By far, the testiest commentary of the day comes from the Berliner Zeitung, which opts for the headline, "The Emperor Makes a Visit." Essentially, the paper says: Beware. Bush may look like darling old grandma on the outside, but underneath, there's a wolf lurking. "The president's friendly tone doesn't change the fact that this is the same warlord with imperial claims as before," writes the paper. "This is a man who in his re-election sees vindication and acceptance for his belief that violence is often needed to bring freedom and democracy to the world. It is also a man who in addition to having a mandate from voters sees himself as doing God's work." The paper attacks all the security measures needed to make Bush's trip possible -- the entire city of Mainz will virtually stop functioning during the hours Bush is there. "The fact that whole cities and regions have to be turned upside down for him does not exactly fit in with the Message of the Redeemor," he wants to bring, says the paper. "But that is the way emperors travel." The paper doesn't see the new Bush as a true reflection of change, but just proof of America's ability to adapt itself to suit its own needs. "At the moment, the EU seems useful to Bush," it writes. "The world power has determined that even its mighty military is not enough to turn an underdeveloped country like Iraq into the 'youngest democracy in the world.'"
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MAINZ, Germany : At least 4,000 demonstrators vented their anger at the visit of US President George W. Bush to Germany but were kept well away from the security ring around him.
The centre of the picturesque western city was almost totally deserted after being shut to traffic and pedestrians during Bush's visit, with only a few police vehicles and armoured cars visible in the streets.
The protesters brandished placards reading "Terrorist Nr 1" and "Bush Swim Home" while police helicopters circled overhead.
The organizers of the rallies, an alliance of pacifist groups under the motto "Not Welcome, Mr Bush", said they were expecting 10,000 people to attend, but police put the numbers at about 4,000.
"Everything is very peaceful," said the organisers' spokesman Reiner Braun.
The stretch of the Rhine river that flows through Mainz was shut to shipping, but police confirmed that a boat with an anti-Bush protester on board had managed to sail towards a bridge shortly before the president's motorcade crossed it.
Three police launches intercepted the boat before it reached the bridge.
Police sealed manhole covers, removed mailboxes, insisted garage doors remain open and even temporarily closed the airspace to protect the US leader.
German airline Lufthansa complained that the security measures for Bush's visit had forced the cancellation of 71 of its flights from Frankfurt airport.
Frankfurt, Germany's biggest airport, was closed for 25 minutes on Wednesday morning to allow Bush's jet to land at the nearby US airbase Rhein-Main.
But Lufthansa said none of its flights were able to take off in the 45 minutes which followed Bush's arrival.
"We had to cancel 71 flights because of the temporary closure of Frankfurt airport and because of the reduced frequency on the takeoff and landing runways," said Lufthansa spokesman Thomas Jachnow.
The extent of the security measures for Bush's visit "were hard to understand in our opinion", he added.
Jachnow said a total of 4,675 passengers on Lufthansa and other flights were affected by the disruption.
A spokesman for Frankfurt airport confirmed that 104 flights were cancelled because of the US president's arrival but said that bad weather conditions were to blame.
There was a 57-kilometre-wide (35.4-mile-wide) air exclusion zone in operation over Mainz.
Security was also tight in the neighbouring city of Wiesbaden where Bush visited US troops later on Wednesday.
The centre of the picturesque western city was almost totally deserted after being shut to traffic and pedestrians during Bush's visit, with only a few police vehicles and armoured cars visible in the streets.
The protesters brandished placards reading "Terrorist Nr 1" and "Bush Swim Home" while police helicopters circled overhead.
The organizers of the rallies, an alliance of pacifist groups under the motto "Not Welcome, Mr Bush", said they were expecting 10,000 people to attend, but police put the numbers at about 4,000.
"Everything is very peaceful," said the organisers' spokesman Reiner Braun.
The stretch of the Rhine river that flows through Mainz was shut to shipping, but police confirmed that a boat with an anti-Bush protester on board had managed to sail towards a bridge shortly before the president's motorcade crossed it.
Three police launches intercepted the boat before it reached the bridge.
Police sealed manhole covers, removed mailboxes, insisted garage doors remain open and even temporarily closed the airspace to protect the US leader.
German airline Lufthansa complained that the security measures for Bush's visit had forced the cancellation of 71 of its flights from Frankfurt airport.
