GWBush demo

I read it as against George Dubya, not the US, though to be fair they had a fair ammount to answer for before Bush even got in - they are after all one of the biggest polluters, the only superpower, and hold much of the world's wealth, while having a fairly low percentage of the world's population.

Like you say though, they too were duped - quite why Tony can't remove his tongue from George's bottom is beyond me. Where the *President* of the US goes, we're bound to follow.

Funny thing is that he, at least the way I see it, wasn't even let in democratically - he couldn't accept that someone else might well be more popular in the voters' eyes... So does that make him a dictator?

I'd love to be there with some rotten eggs - pity I won't be.

Any intelligent UK citizen though would realise that the Americans are in the same boat we are - governed by morons.

__________________________
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

We've got Bush House surrounded ?

Citizen Fritz innit:

Graham Ricketts

This extract from the publically released itinerary of the Bush visit made me laugh out loud:

quote:

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Tuesday 18: The president and his wife, Laura, arrive in the evening and receive a private welcome from the Prince of Wales

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Now let's see if those rumours are true!

ag

And Bush says "I've heard some ridiculous rumours about you - apparently they have been saying that you may be the king one day".
(sorry - nicked that from Private Eye this week).

quote:

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Whaddayathink? Especially you over there on the other side of the pond?

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People here are expecting it. The protests may be taken more seriously simply because it is the British, traditionally America's staunchest allies.

Many Americans feel exactly the same way as the protesters. For example, I was a reluctant supporter of the war, but I now feel betrayed, duped and embarrassed. However, Americans respect the office of president (if not the person) and will rally round one who comes under attack overseas.

Davie

Davie - Exactly! So if we protest, do consider that good or bad? A hit at the American people?
We do not have your patriotism of course - we didn't ask for our monachy, but you made your own system yourselves, and I respect the difference.

Lob a smelly rotten egg or two for me, will ya?

quote:

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Any intelligent UK citizen though would realise that the Americans are in the same boat we are - governed by morons

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What does that say about ourselves (I have to admit I voted too) in both country's since we elected them? (well sort of in the case of Bush)

Mind you that does'nt take away from the terrifying feeling that here we have two small boys who stuck a firework throught the letter box and then were surprised when the house caught fire.

GEOFFP

Would it not be great to try and convince GWB to beat David Blaine's record in the perspex box ?

Now that WOULD be magic !!!!

Why-oh-why-oh-why isn't GWB addressing the House of Commons over the Iraq war?

Surely that he is the best mass-debater in the history of global politics, it would be the perfect forum for him to explain his actions to a country that went along with his little plan.

ag

I personally love to see other countries around the globe protesting little bushy boy. He is a moron and that is why he actually had appeal here. He appealed to the 'common' person here in the US. He spoke on their level. This is very frightening.

Rasher,

Go protest the f*cker.

Repeated illustrations of this administration's disasterous foreign policy slowly erode support at home -- except at the fringes.

Yet another Italian/French/Turkish/.... mass protest with GB burned in effigy? And now England???

Eric

This is all very sad. If you don't agree with the war, why the hell don't you take a little responsibility for the actions of your own government. I think it is a little unfair fro you to claim that the US is the world's only super-power. By all accounts, the UK is just as powerful where it counts, and that means it had the power (if not the will or forsight to elect somebody who would carry ist true agenda) to make its own decisions regarding Iraq. The French said NO. The Germans said NO! The Russians said NO! You said yes. Take some fucking responsibility for that.

What was it, chaps? Was it W's charisma? His charm, perhaps? Maybe his powerful faculties of persuasion were simply too much for you and your elected officials COME OFF IT. You know as well as the rest of us do that W is a half-wit and has always been one. Your ELECTED PM and parlament went into Iraq because THEY believed in what the US was doing there. To claim that our dim-witted president was able to pull a fast one over on you people is disengenuous at best.

The British public need to take some freaking responsibility for its OWN government undertaking an action against the popular will of its own people. Instead, your hypocrasy will be brought to the fore this week as we contrast the swells of tens of thousands of you taking to the streets this weekend to protest a moron from Texas while your own leadership is given almost a "free pass" on the very same issues and decisions. And, of course, the irony of all of this comes down in large part to the origin of key intelligence -intelligence that your elected leaders provided.

