Bush: "lowered expectations" at work in London?

[DeepModem Mom]

Waking up to the tv news in London, the tone seems to be, at the moment, the result of lowered expectations -- as so often before -- working in Bush's favor. He's not wearing cowboy boots, and, so far has spoken only briefly and scripted, so no verbal hilarity -- and his appearances with the Queen, amid the pomp and circumstance, give him unearned legitimacy in the eyes of the viewer. In contrast, images of the warm-up protest yesterday showed protesters scuffling with police. Leaders of today's protest are being interviewed, but the signs featured most prominently in the background read: "Bush: The World's Number One Terrorist" -- again, leading some viewers to dismiss the protesters as too far outside the mainstream. It's still early in the visit, and much more to come -- I'm hoping London can make a powerful and effective statement against Bush and his policies while he's here.

[JailBush]

1. What's wrong with "World's #1 Terrorist"?

That's an absolutely legitimate statement, and if the mainstream sheeple can't handle it, screw'em. We should have been working hard to publicize that message shortly after 9/11.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Now hearing news of more terrorism in Istanbul....

I think other protest signs are more effective, but agree with you that Bush is connected to terrorism in the sense that his policies and his war in Iraq, as so many predicted, have set off a hornet's nest of terror. And I'm beginning to fear, that in a bizarre and convoluted way, even increased terror may work in Bush's favor, bringing more outside the U.S. to support his method of waging "war" on it. I was in Italy during their national period of mourning for their nineteen killed in Iraq, and there was an outpouring of nationalism and grief, with Italian flags in windows everywhere -- but no discussion of the reason the Italian soldiers and policemen were in Iraq in the first place. Some news commentators did say that once the state funeral was over, a national discussion of Italy's involvement in Iraq would reopen.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. OMG -- reporting ten dead now at UK consulate, Istanbul

Sky News split-screen of Bush shaking a line of hands on one side, and terror in Istanbul on the other -- OMG