"The Dresden atrocity, tremendously expensive and meticulously planned, was so meaningless, finally, that only one person on the entire planet got any benefit from it. I am that person. I wrote this book [Slaughterhouse Five], which earned a lot of money for me and made my reputation, such as it is. One way or another, I got two or three dollars for every person killed. Some business I'm in."
- Kurt Vonnegut
In the spirit of the late, great Kurt Vonnegut, can we not apply this logic to the Bush administration? Can we not calculate how many people died for every gift of unintended humor President Bush gave us?
It's a fair calculation: several hundred thousand dead Iraqis, several thousand dead soldiers and contractors, and almost 3,000 dead Americans on 9-11. That is the cost of his administration in human lives.
There was a benefit, however, a gift that keeps on a giving, a consolation prize of sorts. All these bizarre word manglings that would make us almost pity the man were he some bumbling, mid-level manager rather than a War President, the Decider, who oversaw the killing of all those people on his watch.
Let's settle on a round million dead. Let's also assume there are 100 really juicy Bushisms out there floating around for our eternal amusement. Let's further assume that the average Bush statement is 30 words. Then Bush's enjoyment to death ratio works out to 3 words for every thousand corpses, or 333 dead, mostly dead Iraqis and Pakistanis and Afghans, for every funny Bush word.
Some business we are all in. Mission Accomplished. Since so many paid so much for those malapropisms let's at least enjoy them:
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."
"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."
You teach your child to read and he or her will pass a literacy test.
George W. Bush
We look forward to hearing your vision so we can more better do our job.
George W. Bush 9/21/05
Laura and I really don't realize how bright our children is sometimes until we did an objective analysis.
George W. Bush Meet the Press, NBC, 4/15/2000
My education message will resignate among all parents.
George W. Bush New York Post, 1/19/2000
I do not believe we've put a guilty - I mean, innocent person to death in the state of Texas.
George W. Bush All Things Considered, NPR, June 16, 2000 [Miller, 243] Note that Bush was never known to have spent more than half an hour on any matter, death penalty appeals included.
Well, it seems like to me "Thou shalt not kill" is pretty universal.
George W. Bush GOP Debate, Johnston, Iowa, 1/15/00; Really?
Please… don't kill me!
George W. Bush mocking what Karla Faye Tucker said, when asked, just before her execution, "What would you say to Governor Bush?", Talk, 9/99
Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.
- George W. Bush 8/6/04
Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.
- George W. Bush to FEMA Director Michael Brown
- Kurt Vonnegut
In the spirit of the late, great Kurt Vonnegut, can we not apply this logic to the Bush administration? Can we not calculate how many people died for every gift of unintended humor President Bush gave us?
It's a fair calculation: several hundred thousand dead Iraqis, several thousand dead soldiers and contractors, and almost 3,000 dead Americans on 9-11. That is the cost of his administration in human lives.
There was a benefit, however, a gift that keeps on a giving, a consolation prize of sorts. All these bizarre word manglings that would make us almost pity the man were he some bumbling, mid-level manager rather than a War President, the Decider, who oversaw the killing of all those people on his watch.
Let's settle on a round million dead. Let's also assume there are 100 really juicy Bushisms out there floating around for our eternal amusement. Let's further assume that the average Bush statement is 30 words. Then Bush's enjoyment to death ratio works out to 3 words for every thousand corpses, or 333 dead, mostly dead Iraqis and Pakistanis and Afghans, for every funny Bush word.
Some business we are all in. Mission Accomplished. Since so many paid so much for those malapropisms let's at least enjoy them:
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."
"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."
You teach your child to read and he or her will pass a literacy test.
George W. Bush
We look forward to hearing your vision so we can more better do our job.
George W. Bush 9/21/05
Laura and I really don't realize how bright our children is sometimes until we did an objective analysis.
George W. Bush Meet the Press, NBC, 4/15/2000
My education message will resignate among all parents.
George W. Bush New York Post, 1/19/2000
I do not believe we've put a guilty - I mean, innocent person to death in the state of Texas.
George W. Bush All Things Considered, NPR, June 16, 2000 [Miller, 243] Note that Bush was never known to have spent more than half an hour on any matter, death penalty appeals included.
Well, it seems like to me "Thou shalt not kill" is pretty universal.
George W. Bush GOP Debate, Johnston, Iowa, 1/15/00; Really?
Please… don't kill me!
George W. Bush mocking what Karla Faye Tucker said, when asked, just before her execution, "What would you say to Governor Bush?", Talk, 9/99
Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.
- George W. Bush 8/6/04
Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.
- George W. Bush to FEMA Director Michael Brown
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