Multiple Issues to Greet Bush on Asia Trip

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051114/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_asia

WASHINGTON - Preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic. Boosting global free-trade talks and tackling sticky trade issues with China. Promoting democracy. Keeping U.S. partners on track in ridding North Korea of its nuclear weapons programs. President Bush embarks Monday on an eight-day Asian trip with a full plate.

White House officials predicted that Bush's visits to Japan, South Korea, China and Mongolia would produce few tangible breakthroughs. Analysts said that was appropriate, since the trip's value lies in countering a drift in the region away from the United States.

China is growing in economic and military might and in its global involvement, which is causing some to worry whether Beijing seeks to rival, or supplant, U.S. influence. Meanwhile, a new collection of Asian states known as the East Asia Summit added participation by Australia, New Zealand and India, but still excludes Washington.

<snip>

White House aides had looked to a November packed with foreign travel as a way to help divert attention from Bush's domestic troubles and slumping poll numbers.

It hasn't worked out that way.



South Korean protesters stand in line to hold anti-Bush placards and banners at a rally against a meeting of Pacific Rim leaders set to promote trade liberalization this week in front of U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Monday, Nov. 14, 2005. Protesters denounced a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, one of 21 leaders due to attend the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit set to open Friday in the southern city of Busan. The Korean letters read 'We are against Bush's visit.' (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

[Demeter]

1. You Know Bush Doesn't Have a Clue About Science

just by watching him pontificate about bird flu. Or history, or politics, or economics, or any other area of human knowledge. He knows nothing of military science, either. All he knows could be learned in your average crime family. He's a third-rate wannabe-Italian mobster.

Except the Mafia probably knows a whole lot more about accounting than Bush will ever master.

[jamesinca]

2. In one of my Nursing magazines

There was an article that looked at the 1918 flu pandemic that killed all of those people. Quite interesting to say the least, but they really downplayed the idea of a flu pandemic of that severity. The potential is there, but we now have a better understanding of transmission, prevention, and the source. We also have antibiotics to take care of co-morbidities such as pneumonia that was prevalent in the flu victims according to the article. There is also speculation that the 1918 flu pandemic may have been the avian flu, or a close strain of it. The article went on to reinforce the idea that the old, young and immune compromised are the most vulnerable as is usual. In 1918, that described most of the world.
My recommendations to Bush 1) don't try to sell them Tami flu 2) help out with something like indoor pluming and water wells 3) leave the global corporate agenda at home 4)apologize!!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. I can't imagine that he would get any better reception in Asis than...

...he got in South America.

All this is doing is keeping him away from the tidal wave of questions from a newly resurgent White House press corps.

[leftchick]

4. New Pics!

ad a new headline... Full Agenda Awaits Bush in Asia :eyes:







A South Korean protester swings a hoe over an effigy depicting U.S. President George W. Bush at a rally against the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul, November 14, 2005. Leaders of economies around the Pacific rim gather this week for a meeting that has evolved from an economic talk-shop into a forum for problems as wide-ranging as birdflu, trade and terrorism. REUTERS/You Sung-Ho

[cliss]

5. There's that photo again -

the black & white one of "Bush, #1 Terrorist". They had that one in England a few years back, we thought it was horrific. Here, though, they have a different script. I'm sure it says approximately the same thing.

The Asians will probably be well-behaved (you can sorta tell from the photo above). They look polite. But the message is still the same:

BUSH GO HOME!!!