The President explains why he's right and everyone else is wrong.
As George Bush's time in office winds down, he's found time to sit down and reflect on his tenure with author Robert Draper. The resulting book is called Dead Certain, the title an apparent reference to Bush's defiance and stubbornness in the face of harsh reality.…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments26 - Nancy
Yeah, well...the difference is, their garbage doesn't affect the lives of thousands or millions, like Georgie Boy's does. Once again, Dubya proves his endless capacity for making a major-league ass of himself every time he opens his yap. You'd think by now he'd have learned to keep it shut...but he obviously never learns anything, & never has.
27 - Nancy
He's a one-trick pony, Handy. He's too damn dumb to learn anything else. In fact, as he's so lavishly demonstrated, he's too damned dumb to learn anything at all. Period. As for Dave...he's a BushCo suckup & always has been since I've been lurking here. Why I don't know, because he claims to be a Libertarian, & they aren't notibly fond of BushCo that I've noticed. But on occasion he slips & says he's Republican, so it's anybody's guess why. Maybe he doesn't like Doug...?
28 - handyguy
It's not necessarily a pro-Bush statement to say he's not dumb. The verbal awkwardness and the Texas drawl are part of his political act. To realize that a smart, misguidedly idealistic man could screw up the country this badly is both more disturbing and closer to the truth than the simplistic "he's just a dumbass."
29 - Nancy
When I say he's a dumbass, it's because he doesn't learn from his - or anyone elses - mistakes, Handy. He doesn't learn, period. He just keeps repeating the same bullshit & the same mistakes over & over & over. It's his core persona. Yes, the aw-shucks BS is just that - an act. He's as much a gen-yew-ine redneck Texan cowboy as I am. I mean, he's stupid because he won't learn & he doesn't learn. Not that he can't: Won't. Doesn't. That constitutes stupidity, IMO, not intellectual capacity. Anyone who CAN & is capable of doing better, & chooses not to, out of laziness, shiftiness, or both or other reasons, is stupid. I know retarded folks who do their best. They may be handicapped & slow, but they aren't stupid, because they do try.
30 - Dave Nalle
Self-righteousnesss and irrational certainty are not signs of stupidity, more likely signs of at least moderate intelligence coupled with disfunctional egotism.
And Nancy, to not hate Bush when everyone else is hating him just to be part of the herd doesn't mean I'm a Bush sycophant, it just means I'm looking at him rationally while you and others let emotion and peer pressure frame your reaction to him.
Would I choose Bush to be my President - obviously not since I didn't vote for him either time he ran. But that doesn't mean that I have to revile him. He has done some good along with all the bad, and he tried to do more in a half-assed kind of way.
As for the talking to god shit which Christopher finds so offensive, it's another sign that Christopher doesn't 'get' America, though I think if STM hadn't disappeared he might understand. The Aussies have much the same problem. In Europe you can get away with being publicly atheist or agnostic and running for office. Here in the US lip service to religion, no matter how hypocritical is an absolute requirement and we accept political figures with troublingly personal relationships with god because we're used to seeing it.
Dave
31 - Christopher Rose
Dave Nalle: "Self-righteousnesss and irrational certainty are not signs of stupidity, more likely signs of at least moderate intelligence coupled with disfunctional egotism."
How well you describe yourself.
I do get America, you self-righteous, irrationally certain, moderately intelligent disfunctional egotist, I just want to see a big change there. And in Europe too, which I don't accept is as enlightened as you seem to think.
And STM hasn't disappeared, he's on holiday in Portugal and has already posted comments to BC from there.
Talking of holidays, did you see the news reports this weekend about how the USA has so much less holidays than most other modern countries? Apparently you don't have statutory holiday entitlements and many people don't even take the holidays they could.
32 - Dave Nalle
You're so predictable, Christopher. I could have written that response for you and almost did. Should I just start including your responses in my original comments?
As for holidays here in the US, as a nation we're afflicted with a bizarre work ethic and feel guilty if we're not working. Plus for a lot of us work is the only thing which keeps us from going insane.
Dave
33 - Doug DeLong
Dave: to not hate Bush when everyone else is hating him just to be part of the herd doesn't mean I'm a Bush sycophant, it just means I'm looking at him rationally while you and others let emotion and peer pressure frame your reaction to him.
