The Washington Times

July 24, 2001

A stunning triumph for George W.

George W. put the spike to a cherished stereotype in Genoa.

He arrived at the G-8 summit as the Texas bumpkin who wouldn't know a foreign affair from a Friday-night flirtation in the back row at the last picture show.

When everybody packed up and moved on to Rome the stereotype was in tatters. So was the out-of-date ABM Treaty -- the Bible, the Talmud, the Koran of the arms-control lobby.

George W. did it by hanging tough, by insisting that he would build the missile shield to protect America whether the Europeans, who have never been able to manage their own affairs, like it or not. The breakthrough was dramatic, and on America's terms.

This is the toughness, the perseverance, the determination that persuaded Vladimir Putin, the only European whose opinion actually matters since he has 6,000 missiles and the other guys, the Germans and the French who have caused the rest of the world so much grief over the past century, don't. But not just the Germans and the French. There's a frightened industry right here at home, the arms-control experts whose futures are tied to keeping the world locked in mutual terror. This is the protection racket Al Capone used to intimidate Chicago 75 years ago. If George W.'s missile shield does what it promises to do there won't be any missiles left to control. Everything the clutch of arms-control experts in Washington knows will have been repealed. No more highly paid consultancies, no more seminars at luxury resorts (mostly at taxpayer expense), no more learned gasbaggery for the op-ed pages of the New York Times and The Washington Post. Strobe Talbott, get a job.

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. George W. was just a Texas cowboy, the callow eldest son who was out of his depth in the world at large. He wasn't smart enough to know that when a president goes overseas he's supposed to sit through interminable meetings, saying the obvious things the experts have prepared for him, doing nothing to upset the established and sterile way of doing things.

The Bush triumph was so unexpected that nobody quite knew what to make of it. The media elites retreated into familiar cliches. The Washington Post and the New York Times could hardly bring themselves to state the obvious, that the ABM Treaty was left mortally wounded, and already beginning to give off a distinct aroma.

Because he didn't know any better, George W. approached the Russians as he might have approached another owner looking for a trade: "You want our Hall of Fame third baseman who may be the next Brooks Robinson, it'll cost you. We want two first-string pitchers, a utility infielder and two minor-leaguers to be named later. Take it or leave it. You've got my telephone number."

His performance at Genoa ought to be a lesson for himself as well, teaching him that staking out strong positions and sticking to them may be a very un-Republican way of doing things but it invariably pays off. The Europeans, figuring a treaty that would hobble American industry could teach their upstart cousins a thing or two, are trying to shame us (Bonn's trying to shame anyone for anything for a thousand years offers a new definition of chutzpah) into accepting the Kyoto treaty once rejected by 95 United States senators, including nearly all the Democrats. Hanging tough forced the Europeans into a corner, where they could only make a show of saying they'll abide by Kyoto even if the United States won't. (If they really mean it, we won't have to.)

But it was the missile shield, Ronald Reagan's much-derided "star wars" that critics are scrambling to find credible arguments against in the wake of the latest test results, that is the triumph of Genoa. Some of the president's critics so far can manage only a splutter. "This can give Bush great political cover and minimize criticism from at home and abroad -- if it's serious," said one of them, who consoled himself with an odd "but": George W. has now abandoned his earlier position that Moscow's views were irrelevant.

Well, yes. After your adversary comes around to your point of view, there's no point in pursuing his abandoned argument.

Vladimir Putin understands this, and further recognizes what some of Mr. Bush's critics in the West insist they do not, that the world has changed and so has the way the world's leaders must deal with the changed reality. And so, too, the rest of the world's assessment of the vision thing of the new president of the United States.

"It seemed to me," the Russian leader said, "that his mental reasoning is very deep, very profound. Both of us are aiming at partnership."

Not a bad day's work in any language.

-- Wubya Dubya (Good@job.sir!), July 24, 2001

Answers

Atta boy, Dub.

-- (Paracelsus@Pb.Au), July 24, 2001.

"He arrived at the G-8 summit as the Texas bumpkin who wouldn't know a foreign affair from a Friday-night flirtation in the back row at the last picture show."

HEY!

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), July 24, 2001.

"A stunning triumph for George W."

It's not easy to think straight when you are 'stunned'. It is much easier to see stars and hear birds tweeting around your head. That probably explains the writer's style.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), July 24, 2001.

The story is bullshit. All it basically says is that dumbya stuck to his position despite opposition. Big fucking deal. You know dumbya's dad told him to do it. bwaahaaaa bwaaahaaaa Repugs are so fucking stupid!

-- Tony Baloney (Fuck you@repugs.com), July 24, 2001.

I remember cheering when Reagan walked out of the peace talks at Reykjavik. I don't remember if that was a good thing or a bad thing...

