the banality of evil

posts about #thebanalityofevil more →
Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

gawkimo
04/12/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
As far as war crimes: Bush personally authorized torture and extraordinary rendition. If Saddam had doen that we'd call it a war crime.

Also: The US supplies Israel with banned cluster munitions (which it rained down on Lebanon). If Saddam had done that, the US would have cited that as a war crime. (Not to mention targeting densely populated urban zones with white phosphorous incendiary weapons, which is also a war crime. If Saddam had done that it would be considered a war crime.)

I personally don't think Bush is a war criminal (expect for his personally authorizing torture). He's too much of a man-child-dauphin to be held accountable. Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney on the other hand. . .
Reply

gawkimo was starred gawkimo was unstarred

gawkimo
04/12/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
Every Texas cul-de-sac is a cocoon of one kind or another.
Reply

gawkimo was starred gawkimo was unstarred

Helman
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
I love this headline.
Reply

Helman was starred Helman was unstarred

htotheomo
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
I find this article very enlightening. And frightening.

The cocoon BHO describes being wary of is exactly the world GWB lives in.

My favorite quote - from his minister - is such a back-handed compliment of sorts. Essentially, the pastor says that history is not going to judge him well, so it's best that he's dead by that time:

"There's a comfort that comes with knowing you probably won't be alive to see the real verdict on your presidency," said Kirbyjon Caldwell, Bush's friend and the pastor at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston. "There's only so much he can control."

Also, I think Laura Bush is a totally different animal from the Bushes. The chair gift I find totally charming.
Reply

htotheomo was starred htotheomo was unstarred

jrhys
04/11/09

@htotheomo: Re the chairs :Really? I find it kind of picayune and ninnyish. It also feels like a cover to not talk about the massive mess they left the Obamas , which is far more real and compelling than any furniture.
Reply

jrhys was starred jrhys was unstarred

Ken Elwell
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
What's even sadder is all the people in Dallas who he's turning into terrorist targets by living there.

Can we just deport the guy, or maybe have a few CIA agents extraordinarily extradite him to the Hague?

The real question is how long until he starts doing coke again. Laura needs to ditch this loser.
Reply

Ken Elwell was starred Ken Elwell was unstarred

Mediahohoho
04/11/09

@Ken Elwell: I doubt terrorists have any intention of attacking GWB. He did the terrorists, their supporters and their recruiting efforts nothing but favors.
Reply

Mediahohoho was starred Mediahohoho was unstarred

Mediahohoho
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
I think the worst "crime"--not punishable, mind you, unless you believe in a vengeful god, but still--is the fact that, three years after the invasion of Iraq, 71% of the U.S. military personnel in that country believed that Saddam was responsible for 9/11.

Dick Cheney has said as much; he continues to do so, in fact, despite the fact that it's pretty clear that the only reason we invaded Iraq and let the occupation to get out of hand was to provide a permanent source of income for Halliburton.

To lie to people about why they're risking, and in too many cases giving up, their lives is heinous. I hope he lives a very long life riddled with guilt and shame. The suburbs are a good place for that.

As for the more prosecutable crimes related especially to torture, Bush's people did the justice department a huge favor by leaving a huge paper trail that should make the DOJ's job (should they choose to do it) infinitely easier.
Reply

Mediahohoho was starred Mediahohoho was unstarred

SaraRueful
04/11/09

@Mediahohoho: "Riddled with guilt and shame"??? You have to have morals to feel guilt and shame. And I believe dear ol' Dick is 100% moral-free.
Reply

SaraRueful was starred SaraRueful was unstarred

kimberlydebarge
04/11/09

@Mediahohoho: y'know, that 71% figure? That many American citizens (who aren't serving) think that's true, too. Excellent conflation of the facts by those two...
Reply

kimberlydebarge was starred kimberlydebarge was unstarred

Mediahohoho
04/11/09

@kimberlydebarge: I don't think the 71% figure among the general population ever reached that high. Which is why I think it's worse that it did hit, and remain at that point, for the people who went there under false pretenses. But those two never met a fact they weren't only too happy to twist in the service of their own interests.
Reply

Mediahohoho was starred Mediahohoho was unstarred

eatsshootsleaves
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
Gosh, it's so strange seeing all the Gawker Republicans come out of the woodwork to defend George Bush. Can't you all just disown him and move on like we did with Jimmy Carter?
Reply

eatsshootsleaves was starred eatsshootsleaves was unstarred

Hydroceph
04/11/09

@eatsshootsleaves: Why does 'Gawker Republican' remind me of 'California Republican'?
Reply

Hydroceph was starred Hydroceph was unstarred

gawkimo
04/12/09

@eatsshootsleaves: Basically, every evil piece of legislation (Bankruptcy Reform Bill, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, etc.) boils down to 98% republican approval and 75% Democratic approval.

So my disdain is aimed at 100% Republicans (because the remaining 2% are basically nuts) and 75% of Democrats.

So as far as I can tell, 75% of Democratic lawmakers are as wrong as 100% of the Republicans.
Reply

gawkimo was starred gawkimo was unstarred

Almostbanned
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
Couple of things:

1. When you're president, and after, pretty much everything you own has the presidential seal on it. Particularly casual clothes. Its just a perk.

2. As it has been well established during this last campaign, the secret service doesn't allow the president to have a blackberry. I'm pretty sure there may be just a few ways to reach the President of The United States other than blackberry. Just a guess though. So I really have no idea why this is even brought up as an issue. Oh wait, yes I do.

