Bush just doesn't get it

[Resistance]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1009739,00.html

But when Mr Sharon in Washington went on to defy the US president, to his face, over Israel's construction of the West Bank security wall, and to ignore the road map's requirement for a freezing of settlement activities, Palestinian suspicions that he is engaged in the old game of talking peace while seizing more and more Palestinian land understandably deepen.

In terms of the bottom line, all Mr Sharon committed Israel to do was to take unspecified "additional steps ... if calm prevails and we witness the dismantlement of terror organisations". This is no commitment at all. And still Mr Bush kept smiling.

Mr Bush also seems quite happy to be almost blatantly bamboozled by Mr Sharon, who is a much more wily and subtle politician that the former Texas governor will ever be accused of being. The Israeli leader must be privately delighted to have a US counterpart who is so easy to handle.

The way Mr Sharon flatters him so outrageously suggests just a smidgin of an older man's condescension.

But Mr Bush's biggest blind spot stems not from his vanity, but from his utter, simplistic determination to cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the fundamental, black and white, for-us-or-against-us terms of his "war on terror"...

[mmm]

1. Bush may not even understand the situation

He is the major contributor to the horrible evil
inflicted on Palestine and yet he may not even understand
the situation. Kucinich, by the way, seems to be the only candidate
who would put Israel to the fire. One more reason Kucinich is the only
real choice.

[Classical_Liberal]

6. He is just playing good cop to Sharon's bad cop

He gets it, but like sharons's voters Bush voters are prosettlements. He stages these talks to placate moderates, but he isn't going to create a Palestinians state. There is no way in hell he will do it.

[displacedtexan]

2. bush* doesn't get it, and

his handlers can't sell it without lies!

[CitizenDick]

3. Lay off Sharon

Just because he's building a wall past the Green Line and expanding settlements doesn't mean he's trying to undermine the Roadmap. Right? (sarcasm off)

[Resistance]

4. transcript of the Bush-Sharon love-fest

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0307/S00373.htm

PRESIDENT BUSH: Good day. I'm pleased to welcome Prime Minister Ariel Sharon back to the White House. I think you said this is our eighth meeting --

PRIME MINISTER SHARON: Eighth meeting here.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Eighth meeting in Washington. That should indicate to everybody that our nations have a deep and abiding friendship.

PRIME MINISTER SHARON: Mr. President, it is a great privilege for me to be here at the White House for the eighth time. I am always pleased to visit, and feel that I am among friends, true friends of the state and the people of Israel.

Mr. President, I congratulate you on the impressive victory in the Iraqi campaign and for removing Saddam Hussein from power, one of the most ruthless and tyrannical leaders in history. For 30 years, the free world has witnessed the recklessness and brutality of this dictator. Only you, Mr. President, have shown the courage, determination and leadership needed to spearhead the successful campaign to oust this ruthless, merciless despot, his dynasty an evil regime.

[CitizenDick]

5. ...

:puke: