Bush Calls for 'Culture Change'

[Dover]

In interview, President says new era of responsibility should replace 'feel-good.'

President George W. Bush, in a rare on-the-record session with religion editors and writers on Wednesday, said his job as president is to "change cultures."

In wide-ranging comments inside the Roosevelt Room, Bush spoke passionately about his resolve to establish a free Iraq, his desire to promote cultural change in the United States through his faith-based initiative, and his belief in the power of prayer. Appearing relaxed and self-assured, the President also reaffirmed his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment, urging the American people to become more involved.

Taking a firm line on the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, Bush said that while he was sorry for those who had been humiliated, and has said so publicly, "I never apologized to the Arab world."

The on-the-record session included a period where the nine Christian editors and writers (including two who have served as Bush advisors) asked questions.

Writers and news executives included CT senior news writer Sheryl Henderson Blunt; James V. Heidinger II, president and publisher of Good News; Deal Hudson, editor of Crisis Magazine; James Kushiner, editor of Touchstone magazine; David L. Mahsman, Director of News and Information and Executive Editor for The Lutheran Witness and Reporter of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod; Father Richard John Neuhaus, editor-in-chief, First Things; World Magazine editor Marvin Olasky; Catholic writer Russell Shaw; Stephen Strang, founder of Strang Communications.

Following is an edited transcript of the May 26, 2004, session....

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/121/51.0.html

[Media_Lies_Daily]

1. Let's start with the FratBoy Fuhrer and his NeoCon fellow-travellers.

[achtung_circus]

2. culture is bottom-up

Something imposed from above is group think.

[stellanoir]

3. I want a culture change too. . .

Let's outsource him. I hear that the Irish and Italians are so-o-o looking forward to his upcoming visit.

Maybe the Pope will throw him in the catacombs. . .wishfully thinking here. . .

[peacefreak]

4. Excuse me????

HE'S talking about responsibility? Let's see him practice what he preaches

[Raster]

22. i know, the bitter irony... gee-dubya talking about responsibility...

...it's enough to make you shake your head in wonder.

[cap]

5. well, he has changed the "feel good" part

I don't feel good with him in charge. I felt good with Clinton. Now I dont any more.

Let's not get into personal responsibility...what about who's responsible for the prison system in Iraq?

[cosmicdot]

6. "Following is an edited transcript of the May 26, 2004, session"

was this another rehearsed script?

history should be able to read the unedited version

There's a "poll" on that page.


The mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib is primarily due to:


Anti-Muslim sentiment:
5%
American bloodlust:
3%
Battlefield stress:
6%
The depravity of American culture:
13%
The total depravity of each person:
24%
Proliferating pornography:
3%
Moral relativism:
9%
The need to get information from enemies:
8%
Secularism:
2%
A systemic problem in the U.S. military:
11%
Allowing women in combat:
11%
I don't know:
6%

[Fovea]

26. I would have liked to see another poll choice

A response to orders down the entire chain of command, starting in the White House.

[ugarte]

7. He said he was 'sorry but never apologized'

How typically Bush, speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

[RC]

8. First you have to know the meaning of sorry and apologize...

since he never takes responsibility, he can't be sorry for his actions, so therefore he needn't apologize.

[Gman]

9. Bush nods an OK to the Culture War

encouraging the RW warriors to continue their good fight.

[ColdWarZoomie]

10. I've Landed on Cloud Koo-koo Land

What's happened to the GOP in the last 15 years? Absolutely NOTHING these knuckleheads say makes sense anymore.

Pretty sad when I look back at the Reagan years and think "Gee, they were a pretty good bunch of straight-talking, stand-up guys!"

[Miss Authoritiva]

11. One of the many, many things I hate about Bush and Bush-speak

is that he uses HUGE ABSTRACTIONS as if they were moveable, physical objects, eg, the line that his job as president is to "change cultures" or the other statement about "replacing" eras. What an incredibly unfortunate mind-set.

[bobbieinok]

12. check out Marvin Olafsky - he's a nasty critter

[bobbieinok]

13. 'left Christian' magazines missing - Sojourners, National Catholic

Reporter.

[bobbieinok]

14. and Christian Century

[special_k16]

15. I think Bush's job should be....

to fix all the messes he's created, like the war in Iraq and the US economy before he starts worrying about something so trivial as "changing cultures".

[newyawker99]

20. Hi special_k16!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[cestmoi]

16. HMMM.... HOW MANY VACATION DAYS HAS HE TAKEN?

[Cocoa]

17. this is why I can't wait for the Sharon Bush book

we'll see if Christianity Today runs a review of it.

[reprehensor]

18. He's got nothing else to run on. n/t

[giant_robot]

19. Does anyone remember this?

The Guardian, London
"Diary" column
By Matthew Norman
March 21, 2003

From the New York Times comes a little snippet to set at rest any lingering doubts about George Bush's fitness to lead the free world.