Dave, it's ridiculous to claim that people hate Bush "just to be part of the herd," or because of "peer pressure."
First of all, I don't hate anybody (well, maybe Celine Dion). But it doesn't take a genius to understand the deeply negative feelings that millions of people have for this man. It's a visceral gut reaction that happens every time he stands in front of a camera and speaks. It's the nagging thought in your head that says, "How the hell did this man become the leader of the free world?" It's a feeling of embarrassment that he is representing our country to the rest of the world.
Add to that his truly catostrophic policies in regard to the war, torture, illegal survelliance, and a host of others, and it just makes any sane person want to scream and tear their hair out (I guess that accounts for the current status of my scalp).
All you can do is count down the days to January 20, 2009, when the new president will announce to the world, "In the words of Gerald Ford...Our long national nightmare is over."
34 - Nancy
And a lot of us just plain LIKE it (work, that is). 3 - 4 days off is about my max of tolerance, then I get antsy. Maybe it's an American thing, ya think? What do Europeans think about Americans' work habits, Chris? Are we nuts, driven, or just busy little bees?
35 - Nancy
I don't despise the bastard because I want to be part of a herd, Dave. Don't project your own proclivities on others. I loathe him because he's a fool, a liar, a knave, a cheat, a thief - & because IMO at least, he's also a murderer, sending US troops to their deaths or mutilation for the lamest of all possible reasons: his ego, his arrogance, his greed & that of his buddies. As for "good [that he's done]" - WHAT "good"? Name something - anything - decent he's ever done while in office that wasn't a product of his being forced to do it to try to deflect criticism from something else, or for pure, cynical, political gain, because his handlers told him to. Go ahead. Name something. Anything.
36 - Dr Dreadful
This is just sublime...
Christopher Rose, comment #31:
Dave Nalle: "Self-righteousnesss and irrational certainty are not signs of stupidity, more likely signs of at least moderate intelligence coupled with disfunctional egotism."
How well you describe yourself.
Dave Nalle, comment #32:
You're so predictable, Christopher. I could have written that response for you and almost did.
Tchh - you kids...
37 - Baronius
"It's much easier for me, however, to imagine the mothers and fathers, wives, husbands, and children of all those soldiers who came home in flag-draped coffins crying for the loved ones they'll never see again, and I'm willing to bet that God is a lot more willing to lend his shoulder to them than to Bush."
What arrogance! The nerve of speaking of God's behalf! Falling back on your beliefs about what pleases God, rather than make a defensible argument. You people think you've got the high moral ground because you can read God's mind. Freakin' fundamentalists.
38 - Nancy
Huh-! Thundering silence. I'm not surprised.
39 - REMF
Nancy;
Handy and Nalle may have a point in-so-far-as GW may be smarter than he acts. I mean, he did manage to skip out on his last two years of Guard service (and recieve an honorable discharge), and then 25 years later convince all the conservative Republicans otherwise.
Is that what Nalle meant by being "part of the herd"...?
(MCH)
40 - Nancy
Yah, I see your point. I don't contend he's not intelligent. Like a weasel is intelligent. Or a rat. No... I take that back; weasels & rats demonstrate considerable learning ability, & don't seem to hesitate to change course when an action doesn't work. Dubya doesn't. Well...I don't know what to compare him to that wouldn't be a gross libel to the comparable entity.
41 - Christopher Rose
Dave, I knew you were going to say that. Indeed, you don't actually exist. All the comments attributed to Dave Nalle are produced by a piece of software I own which is designed to ape a self-righteous, irrationally certain, moderately intelligent disfunctional egotist!
42 - Christopher Rose
Nancy, re your #34, I think you are all just conditioned to take work too seriously. In Spain, people work really hard but they all value family life far more highly.
43 - Clavos
"Apparently you don't have statutory holiday entitlements and many people don't even take the holidays they could."
True, and a major contributing factor to the USA's ranking of #1 in the world in worker productivity; the other being our high degree of automation.
My last several years in the airline industry, I was entitled to six weeks of vacation per year, but rarely was able to take more than a week or week-and-a-half. The time accumulated, though, and became a substantial cash payment when I retired.
