one who JUST CAN HARDLY BEAR TO LOOK AT HIM. He makes me want to throw up. <pant, pant, cut off rant before I lose control… must… focus on something else now>
Thank you Susan for pointing out Chris Floyd’s blog.
I noticed it when I saw it live.
Underneath his right vest there is a bulge. Is he left handed. I originally thought “Is he packing a shoulder holster?” and I dismissed it, but recalled the back bulge during the debate.
Maybe it’s a colostomy bag???
If it is, then it’s a defective colostomy bag because he has diarrhea of the mouth.
Why’s Poodle-Boy still talkin? When is it gonna be mah turn ta talk? Don’t they know I’m the one that’s the War Presdint and Leader of the Free World?
or, simply:
He’s stealin my words! Terra, Freedum, them’s mah words!
I particularly like this one because he’s famous for answering questions directed at others, or interrupting them.
showing. He uses I, Me, My, more than anyone I’ve ever heard. It’s ALL about him.
And just let anyone try to interrupt him! Daggers shoot out of his eyes.