We need to make noise: Bush politicizing the military with these speechs.

[Armstead]

Whenever he gets into trouble over Iraq and foreign policy, Bush makes a speech to a military audience, like he did today.

The partisan political nature of today's speech makes it crystal clear that Bush is getting dangerously over the line regarding making the military into a political force, rather than an apolitical national security force.

That's a whole lot different than merely giving a pep talk to the troops.

It seems to me to be masively inappropriate to be making political speechs to capitive audiences of soldiers. Even if they support him, it is makeing the military take one side in what is a domestic political debate.

Whenever these military audiences cheer or clap during one of Bush's pandering lines, it sends a "subliminable" signal to Americans that the military is on Bush's side.

Democrats and the rest of us ought to start complaining about that, and pointing out how imappropriate that is.

[texpatriot2004]

1. Agree. Recommend. nm

[Jon8503]

2. Yes. when was the last time he spoke to anyone other than a

captive military audience?

[Frances]

3. I think the politicizing of the all-volunteer army

is very bad for our democracy.

It seems more like what a dictator in a banana republic would do.

If we still had a draft and all people in the military were a cross section of the country, it would be bad. But since we have an all volunteer army composed more and more of young people from red parts of the country, there is a real danger that the armed forces could become loyal to one man or one party rather than to the United States as a country.

[Armstead]

5. Bush should stop cultivating that

If he wants to make speeches in front of hand-picked civilian audiences, then at least it's just PR. But bringing the military into domestic debates as a prop ought to be out of bounds.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Armstead]

6. Democrats have not been complaining about this

How about flaming in an original way?

[mazzarro]

7. This issue should be constantly highlighted by our leadership

I don't think enough concern/complaint has been raised about this and the public is not fully conscious of this.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Kerry, in fact, made the point very well in the statement he just gave.

We should absolutely hammer this point. It's wrong to use these people who've offered up their lives to our country.

[Loonman]

9. He's not using soldiers/sailors/airmen as a backdrop, this time

Amazing.

[lpbk2713]

10. That's the only kind of audience he can get these days

that will be polite and attentive and not harrass him or disagree with what he says. If he gives a speech on a military base his handlers can control who attends. And they are under instructions to applaud on command and give a standing O when he finishes.

[blm]

11. Kerry just brought up that point.

Kerry said Bush summons the troops at his will to use them.


Kerry said they can't summon the troops but can summon the truth.

[Armstead]

14. I'm glad to hear that

I didn't hear Kerry...This just occurred to me as I was watching how inappropriate this was.

I used to think it was a perogative of a president. But not when he's bashing critics of his policies and making soldiers applaud it.

[jokerman93]

12. Agreed!

Also:

"Whenever these military audiences cheer or clap during one of Bush's pandering lines, it sends a "subliminal" signal to Americans that the military is on Bush's side."

This is, I believe, the reason they're trotting him out in front of military audiences. Every time they applaud, the message is that the military overwhelmingly agrees with his lies. That's certainly the message to the jingoist sheep who think bombing and killing are the American way. It's all they need to keep going: this tableau of Bush flanked by tough uniformed Americans applauding his brain-melting rhetoric. The Bushies continue to stoke the fires of unexamined militarism.

How to reinvent reality? Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

From what I can tell, "winning in Iraq" and bringing Democracy (whatever that means) has something to do with turning Bagdad into Disneyland with American franchises on every street.

Ain't gonna happen. They MUST know that by now.

Anyway, I think they're counting on keeping the divisions in America going while the Bushco meat grinder continues to destabilize the entire region. The corporate scavengers make bank on this so-called "war" even if there's utter chaos. At this point, I think the chaos gives them cover. It's better than nothing I guess...

~Afterthought:
I wonder if a full on world war would help the freepers REALLY get their freak on. This country is being run into the dirt by certifiable wack-jobs.

[blm]

13. All this gang knows is how to use images for propaganda purposes, and

never for the right reasons.

[niallmac]

15. Bush is a poser and a coward.

He sends young people into harms way and yet hasn't the courage of his own convictions to face his disillusioned constituency. He hides behind the uniforms of our military and the drone of his media whores. He talks tough and he walks puff. Come talk to me you son of bitch.

[lvx35]

16. Don't the troops, HAVE to applaud?

I mean, its said that to troops, the president, whoever he is, is the commander in cheif, the top general...And the military is no democracy. Couldn't jeering or not clapping be considered disrespectful to a superior officer?

[Armstead]

17. It would be interesting to find out

It would be a good story for some enterprising reporter to cover how these speeches are organizaed, how the audiences are chosen and what they're told to do beforehand.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

18. Well, for the military ones, it's easy, no investigation required. Rove

picks up the phone, calls up the Naval Academy, or Nellis Air Force Base, or the Naval Base at 32nd St. in San Diego, and says, "We're coming in to give a speech next week, Wednesday at 1430. Have some people ready. My girl will phone you with the details."

Ditto for appearances at Repub fundraisers (all supporters but they are probably still "screened" in some way) and Repub think tanks like American Enterprise Institute.

The fake, scripted "town hall" meetings on Social Security and Medicare etc. would be a lot more interesting to see, how the "participants" are chosen.