44 - Christopher Rose
Clavos, personally, I don't see being #1 in working your ass off for a company that would sack you in a New York minute if it had to as anything to be proud of.
There's plenty of money in the Western world but time is a precious resource that should be enjoyed rather than donated to some dumb corporation. I'd rather have had the six weeks a year than a bit of retirement cash. You're still working now but you'll never get that time back.
45 - Dr Dreadful
Six weeks?! Even for a British employer that would be extravagantly generous. For an American company, that's practically sending you on an all expenses paid business junket to heaven.
My employer cut vacation from three weeks to one and a half this year. And that's only if you've worked for them for five years. Even that's more than most American companies will give you.
46 - Clavos
Chris,
I'm working now because I LIKE it.
I tried "retirement" for a year and it bored me all to hell, so I started a new career, and now I'm having a ball. I didn't not take the vacations for the money, mostly it was because there was never enough time, and my wife only got two (later, three) weeks; I didn't fancy taking the time and then sitting around the house while she was at work
As far as the US ranking in re productivity; that's the one of the principal reasons we are (so far) the wealthiest nation in history.
Doc, I didn't work for American companies; I worked for a Brasilian one for ten years and then a Mexican one for another twenty. Both started with two weeks after a year, then built up to six after ten years of service.
47 - Christopher Rose
Clavos, being the wealthiest nation in history doesn't appear to be getting you very far when you have a culture dominated by religion and warmaking or when decent chaps like yourself can't find anything to do when on holiday or retired other than sitting around the house.
No offense mate, but now you're having a ball trying to sell yachts on commission only to people even richer than you.
Being so wealthy, you could have travelled, studied art or done any one of a million other things rather than slobbing about like an aimless teenager.
And some fool wrote a song about life being more fun in America. Ri-ight!
48 - Dave Nalle
I haven't had a job that limited me to two weeks vacation in 25 years, and I'm hardly the only American in that circumstance.
Remember, we have a much larger population of entrepreneurs and independent contractors and freelancers than most countries. All of those folks can take more than 2 weeks vacation if they make the right accommodations - such as vacationing where there's internet access and being willing to spend some time doint work during the vacation.
Dave
49 - Christopher Rose
That's what I'm doing right now, Dave. I'm on my fifth or sixth holiday of the year and loving it.
However the point is that most Americans don't take much holiday time and most indicators seem to show that is not a good thing. People need down time.
50 - Clavos
"Being so wealthy, you could have travelled, studied art or done any one of a million other things rather than slobbing about like an aimless teenager."
While in the airline business, I spent thirty years on the road as much as three weeks a month, and traveled all over the world during that time; both for business and for pleasure. It was time for something else.
I also have acted in more than fifty community theatre plays over the years, as well as in TV commercials and even a few extra and bit roles in movies and TV programs; I've volunteered at the VA hospitals in the various cities in which I've lived; I've kept plenty busy.
Apparently, this is incomprehensible to you, but I LIKE TO WORK; especially around and on yachts, which is why I still am. I fail to see what the commission only aspect of it has to do with this, or why (as you seem to imply) it's a negative.
51 - Dan
Doug D #10: "Wow, Dave admits he's wrong and Bush admits he's arrogant."
Bush doesn't "admit" he's arrogant. He admits that some accuse him of arrogance--as Dave say's. He goes on to say that "that may be true", the logical converse of which is: that may be untrue.
Of course, the spectrum of arrogance runs from not enough, to too much. Obviously Bush doesn't think he's too arrogant or he would take corrective action.
Personally, I think he's got the right mix. Ironically, his acknowledgement of "that may be true" demonstrates resoundingly how non-arrogant he actually is.
A more arrogant--and true (imo)--response would have been to say his detractors are purely partisan hacks, who'll disgracefully stoop to the level of wishing any disaster just to wrest power.
Hope this helps.
52 - Dan
Christopher's derision of the US's work ethic is standard nationalist jealousy.
If Americans aren't obese and lazy, they're psychologically impaired work-aholics.
Meanwhile, we just continue to be the most productive.
53 - Christopher Rose
Clavos, travelling for work in the way you did is not at all the same thing. I've also spent a lot of time on the road so I know whereof I speak.
It's not incomprehensible to me at all that you like to work and I don't think I said anything that implies differently. Everyone likes to be useful. I do think you're working too much for too little when there is so much more to be done in life but, hey, it's your life, your call.
Having also worked for commission only, I think it is one of the shittiest ways of being employed. I'd rather be self-employed, which I am, regardless of how much I enjoyed any particular job.
54 - Dan
Working on commission is the essence of self-employment. Your employer doesn't care how much money you make. You push his/her product at your own expense.
55 - Christopher Rose
Dan, it's not that at all. Furthermore, your assertion that the US is the most productive isn't entirely true.
From one of the most recent reports on international productivity: "According to statistics, the U.S. lead the group of productive nations with $63,885 of value added per person employed in 2006; that lead was followed by Ireland ($55,986), Luxembourg ($55,641), Belgium ($55,235) and France ($54,609).
Since Americans work more hours per year than other developed economies, Norway caps the list in terms of highest productivity level when measured as value added per hour worked ($37.99).
Productivity increase may be viewed as efficiency in the way a company manages capital, labor and technology."
Nor do I see spending more time working as necessarily a good thing.
Quality of life is far more important and in this respect the USA laga behind several other countries.
From The Economist:
Quality of life
Ireland
Switzerland
Norway
Luxembourg
Sweden
Australia
Iceland
Italy
Denmark
Spain
Singapore
Finland
United States
Canada
New Zealand
The UK came in 26th.
56 - bliffle
"Meanwhile, we just continue to be the most productive."
Fat lot of good it does for the people who are more productive. Their workweek gets longer, their vacation shorter, their benefits diminish and wages don't keep up with inflation.
57 - Christopher Rose
Dan, re your #54: Self employment is working for your self in your own business. Working on commission only means being employed without a salary.
58 - Clavos
Chris,
I KNOW traveling for work is different. After all, I was in the travel business, which, because I could travel for free, was why I traveled for pleasure as well.
As a commission only yacht broker, I AM self employed. As to whether it's shitty or not probably depends a LOT on what kind of money you're making, and I'm doing better than I ever did on a salary, where I was doing very well.
Just saw your response #57 to Dan. In this country, as a commission-only yacht broker, I AM self-employed in every conceivable way; my brokerage provides NO benefits, not even business cards, much less medical, retirement, etc. My license (and my time) are my investment in the business, and the license is totally portable; it goes where I go. I can leave at any time, and have done so when it suited me. Even the IRS considers me self-employed. I am a one man corporation, legally, and can work anywhere.
In fact, because my income is dependent ONLY on my own efforts, not the "goodwill" of a boss or the arbitrary wage and seniority rules of a union, I am MUCH better off than wage slaves, making a LOT more money than when I worked for a salary.
59 - Dan
Christopher, that's a good response. If Norweigans create 37.99 value per hour, then they could produce $79,019 if they worked an average 40 hour week.
Since they didn't rank in the top 5, then they must only work something less than 27.6 hours a week.
My hat's off to them. If you can spend 27.6 hours working and 140.4 enjoying life, no wonder they're 3rd in quality of life according to the Economist.
Although I would be interested in seeing what the Economists' subjective view of "quality of life" entails.
Still though, I understand what you say.
A correlative is like when someone complains that the US deficit is the highest it's ever been, and you try to explain to them that the deficit is only meaningful as a percentage of GDP.
It's nearly as low as it's ever been now.
"Self employment is working for your self in your own business. Working on commission only means being employed without a salary."
Self employment is usually also "being employed without a salary".
you determine what you make. With a lot more control on the downside.
Working on commission's saves you from coming up with a product. Thus, you're free to be as active as you care to. More freedom, not less.
60 - Dan
Biffle, with inflation as low as it's been under the Bush administration, wages don't need to grow very much to keep up.
61 - handyguy
To get back to the original subject of this article: Chris Matthews had an interesting if heavy-breathing interview with the author of "Dead Certain" tonight.
MSNBC is giving lots of coverage to the supposed outrage concerning Bush's comments on refilling his "coffers" with gigantic speaking fees after leaving office. [His dad and Bill Clinton make big bucks for speeches, and he wants his share.]
