Ok, I'll try a charitable reading in baa's absence. "God told me to X," is, from GWB in this context, a way of demonstrating his firm unswerving commitment to X. The craziness of invading Iraq didn't stop me from invading Iraq, and likewise nothing will stop me from establishing the hell out of a Palestinian state. It's a kind of ritual performance, not a literal claim that God told him to do anything.
Another possible reading is that GWB is talking to Abbas in what he thinks is language he'll understand. I do find it odd that he didn't say that God had instructed him that after a certain date he had to focus on the election and the Palestinians could go fiddle...
oh god I just had a flash of "I hate that fucker."
It's actually worse -- they cleaned up Bush's English, as they so often do. What he really said was:
"And the Lord said unto me, 'Thou shalt smite the Ten Lost Tribes", and I smote them. And when he saw that the tribes was smitten, he then said unto me, "Thou shalt smite Babylon....." etc.
Top Pakistani and US officials are to develop a new consensus strategy to combat the renewed al-Qaeda and Taliban threat as US-led coalition intelligence is convinced that this nexus has consolidated in Afghanistan to such an extent that it is using the country as a sanctuary from which to direct global operations.
It was for this very reason that the US invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 as the Taliban had allowed Osama bin Laden to take up residence in the country, set up jihadi training camps and, among other things, plan for September 11. Since the Taliban's almost overnight retreat in face of that invasion, they have slowly reestablished themselves in parts of Afghanistan, as well as in Pakistani territory in remote border areas.
I blame baa.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:08 AM
Holy shit.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:13 AM
And then God told me, "And stop playing with yourself," and I said to myself, "It really is God!"
Posted by My Alter Ego | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:13 AM
Good heavens. I figured you were kidding till I followed the link.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:14 AM
This is silly, though. It's not like there's bishops in charge or anything.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:17 AM
I wonder if this is related to that receiver he wears.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:17 AM
Ok, I'll try a charitable reading in baa's absence. "God told me to X," is, from GWB in this context, a way of demonstrating his firm unswerving commitment to X. The craziness of invading Iraq didn't stop me from invading Iraq, and likewise nothing will stop me from establishing the hell out of a Palestinian state. It's a kind of ritual performance, not a literal claim that God told him to do anything.
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:23 AM
It was bound to happen sooner or later: Fontana Labs is banned!
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:25 AM
I really, really miss that feeling I had through the '90s that my president was smarter than me. Oh, how I miss it.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:38 AM
Another possible reading is that GWB is talking to Abbas in what he thinks is language he'll understand. I do find it odd that he didn't say that God had instructed him that after a certain date he had to focus on the election and the Palestinians could go fiddle...
oh god I just had a flash of "I hate that fucker."
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:43 AM
Shrill, MW.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:44 AM
I wonder if this is related to that receiver he wears.
Nah, that's just something that gives him a shock when he forgets to breathe.
Posted by mcmc | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:55 AM
It's actually worse -- they cleaned up Bush's English, as they so often do. What he really said was:
"And the Lord said unto me, 'Thou shalt smite the Ten Lost Tribes", and I smote them. And when he saw that the tribes was smitten, he then said unto me, "Thou shalt smite Babylon....." etc.
Proof that the Afghans are the Ten Lost Tribes:
http://www.answering-christianity.com/lost_people_of_israel.htm
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 11:59 AM
"were smitten".
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 12:07 PM
"Oh, George!" they said.
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 12:13 PM
Speaking of Afghanistan, baa might want to revisit his evaluation of our success there.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 10- 6-05 12:24 PM