A nation of "has-beens"

Friday, in "Suckers", I wrote about that wonderful "learning experience" Bush had last week when he met with, listened to, and learned from former secretaries of state and defense who served through a variety of international situations to include hot wars and cold wars. Collectively, they represented decades of experience and expertise.

Unfortunately, the president didn't have too much time to listen, to learn. After a 40 minute "Iraq update" all present were required to endure, somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes were allowed the collective gathering. This left each former secretary with less than a minute to address the president before they were all hustled off by Bush for their "family picture". It was my premise (and others) the sole purpose of the gathering was for a Bush photo-op. I think that was fairly obvious as I illustrated in my blog.

As a result, I received a comment from enigma4ever over at Watergate Summer. She shared her impression of the picture that resulted from the braintrust gathered in the White House. ".... yeah it was all about the picture- but look at the picture- and the expressions of these older wiser experienced souls..they all have a similiar expression in their eyes..'WTF are we going to do about this little SOB'...they all look like they have been shaking their heads and need some maalox..."

Enigma continued, "It is like the Christmas photo, and there is the one sticky old Drunk uncle that always wants to stand a little too close and he smells like a mildewed dishtowel, and Brut, and bargain brownbag Scotch....and when the photos come back everyone is looking pulled away and miserable..."

I liked Enigma's family Christmas photo comparison. I have this thought that all families are dysfunctional to varying degrees. (Hopefully, that's just bullshit, because if it were true, what would that say about our "family of man"?)

But as those duped into Bush's photo op probably pondered-- per Enigma's suggestion--"WFT are we going to do about this little SOB," I think Papa Bush's secretary of state, Lawrence Eagleburger, may have said it all in admitting when "talking to the president there is a tendency to be restrained in expressing opposing views."

In other words, each state head present may have varying degrees of differences with junior, but they all bite the bullet out of some traditional respect for the office, despite whichever idiot is currently holding it.

Take Madeleine Albright for example. While she got a little testy with Bush, even she loves killing Iraqis.

Well, as Eagleberger went on to say "There was some criticism," but poignantly concluded, puffing on a cigarette outside the white house, as he chatted with reporters after the meeting, "We're all has-beens anyway."

That pretty well summed it up. And I think, "We're all has-beens anyway," is an apt metaphor for how the world views the American people and their nation under Bush's leadership.