Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Tepid - Like someone draped a wet blanket over my soul, slowly sapping the warmth

My initial reaction to the talk delivered by W: Tepid, and no real answers: Just more of the same. I suppose those on the other side of the issue will be hailing W as the next best thing since Ronald Reagan. But, the speechifying left me feeling empty and disapointed.

Incidentally, I thought there was at least one other "higher calling" than enlisting in the armed forces, but I suppose the President and I will have to disagree:
I thank those of you who have re-enlisted in an hour when your country needs you. And to those watching tonight who are considering a military career, there is no higher calling than service in our Armed Forces.
Here's a smattering of the various locations you get by typing in "higher calling" into google: a hymn, morning star rising, OCU, Francis Asbury Society, higher calling ministries, and you get the idea...not a single one on enlisting.

4 comments:

SheaNC said...

"No higher calling," aye? A tall statement from a chickenhawk like George Bush.

Anonymous said...

I think it's a pretty high calling, but not the highest.

The world needs people willing to defend their countries, but I think parenthood (effective, good parenthood) is much higher. If we had more good parents we'd have a lot less need for people to enlist. But why talk about ideals- they never happen do they?

I think Bush had to say something grand to the men and women he's putting through hell. I'm an air force wife and my dad just got back from a year in Iraq. They deserve all the praise they cam get, considering they are usually not getting it.

Anonymous said...


Point not taken

The speech wasn't about Iraq. It was about boosting Bush's poll numbers so the Republicans in Congress don't run away from him any faster than they already are.

Bush was playing to his presumed strength, foreign policy, again conflating 911 and Saddam Hussein when there was no connection.

About Iraq, there's nothing Bush can do about it, the initiative is all with the insurgents. So why talk about something about which one can do nothing? Bloggers do this all they time but they aren't the President with an ambitious domestic policy to try to get through a Congress that is basically hostile to it.

The speech was great. It demonstrated that Bush was still the doofuss he is. For his opponents it doesn't get any better.

Jet said...

The higher calling that military service is, is dishonored by the way Bush has used them -- not to truly protect America, but to make money and flaunt power. It's no wonder service people are fleeing the republican party in droves.