Somebody needs to give you hell for this. The honest among you will recognize your profound hypocrasy and missplaced blame in this matter and start to take a little bit of responsibility for the decisions of your elected leaders in taking you into a war that was unpopular. On the other hand, I hope the riteous among you will see this war for what it was - the liberation of a people pressed under the crushing weight of tyrany, torture, fascism and the greatest deprivation of basic human rights people have seen since the gas chambers of Auswitz. That none among you is willing to see the suffering of millions as justification alone for the stirring of those who are strong to come to the aid of those who are weak reflects unbridled anti-Americanism at best, and unforgivable complacency at worst.

Tony Blair is one of the greatest statesmen of my time. Let us not forget his words:

""Let us say one thing. If we are wrong we will have destroyed a threat that, at its least, is responsible for inhuman carnage and suffering. That is something I am confident history will forgive."

"If our critics are wrong, if we are right as I believe with every fibre of instinct and conviction I have that we are, and we do not act, then we will have hesitated in the face of this menace when we should have given leadership; that is something history will not forgive."

Judd

You keep convincing yourself my friend, let's just hope he pays his London Congestion Charge with all those motors ?
Fritz Keepin it real

Graham Ricketts

Chaps

Do you honestly think that Blair or Bush are concerned what protesors think. They are just wasting their time.

Still it just proves that they love making noises without achieving anything.

Regards

Mick

Mick

When your customers complain to the Post Office do you just ignore them or does the PO reconsider its services?

Tom

Actively enjoying it all

The protestors are moaning about something that has already happened and they cannot affect what is going to happen in Iraq. No one will take any notice of them at all.

That is entirely different from customer care issues.

Regards

Mick

So the government isn't answerable to the people? Anyway I thought they were protesting about the continuing occupation of Iraq and the general tone of the US/UK foreign policy which appears not totally inline with what the voters want. How else do they make their feelings known?

Tom

Actively enjoying it all

Both governments were elected by the people to do a job and they are doing it.

I suspect Blair will still win the next election, so why should he worry about what the protestors think. Votes count, protestors don't.

Regards

Mick

I think that Justin makes some very valid points. I think the war was a terrible mistake, but let's not forget who got the UK into it, and make sure we hold him accountable at the next general election!

If I wanted to commit any kind of crime in London, I'd do it during the visit. There's going to be no policemen around except at the demo!

Mick: I'm not so sure about Blair winning the next time. He's majorly pissing off practically everyome who may vote labour, while sucking up to those who never will. Dropping the fox hunting bill is the last straw for me - and I've been giving him the benefit of the doubt for ages now. The thought of Howard as Prime Minister makes me quite ill though - so I *may* repent when push comes to shove.



Regards

Stephen

quote:

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Originally posted by Mick Parry:
Votes count, protestors don't.

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Protestors are voters and are viewed as the vocal percentage of public opinion, i.e. for every voter protesting on the street there are many more at home who agree with them. Protests do work, e.g. Poll Tax.

There may be more effective ways of protesting but the government does take notice even if they then reject the complaint.

Tom

Actively enjoying it all

Judd – Good points certainly, and I agree with you largely. I don't accept that the war was justified though. Our protest towards Blair here is well underway and there can be no denying that he is being given a very rough ride. There is no letting him off the hook – don’t imagine that for a moment. But it is Bush that I am particularly interested in here though, with Thursdays visit, and it will embarrass Blair enormously. You seem to take this as a protest against the USA as a whole (or Superpower as you put it), and I'm not sure that is the intention. That is why I asked. I wouldn't want that.

Mick - My mother tells me that protests are a waste of time - all politicians are the same anyway - it will never make any difference - the world is doomed anyway so why bother - .......
So, being born was just a waste of time then, eh?
Generations of people have fought for the right to vote, to protest, to elect a democratic government...it wasn't just gifted to us. As a matter of fact, just look at what we are talking about here - the USA!! They took it for themselves and made the country from scratch. Wrote the constitution and took it from there. Try and be proud of what we have and why we have it.

Judd – Just while I’m on the subject – France I believe to be the reason we went to war in the first place when we did.
Discussions at the run up to conflict were concentrating on the option of going to war or waiting for a decision from the UN. Here, we were waiting and Blair was stalling Bush in order to allow the UN to do their thing and decide – and the general feeling here is that we would abide by the UN decision. No-one ever imagined that the UN option would disappear and the UN fall apart so publicly – all because France said that they would not support a war no matter what the UN decision. This undermined the UN position and they fell apart, leaving no option other than to go to war because the process had started and only the UN could stop it. France brought forward the start of the war. They were not instrumental in stopping it!!