[Texgreen] Maureen Dowd does Bush

Wed, 25 Sep 2002 10:35:40 -0500

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<http://www.mbendi.co.za/pics/spacer_1.gif> [Does him to a crisp. -- Roger]

New York Times
September 25, 2002

No More Bratwurst!

By MAUREEN DOWD

WASHINGTON -- They rule their world ruthlessly and
insolently, deciding who will get a cold shoulder, who will get
locked out of the power clique and who will get withering
glares until they grovel and obey the arbitrary dictates of the
leaders.

We could be talking about the middle-school alpha girls,
smug cheerleaders with names like Darcy, Brittany and
Whitney.

But, no, we're talking about the ostensibly mature and
seasoned leaders of the Western world, a slender former
cheerleader named W. and his high-hatting clique -- Condi,
Rummy and Cheney.

I used to think the Bush hawks suffered from testosterone
poisoning, always throwing sharp elbows and cartoonishly
chesty my-way-or-the-highway talk around the world, when a
less belligerent tone would be classier and more effective.

But now we have the spectacle of the 70-year-old Rummy
acting like a 16-year-old Heather, vixen-slapping those lower
in the global hierarchy, trying to dominate and silence the
beta countries with less money and fewer designer
weapons.

At a meeting of NATO defense ministers this week in
Warsaw, the Pentagon chief snubbed his German
counterpart, Peter Struck, refusing to meet with him, only
deigning to shake his hand at a cocktail party.

Echoing Condi's peevishness, Rummy announced that the
campaign of Gerhard Schröder, who eked out a victory by
running against the Bush push to invade Iraq, "had the effect
of poisoning a relationship."

In their eagerness to apply adolescent torture methods,
Bush hawks seem to have forgotten history: Do we really
want to punish the Germans for being pacifists? Once those
guys get rolling in the other direction, they don't really know
how to put the brakes on.

Mr. Schröder behaved like a good beta, trying to align
himself with the American alphas, by dumping his
embarrassing friends, the justice minister who linked Mr.
Bush's tactics to Hitler's, and the parliamentary floor leader
who compared W. to Augustus, the Roman emperor who
subdued the Germanic tribes.

Mr. Struck and the German foreign minister, Joschka
Fischer, were eager wannabes. Mr. Struck offered more
German troops for Afghanistan and Mr. Fischer apologized
to Colin Powell, the administration's gamma girl, the careful
listener who'd always rather build relationships than run
roughshod over them.

Gerhard will have to go through way more of a shame spiral.
He can forget about getting Germany a permanent seat on
the U.N. Security Council. And no more bratwurst on White
House menus.

The State Department wanted the petulant president to
make nice with the Germans. But W. was, like, enjoying his
hissy fit, refusing to make the customary call to congratulate
Mr. Schröder.

As with alpha girls, the president makes leadership all about
him. He thinks there are only two places to be: with him on
Iraq or with the terrorists.

After all, Germany is not Saudi Arabia -- they have elections
over there. And surely the Bushes have heard of candidates
saying whatever it takes, and placating various special
interests, to win an election -- and then mending fences
afterward. Three words: Bob Jones University. All pols know
today's adversary is tomorrow's ally.

Maybe the Bush policy on Empire & Pre-emption allows us
to decide not only who can run a country, but what are the
proper issues for other nations' election debates.

Bush senior was a master of personal diplomacy, taking
heads of state out on his cigarette boat, to Orioles games
and to the Air and Space Museum to see the movie "To Fly."

He was a foreign policy realist who used socializing,
gossiping, notes and phone calls to lubricate relations with
other leaders.

But W., who was always the Roman candle and hatchet
man in the family, has turned his father's good manners
upside down -- consulting sparingly, leaving poor Tony Blair
to make the case against his foes for him, and treating policy
disagreements as personal slights.

Only the Saudis get away with disobliging the administration
on Iraq without being frozen out. They're like the spoiled,
foreign princesses in high school, dripping in Dolce &
Gabbana and Asprey, who drive their Mercedes convertibles
into the magic alpha circle.

But then, Germans merely make Mercedes. Saudis control
the oil.

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<img src="http://www.mbendi.co.za/pics/spacer_1.gif" width="15" height="1">
[Does him to a crisp. -- Roger] 
 
 
New York Times 
September 25, 2002 
 
No More Bratwurst! 
 