3. It's almost incomprehensibly tacky (even for Gawker) to make fun of the fact that Laura chose to give a gift to Michelle Obama that was clearly very thoughtful and appreciative. Not to mention classy. I wonder if Hillary gave Laura anything?
Reply

Almostbanned was starred Almostbanned was unstarred

John Cook
04/11/09

@Almostbanned: Barack Obama has a Blackberry.
Reply

John Cook was starred John Cook was unstarred

If_I_Had_a_Poodle
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
"Bush left Washington on Jan. 20 with two-thirds of Americans disapproving of his job performance -- one of the worst ratings ever for an outgoing U.S. president. In his return to private life, he has maintained tranquility by adhering to a basic philosophy:

He lives squarely in the remaining 33 percent. "
Reply

If_I_Had_a_Poodle was starred

I.am.the.1
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
Sadder even than that Plains peanut guy?
Reply

I.am.the.1 was starred I.am.the.1 was unstarred

If_I_Had_a_Poodle
04/11/09

@I.am.the.1: u mean former pres carter? who works with habitat for humanity to build homes for people? and works with international foundations? and contributes a lot to the world? him?
Reply

If_I_Had_a_Poodle was starred

TedSez
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
-- Why, hello, Mrs. Bush!

-- Hi, Bart! Mr. Bush is upstairs napping.

-- You know, your husband's awful grumpy.

-- Oh, that's just his way; he really likes you. You know, it's time for him to get up and work on his memoirs. Why don't you go wake him?

[A loud horn note blasts]

[George wakes suddenly.]

-- Great Scott, don't touch that! That's the alpenhorn Helmut Kohl gave me.

-- Where'd you get those pajamas?

-- They're presidential pajamas. You have to be President, and you're not President!

-- Yes I am.

-- No, you're not!
Reply

TedSez was starred TedSez was unstarred

Mike Jahn
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
In other words, all that tar and feathers went to waste.
Reply

Mike Jahn was starred Mike Jahn was unstarred

TheUptightMidwesterner
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
Presidential seal on his jacket?

What?

That is like me still wearing my high school letter jacket.
Reply

skahammer
04/11/09

@TheUptightMidwesterner is (insert general bitchery here): Well, that would be so if you'd invaded the elementary school across town because you heard they were stockpiling water balloons, then found yourself completely paralyzed for the rest of your school career once you found out they only had spitballs -- but that now you were in range and that they actually kind of hurt.
Reply

skahammer was starred skahammer was unstarred

If_I_Had_a_Poodle
04/11/09

@TheUptightMidwesterner is (insert general bitchery here): no doubt with his name sewn into the label
Reply

If_I_Had_a_Poodle was starred

Mymoustache
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
I feel a sitcom in the works...
Reply

Mymoustache was starred Mymoustache was unstarred

pufflehuff
04/11/09

@Mymoustache: I feel more a new version of Krapp's Last Tape, with W as the sad old dude and an immobile, waxen Laura with world-ending sadness etched into her face as the tape recorder.
Reply

pufflehuff was starred pufflehuff was unstarred

jrhys
04/11/09

@Mymoustache: I think something lighter and more insane>

[www.hulu.com]
Reply

jrhys was starred jrhys was unstarred

iplaudius
04/11/09

In reply to Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation
OK, not to be shallow, but I’m totally wondering what those chairs look like and whether Michelle Obama likes them.
Reply

iplaudius was starred iplaudius was unstarred

Private Hangnail
04/11/09

@iplaudius: I was wondering the exact same thing. If Laura thinks they're chic, I'm guessing Hollywood Regency and that Michelle has composted them for the Victory Garden.
Reply

Private Hangnail was starred Private Hangnail was unstarred

WindowSeat
04/11/09

@iplaudius: If the homes I've been to in Texas are any indication, the chairs are reproduction Louis XVI side chairs in a patinated silver finish, complete with fake wormholes and the seats are covered in either cut velvet or animal print. Think Horchow Collection + LSD.
Reply

WindowSeat was starred WindowSeat was unstarred

iplaudius
04/11/09

@Private Hangnail: @WindowSeat: @rudolphdude: I’m glad I’m not alone! But I was going to give her more credit. (Why are we assuming her taste would be all Dallas-new-money-gaudy?) I was thinking something like this:

Reply

iplaudius was starred iplaudius was unstarred

WindowSeat
04/11/09

@iplaudius: Is that Pleather?
Reply

WindowSeat was starred WindowSeat was unstarred

iplaudius
04/11/09

@WindowSeat: It’s a leather chair from Lind, a Danish company (link), which can be found at stores like Hold It (link). I chose it, because it seems like the kind of chair that many people would consider chic and that snobs (like us, I guess) might consider derivative and poorly executed (note the bunching of the leather—I hate that on designs that are supposed to be geometrically clean). I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t know what chic means to her, but I was assuming mid-range contemporary (as opposed to Ikea on the one end and Roche-Bobois on the other).

Not that I’ve given this any thought in the last five minutes.
Reply

iplaudius was starred iplaudius was unstarred

hatey
04/11/09

@WindowSeat: YOU WERE AT MY MOM'S EX-BOYFRIEND'S!?

Wow. How's he doing?
Reply

hatey was starred hatey was unstarred

Hydroceph
04/11/09

@WindowSeat: OMG, i can totally picture that, and my parents used to get Horchow.
Reply

Hydroceph was starred Hydroceph was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#thebanalityofevil

Gawker

SUBSCRIBE TO Gawker

Sad Criminal President Settles Into a Life of Suburban Desperation

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment