Friday, November 14, 2008

Learning from Others' Mistakes

I think we're beginning to see the shape of Bush's Legacy.And it's not pretty:
"With Russian tanks only 30 miles from Tbilisi on August 12, Mr Sarkozy told Mr Putin that the world would not accept the overthrow of Georgia’s Government. According to Mr Levitte, the Russian seemed unconcerned by international reaction. “I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls,” Mr Putin declared.

Mr Sarkozy thought he had misheard. “Hang him?” — he asked. “Why not?” Mr Putin replied. “The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein.”

Mr Sarkozy, using the familiar tu, tried to reason with him: “Yes but do you want to end up like Bush?”

Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: “Ah — you have scored a point there.”
Ouch. Ya think they'll engrave that over the entrance to the Bush Library?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had no idea that Sarkozy was so quick-witted. I can easily imagine Putin being very disconcerted by the mere thought of ending up like Bush.

You can't be totally down on Bush, it takes great bravery to come total disarmed to the battle of wits.

Lisa said...

Witty repartee. I am brought to mind of Robert Gates' less witty but clear slam on the U.S.'s situation several months ago:

"for the first time, both the United States secretary of state and secretary of defense have doctorates in Russian studies. A fat lot of good that’s done us."

Anonymous said...

My 2nd favorite despair motivational poster, after the "It's darkest just before it goes pitch black".

Got to meet Col. Bacevich this week. Wow, great speaker, great mind. Reading his latest now. Maybe, just maybe, King George and that poster will mark then end of the Empire.

Glad to see you read Balloon-Juice.

Anonymous said...

Just saw Kubrick's "Paths of Glory", with Kirk Douglas.

I always tear up at the end, when the German girl sings.

..

Anonymous said...

You mean to tell me that W.'s Presidency actually had a positive effect on a foreign government?
Good G-d in heaven!
IT'S THE APOCALYPSE!

FDChief said...

srv: I'd have loved to hear the man, myself. Based on his writing he seems to have his head on straight.

basil: What a terrific flick. I always wanted to show that to my troops to remind them that what they were told and what was ture wasn't always the same thing.

sheerah: Even a blind dubya finds a truffle now and then...

FDChief said...

Lisa: I find that the expertise and quality of the staff is wasted when the commander is a jackass. So Bob might want to look at the man he reports to for some ideas re: our foreign policy conundrum.

Anonymous said...

Bacevich on Moyers, if you missed it:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08152008/watch.html