-- helen (memories@re.misleading), July 24, 2001.

Hey Tony Baloney, you foul mouthed little mouse pellet. Somebody out to take you out behind the barn and wash your dirty little fingers off with soap and I'm just the one to get the job done! Your Mom got ya potty trained but you still got a potty mouth.

-- Boswell (fundown@thefarm.net), July 24, 2001.

Now Mr. Boswell, don’t be so hard on my little Tony. He’s been through some rough times of late, what with the failed operation and all. You being around farm animals and such, you can surely appreciation how frustrating it must be for Tony to only be able to watch as I get serviced by the pool boy. Speaking of which, I gotta run now as I see the young lad has arrived, tool in hand. Ta, ta.

-- Mrs. Baloney (at@your.service), July 24, 2001.

Boswell, Shut the fuck up. You Fargin Icehole.

-- lenny (me@any.plc), July 25, 2001.

Of mice and men. Which are you made of Lenny? Do you hide behind the skirt or do you like to scrap? Do you pass the buck or pin it on your shirt? Do you walk upwind or downwind when you pass the manure pile? There's 11 more I want to ask you but lets get these out of the way first.

-- Boswell (fundown@thefarm.net), July 25, 2001.

good morning Boswell =0)

-- (cin@cin.cin), July 25, 2001.

you needle-dicked bug fucker.

-- (im@not.manny), July 25, 2001.

Hey Boswell! Fuck you and the repugs! Does the widdle cuss words hurt your widdle ears? ahhh too fucking bad asswipe. I bet you want to take me out behind the barn and fuck me in the ass just like dumbya does to everyone in the United States. You fuckin repugs just can't get enough butt can you?

-- Tony Baloney (Fuck the@repugs.com), July 25, 2001.

Come along, Boswell, dear. We don't associate with potty-mouth strangers.

-- Boswell's mommy (mommy@dearest.xoxo), July 25, 2001.

Mrs. Boswell, I’m so embarrassed! It seems that my little Tony has developed an attachment for your son but you may rest assured that he is quite harmless. Just a word of caution my dear. You might ask your son to refrain from encouraging Tony in the area of anal sex behind buildings, barns or otherwise. His inability to have sex in the ‘normal’ manner has turned little Tony into a raving she-boy; I think you know what I mean.

Why, last night the neighbor’s had to call the animal control people when they discovered a stray German Shepard mounting Tony from behind. Took four of them to pull the poor thing off and Tony was fit to be tied that the dog had not been allowed to finish the job.

Did I say “fit to be tied”? I am so bad!

-- Mrs. Baloney (at@your.service), July 25, 2001.

Mrs. Baloney, I have taken the liberty to report your story to Animal Control. They will pick up either the German Shepherd or Tony, pending the outcome of the investigation and the determination of jurisdiction.

-- Boswell's mommy (mommy@dearest.xoxo), July 25, 2001.

Oh Mrs. Boswell, you are too late my dear. The authorities picked up the dog early this morning in the men’s room at the Greyhound Bus terminal. After a thorough examination of the dog AND Tony, it was determined that rabies are present. I can tell you that the dog is NOT happy about having to have all of those shots.

-- Mrs. Baloney (at@your.service), July 25, 2001.

You two ladies can babble all ya want too cause I got some unfinished business with Tony. Tony, are you the kind of man that stands for what he believes in or are you what you appear to be? This is my take on you! You are the kind that would be unfaithful to his wife at the drop of a hat. You would let your children go hungry while you downed that last beer. The only friends you have are just like you! A Presidential assassination would bring tears of joy to your eyes. Pot and cocaine are always on the menu! Truth and integrity are meaningless! You have the right to have taxpayers pay all your bills and a thanks would never leave your lips. Religion and love of God is certainly not listed in your black book. You would run and hide from the enemy and let some brave man or woman take a bullet that had your name on it. Thank God this country was founded and built by brave people not like yourself. The name you chose as your handle seems fitting for one as yourself.

-- Boswell (fundown@thefarm.net), July 25, 2001.

Boz, Mrs Baloney, Lorelei, etc,

Don't take Tony literally. He is trolling, trying to make Republican bashers look bad. Doing a good job of it too.

-- (Paracelsus@Pb.Au), July 25, 2001.

hmmm, thanks Parcelusus dued. i don't have many friends. What is pot and cocaine. Where is that dog i met? I love him. he is my firend.

-- Toney Baloney (screw the@repugs.com), July 25, 2001.

Oh my, looks like the doctor was right:

“There may be discomfort or paresthesia at the site of exposure, progressing within days to symptoms of cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation, progressing to delirium, abnormal behavior, and hallucinations.”

Poor little Tony.

-- Mrs. Baloney (at@your.service), July 25, 2001.