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We Are Living In An Orwellian Nightmare
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At work, have you ever been asked to give a written status on certain things? A report that you have to write that tells your boss what's done, what needs to be done, and what you need help on?
The soldiers Bush "questioned" today were all Captains, or at least appeared to be. That means they went to college, and are somewhat educated. Capable of giving an honest evaluation.
Why the need to have it scripted then?
Ok, two Master Sgts... Still, I'm sure reasonably intelligent... and one token 9/11 witness...
I watched this today on MSNBC, and the reaction from the Anchors was all smiles, and compliments... "Wow, that was a great moment for those soldiers to have the chance to talk with the President."
"Sir... you're not following the script... please sir, I'm trying to read the prompts."
"Our Assessment"... oh man...
Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051013/...wh/bush_iraq_8
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Thu Oct 13, 4:35 PM ET
WASHINGTON - It was billed as a conversation with U.S. troops, but the questions President Bush asked on a teleconference call Thursday were choreographed to match his goals for the war in Iraq and Saturday's vote on a new Iraqi constitution.
"This is an important time," Allison Barber, deputy assistant defense secretary, said, coaching the soldiers before Bush arrived. "The president is looking forward to having just a conversation with you."
Barber said the president was interested in three topics: the overall security situation in Iraq, security preparations for the weekend vote and efforts to train Iraqi troops.
As she spoke in Washington, a live shot of 10 soldiers from the Army's 42nd Infantry Division and one Iraqi soldier was beamed into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building from Tikrit — the birthplace of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
"I'm going to ask somebody to grab those two water bottles against the wall and move them out of the camera shot for me," Barber said.
A brief rehearsal ensued.
"OK, so let's just walk through this," Barber said. "Captain Kennedy, you answer the first question and you hand the mike to whom?"
"Captain Smith," Kennedy said.
"Captain. Smith? You take the mike and you hand it to whom?" she asked.
"Captain Kennedy," the soldier replied.
And so it went.
"If the question comes up about partnering — how often do we train with the Iraqi military — who does he go to?" Barber asked.
"That's going to go to Captain Pratt," one of the soldiers said.
"And then if we're going to talk a little bit about the folks in Tikrit — the hometown — and how they're handling the political process, who are we going to give that to?" she asked.
Before he took questions, Bush thanked the soldiers for serving and reassured them that the U.S. would not pull out of Iraq until the mission was complete.
"So long as I'm the president, we're never going to back down, we're never going to give in, we'll never accept anything less than total victory," Bush said.
The president told them twice that the American people were behind them.
"You've got tremendous support here at home," Bush said.
Less than 40 percent in an AP-Ipsos poll taken in October said they approved of the way Bush was handling Iraq. Just over half of the public now say the Iraq war was a mistake.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Thursday's event was coordinated with the Defense Department but that the troops were expressing their own thoughts. With satellite feeds, coordination often is needed to overcome technological challenges, such as delays, he said.
"I think all they were doing was talking to the troops and letting them know what to expect," he said, adding that the president wanted to talk with troops on the ground who have firsthand knowledge about the situation.
The soldiers all gave Bush an upbeat view of the situation.
The president also got praise from the Iraqi soldier who was part of the chat.
"Thank you very much for everything," he gushed. "I like you."
On preparations for the vote, 1st Lt. Gregg Murphy of Tennessee said: "Sir, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make this thing a success. ... Back in January, when we were preparing for that election, we had to lead the way. We set up the coordination, we made the plan. We're really happy to see, during the preparation for this one, sir, they're doing everything."
On the training of Iraqi security forces, Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo from Scotia, N.Y., said to Bush: "I can tell you over the past 10 months, we've seen a tremendous increase in the capabilities and the confidences of our Iraqi security force partners. ... Over the next month, we anticipate seeing at least one-third of those Iraqi forces conducting independent operations."
Lombardo told the president that she was in New York City on Nov. 11, 2001, when Bush attended an event recognizing soldiers for their recovery and rescue efforts at Ground Zero. She said the troops began the fight against terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and were proud to continue it in Iraq.
"I thought you looked familiar," Bush said, and then joked: "I probably look familiar to you, too."
Paul Rieckhoff, director of the New York-based Operation Truth, an advocacy group for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, denounced the event as a "carefully scripted publicity stunt." Five of the 10 U.S. troops involved were officers, he said.
"If he wants the real opinions of the troops, he can't do it in a nationally televised teleconference," Rieckhoff said. "He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains."
Lots of stuff like that goes on all the time. Almost nothing is actually "unscripted". Even the most simple thing has censors and pr people running around behind the scenes.
"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed -if all records told the same tale -- then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.' And yet the past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting. It was quite simple. All that was needed was an unending series of victories over your own memory. 'Reality control', they called it: in Newspeak, 'doublethink'."Quote:
Originally Posted by jetsetlemming
I couldn't see where they had been "Given" the answers. I've been reading a little about this today, but I don't know where everyone is getting the story.
You couldn't tell that the woman Master Sergeant was reading?Quote:
Originally Posted by beltman713
Yeah, she was very stiff in her delivery. I didn't see that you posted the AP story under the video post. Lol! I'm fucking blind as a bat.
What?Quote:
Originally Posted by beltman713
Bush looked just like he did in the first presidential debate. I guess his receiver was acting up again. Did you see the way he kept fiddling with his earpiece?
I actually just saw that... most people could tell that was completely scripted without being told. Most people... ;)
Bush Teleconference With Soldiers StagedQuote:
Originally Posted by Gold9472
I said "What?" as if to say the opposite of what someone would say if they were blind... it's an old joke... nm.Quote:
Originally Posted by beltman713
Oh, ha ha.
Go to Crooks & Liars to see a video of the rehearsal for the teleconference.
You mean here
Yes, that's exactly where I mean.
Here's Scotty's press briefing...
Click Here
Incidentally, I saw Bush speak coherently the other day. He was introducing Miers or some such thing. Did say "uh" or have some stupidly long pause once.
It depends on how much he's had to drink.Quote:
Originally Posted by jetsetlemming
I thought the common assumption that he was permanently stupid, not just drunk. Are you saying that Bush, when sober, might actually be a worthwile poltician instead of a patsy for the other guys?
I love Helen Thomas.
No, I'm saying he's not a dumb individual... as Parenti said... people always say how "STUPID" George W. Bush is... how "STUPID" he is... if our leaders are so "STUPID" how does that reflect on us? I think it's more important to focus on how ruthless, and greedy these people are rather than how "STUPID" they are...Quote:
Originally Posted by jetsetlemming
Shitty. Thats why we conservatives have been trying to hide that from day one, goes along with the "my dad is better than your dad" mentality. Can't give France any mroe stuff to make fun of us for.
i think he's extremely smart. he marketed himself to the "common" man. he relates stories that they relate to. and that's how he got in office and stayed in office twice. cause people relate to him. not because he's the best man for the job.