As he sat behind his Oval Office desk just before he addressed the US on Wednesday night, Dubya picked up a copy of his speech in which he would tell the world that he had launched military strikes to topple Saddam.

According to one who witnessed the scene on a TV monitor, the president shook his fist, turned to an aide elsewhere in the room and said, with feeling: "Feels good!"

:wtf:

http://www.amadorpeace.org/guard01.htm

[Martin Eden]

21. Bush-ism, deconstructed:

During the question and answer session, this exchange took place:

Do you believe there is anything inherently evil in the way some practice Islam that stands in the way of the pursuit of democracy and freedom?

I think what we're dealing with are people—extreme, radical people—who've got a deep desire to spread an ideology that is anti-women, anti-free thought, anti- art and science, you know, that couch their language in religious terms. But that doesn't make them religious people. I think they conveniently use religion to kill. The religion I know is not one that encourages killing. I think that they want to drive us out of parts of the world so they're better able to have a base from which to operate. I think it's very much more like an … "ism" than a group with territorial ambition.

Let's try a little deconstruction:
radical people who've got a deep desire to spread an ideology
Such as the neoconservative ideologues who shape your foreign policy and the fundie Christians who are your cultural base?

anti-women
Like denying them the right to make reproductive decisions?

anti-free thought
attacking and smearing anyone who publicly questions your policies

anti- art and science
Art is OK as long as it conforms to your cultural world view;
scientific results are to be manipulated or redacted to conform to your policy

couch their language in religious terms
Uh, George, you kinda tend to invoke God or use religious phraseology in all your speeches

I think they conveniently use religion to kill
You conveniently use religion to gain political power; how many people have you killed so far?

I think that they want to drive us out of parts of the world so they're better able to have a base from which to operate
While you continually expand your bases of operation

I think it's very much more like an -"ism" than a group with territorial ambition
Bush-ism is carefully crafted propaganda designed to make the American people believe that territorial ambition is actually the spreading of freedom

[Miss Authoritiva]

23. Excellent de-construction!

And as the article on Leo Strauss and the neoconservatives in this month's "Harper's" makes clear, inconsistency, illogic, and inherent contradictions in the "process" of implementing one's neoconservative ideology are not only acceptable but also encouraged.

[Manix]

24. ..what a shameless liar !!

[myopic4141]

25. We do need a culture change.

However, it is not the culture change that Bush and his apologists envision. Slowly, the face of America has been moving away from the values of America thanks to the conservative movement that has taken over this country. The "not freedom from religion" goal of Fundamentalist Christians is being used to impose their religion on others under the guise that "freedom from" must be segregate from "freedom of" when the reality is that the latter cannot exist without the former. After all, to practice one's own religion, one must be free from the imposition of another's.
"Liberty over life", the inherent risk found when living under the umbrella of freedom must once again replace the "life over liberty" stance of our leaders. One may not be able to live a life of liberty when not alive; but, there is little good in the quality of life without the umbrella a liberty. The risk aversion that has permeated our psyche needs to be purged to regain the American spirit so that we once again can live a truly free people.
The "end justifies the means and damn the peripheral consequence" attitude which endangers rather than protects the innocent needs to be expunged from the current mindset towards achievement of goals. Such a mindset has only brought us the policies of preemptive war and preemptive crime which harms the innocent as well as the guilty. Once engaged, neither preemptive war nor preemptive crime cannot be undone. Those who have given the ultimate sacrifice remain gone regardless of the righteousness of a cause. How many innocent lives need be destroyed to protect a single American life? That is a question that needs to asked before carrying unnecessary wars to a foreign soil in the name of America. The policy of "don't tread on me" was founded under this principle. A policy where America prepared itself to absorb an attack from others, then proceed to extract retribution on the perpetuator with all the wrath America could generate be it nation state or individual the ire is leveled against.
America use to be viewed as a nation of "good vs evil" rather than "the lesser of two evils" as it now viewed. A perception resulting from the actions of our leaders who put expediency over adherence to principles. Individuals who may be religious in their beliefs; but, have no faith in what they believe in for they chose non-adherence at the drop of a hat over adherence. This nation is now awash in the hypocrisy of fanatics, all leading us down the path of self destruction. It is their delusions which have changed the culture to one that once again needs changing. Yes, the culture does need change; but, it is a change to what we once were and not as we are now becoming. Only a change in leadership will effect the change that is needed for the current leadership is far too corrupted to change itself.

[yellowcanine]

27. Regime change would be a good start. That would be a big culture

change right there, eh, Georgie?

[struggle4progress]

29. Much more of Boy George might drive traditional moderates ...

into the revolutionary camp.

[Fovea]

28. Breathtaking in its hubris.

From now on, I advise staying far away from our President. Lightning has been known to strike miles away from the source.

[Disturbed]

30. WTF?

He didn't apologize to the Arabs about the prison abuse and torture?

Of course he didn't mention torture, just humiliation. Does he blank out that there was torture, rapes and murders or merely not mention those?

Nobody questioned what the freak that means?