By MAUREEN DOWD 
 
 
WASHINGTON &#8212; They rule their world ruthlessly and 
insolently, deciding who will get a cold shoulder, who will get 
locked out of the power clique and who will get withering 
glares until they grovel and obey the arbitrary dictates of the 
leaders. 
 
We could be talking about the middle-school alpha girls, 
smug cheerleaders with names like Darcy, Brittany and 
Whitney. 
 
But, no, we're talking about the ostensibly mature and 
seasoned leaders of the Western world, a slender former 
cheerleader named W. and his high-hatting clique &#8212; Condi, 
Rummy and Cheney. 
 
I used to think the Bush hawks suffered from testosterone 
poisoning, always throwing sharp elbows and cartoonishly 
chesty my-way-or-the-highway talk around the world, when a 
less belligerent tone would be classier and more effective. 
 
But now we have the spectacle of the 70-year-old Rummy 
acting like a 16-year-old Heather, vixen-slapping those lower 
in the global hierarchy, trying to dominate and silence the 
beta countries with less money and fewer designer 
weapons. 
 
At a meeting of NATO defense ministers this week in 
Warsaw, the Pentagon chief snubbed his German 
counterpart, Peter Struck, refusing to meet with him, only 
deigning to shake his hand at a cocktail party. 
 
Echoing Condi's peevishness, Rummy announced that the 
campaign of Gerhard Schr&ouml;der, who eked out a victory by 
running against the Bush push to invade Iraq, "had the effect 
of poisoning a relationship." 
 
In their eagerness to apply adolescent torture methods, 
Bush hawks seem to have forgotten history: Do we really 
want to punish the Germans for being pacifists? Once those 
guys get rolling in the other direction, they don't really know 
how to put the brakes on. 
 
Mr. Schr&ouml;der behaved like a good beta, trying to align 
himself with the American alphas, by dumping his 
embarrassing friends, the justice minister who linked Mr. 
Bush's tactics to Hitler's, and the parliamentary floor leader 
who compared W. to Augustus, the Roman emperor who 
subdued the Germanic tribes. 
 
Mr. Struck and the German foreign minister, Joschka 
Fischer, were eager wannabes. Mr. Struck offered more 
German troops for Afghanistan and Mr. Fischer apologized 
to Colin Powell, the administration's gamma girl, the careful 
listener who'd always rather build relationships than run 
roughshod over them. 
 
Gerhard will have to go through way more of a shame spiral. 
He can forget about getting Germany a permanent seat on 
the U.N. Security Council. And no more bratwurst on White 
House menus. 
 
The State Department wanted the petulant president to 
make nice with the Germans. But W. was, like, enjoying his 
hissy fit, refusing to make the customary call to congratulate 
Mr. Schr&ouml;der. 
 
As with alpha girls, the president makes leadership all about 
him. He thinks there are only two places to be: with him on 
Iraq or with the terrorists. 
 
After all, Germany is not Saudi Arabia &#8212; they have elections 
over there. And surely the Bushes have heard of candidates 
saying whatever it takes, and placating various special 
interests, to win an election &#8212; and then mending fences 
afterward. Three words: Bob Jones University. All pols know 
today's adversary is tomorrow's ally. 
 
Maybe the Bush policy on Empire &amp; Pre-emption allows us 
to decide not only who can run a country, but what are the 
proper issues for other nations' election debates. 
 
Bush senior was a master of personal diplomacy, taking 
heads of state out on his cigarette boat, to Orioles games 
and to the Air and Space Museum to see the movie "To Fly." 
 
He was a foreign policy realist who used socializing, 
gossiping, notes and phone calls to lubricate relations with 
other leaders. 
 
But W., who was always the Roman candle and hatchet 
man in the family, has turned his father's good manners 
upside down &#8212; consulting sparingly, leaving poor Tony Blair 
to make the case against his foes for him, and treating policy 
disagreements as personal slights. 
 
Only the Saudis get away with disobliging the administration 
on Iraq without being frozen out. They're like the spoiled, 
foreign princesses in high school, dripping in Dolce &amp; 
Gabbana and Asprey, who drive their Mercedes convertibles 
into the magic alpha circle. 
 
But then, Germans merely make Mercedes. Saudis control 
the oil. 
 
 
 
 
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