I'm no fan of GWB, but this particular item escaped my outrage-meter when I first read the quotes. But maybe it is kinda tacky for a war president to muse on profiting after he leaves office. Whatcha think?
62 - Dr Dreadful
Depends how you define a "war president". I mean, who was the last one not to either start or prosecute a war (hot, not cold) while in office? Carter? (If you don't count that fiasco in Iran.) Eisenhower? (Was Korea done with by the time his bum plopped down behind the Oval Office desk?) Hoover?
Golly.
63 - Dan
handyguy, without knowing the comments or the context, it would be kinda hard to judge.
Instinctively, knowing the partisanship of MSNBC amd Chris Mathews, I would be skeptical of the critisizm.
64 - Doug DeLong
Here's some additional context of his "coffers" remark (from NY Times)...
When President Bush is asked what he plans to do when he leaves office, he often replies curtly: “I don’t have that much time to think beyond my presidency” or “I’m going to sprint to the finish.”
But in an interview with a book author in the Oval Office one day last December, he daydreamed about the next phase of his life, when his time will be his own.
First, Mr. Bush said, “I’ll give some speeches, just to replenish the ol’ coffers.” With assets that have been estimated as high as nearly $21 million, Mr. Bush added, “I don’t know what my dad gets " it’s more than 50-75” thousand dollars a speech, and “Clinton’s making a lot of money.”
Then he said, “We’ll have a nice place in Dallas,” where he will be running what he called “a fantastic Freedom Institute” promoting democracy around the world. But he added, “I can just envision getting in the car, getting bored, going down to the ranch.”
65 - Dave Nalle
Regarding the coffer replenishing remark, it makes perfect sense. Every year he spent in the White House almost certainly cost him lost revenue compared to what he was making before he ran for office. It's not unreasonable for him to expect to recoup some of that loss once he gets out.
He's relatively young. It will be interesting to see what kind of influence he has once he leaves office.
Dave
66 - Baronius
I dunno, Dave. I'm as big a Bush fan as there is and I can't imagine him having influence. He's hated in much of the world and mocked in most of the rest of it. Even his allies don't bother to defend him. And who's going to pay money to hear him speak?
67 - Dave Nalle
But look at Carter, Baronius. One of the worst presidents ever and a sanctimonious egomaniac and he's had a great career since he left office. If he can do it anyone can.
Dave
68 - REMF
"Mr. Bush added, "I don't know what my dad gets - it's more than 50-75" thousand dollars a speech, and "Clinton's making a lot of money.""
Wow, just think about it. People will actually pay to listen to a GW Bush speech.
Yakov Smirnoff was right..."America, what a country!"
69 - REMF
"Clavos, being the wealthiest nation in history doesn't appear to be getting you very far when you have a culture dominated by religion and warmaking or when decent chaps like yourself can't find anything to do when on holiday or retired other than sitting around the house."
Not true. He had a blast last July 4th rolling around for 10 hours in the BC mud with moonraven.
70 - REMF
"But maybe it is kinda tacky for a war president to muse on profiting after he leaves office."
Maybe he could sell those two missing years of his Guard service. I mean, just think what those 18 minutes of Nixon's missing tape are worth...
71 - bliffle
"Biffle, with inflation as low as it's been under the Bush administration, wages don't need to grow very much to keep up."
But shouldn't wages increase some to take up some of the increases in productivity? Else, what's the point?
72 - Dave Nalle
Bliffle, read my article The Emerging Workforce Crisis. It's got some of the relevant info on the accelerating increase in wages, and follow the link to the BLS figures which demonstrate the wage growth.
Dave
73 - Nancy
As much as I loathe Dubya, even I don't have any problem w/him speculating on how much he can mulct idiots to pay to hear him mispronounce "nuclear" as "noo-kyoo-ler". Every prez & pol & 15-second celebrity known tries it. I doubt it will end up benefitting the public through any foundation of merit, tho: most likely it will go towards heavy spin & historical re-writing of Bush's sorry legacy, to make him out to be a Great War Prez, to accord with his fondest erotic fantasies.
74 - bliffle
I read that article and concluded it was the leadin for another apologia for more H1B visas.
75 - Nancy
Or something. Anything but what it is presented to be, hey?