Frankfurt, Germany's biggest airport, was closed for 25 minutes on Wednesday morning to allow Bush's jet to land at the nearby US airbase Rhein-Main.
But Lufthansa said none of its flights were able to take off in the 45 minutes which followed Bush's arrival.
"We had to cancel 71 flights because of the temporary closure of Frankfurt airport and because of the reduced frequency on the takeoff and landing runways," said Lufthansa spokesman Thomas Jachnow.
The extent of the security measures for Bush's visit "were hard to understand in our opinion", he added.
Jachnow said a total of 4,675 passengers on Lufthansa and other flights were affected by the disruption.
A spokesman for Frankfurt airport confirmed that 104 flights were cancelled because of the US president's arrival but said that bad weather conditions were to blame.
There was a 57-kilometre-wide (35.4-mile-wide) air exclusion zone in operation over Mainz.
Security was also tight in the neighbouring city of Wiesbaden where Bush visited US troops later on Wednesday.
HALLIBURTON COULD GET $1.5 BILLION MORE FROM IRAQ WORK-ARMY
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050225/us_nm/arms_halliburton_dc_1
Can anyone tell me that Bush is a good president after reading this?
What I find absolutely cynical is the way how Republicans point fingers at liberals calling them anti-American traitors for criticizing and disagreeing with the invasion of Iraq among a whole bunch of other policies from the Bush administration.
Meanwhile, soldiers coming from hard-working families who struggle to make a decent living are being injured and dying every single day so Dick Cheney and his buddies can become a lot richer than they are already.
Killing your own troops for your own benefit and shamelessly receiving money stained with their blood...
THAT'S WHAT I CALL PATRIOTISM.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050225/us_nm/arms_halliburton_dc_1
Can anyone tell me that Bush is a good president after reading this?
What I find absolutely cynical is the way how Republicans point fingers at liberals calling them anti-American traitors for criticizing and disagreeing with the invasion of Iraq among a whole bunch of other policies from the Bush administration.
Meanwhile, soldiers coming from hard-working families who struggle to make a decent living are being injured and dying every single day so Dick Cheney and his buddies can become a lot richer than they are already.
Killing your own troops for your own benefit and shamelessly receiving money stained with their blood...
THAT'S WHAT I CALL PATRIOTISM.
BUSH SUCKS!!! I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE THINK HE IS THE BEST PRESIDENT IN THE WORLD!! There was no nuclear weapons in Iraq,but we attacked them. North Korea has nuclear weapons,and Bush isn't doing a dang thing about it!
If the Democrats had provide a competent, honest and somewhat moderate ticket ... Bush would have been easily defeated. I would have held my nose and voted for that whiny Lieberman ...
I don't think any of the Democrats would have been a worse choice than Bush, except for Al Sharpton.
Bush won because he used fear as an strategy to convince people that his 'kick-ass foreign policy' was the best and only choice to defeat terrorism. Sadly there's too many Americans who happen to be too easy to be brainwashed.
Bush won because he used fear as an strategy to convince people that his 'kick-ass foreign policy' was the best and only choice to defeat terrorism. Sadly there's too many Americans who happen to be too easy to be brainwashed.
Kerry Edwards was worthless and offered nothing. They were so worthless they could not even effectively offer empty promises. They basicly tested the political winds and said whatever they thought might get votes ... occasionally the political winds apparently shifted and they earned the flip-flopper label.
The improving economy also hurt Kerry/Edwards.
The improving economy also hurt Kerry/Edwards.
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I'm glad you said it instead of I, heh.
Actually I think it's probably safter (at the moment) to live in New Zealand than Australia. People are afraid of new things over here.
I'm sorry...i just can't see how you could vote for a man like Bush. He pulled the wool over your eyes.
Kerry Edwards was worthless and offered nothing. They were so worthless they could not even effectively offer empty promises. They basicly tested the political winds and said whatever they thought might get votes ... occasionally the political winds apparently shifted and they earned the flip-flopper label.
The improving economy also hurt Kerry/Edwards.
I'll take it as you didn't watch any of the presidential debates.
Kerry won all of them (according to different internet polls) because he proposed ideas to make this country better. Sadly that wasn't enough to win him the election. To some it might have been as if Kerry had too many plans in mind, but the truth is that at a time like this when so many things are going the wrong way thanks to the Bush administration, those measures were necessary. On the other hand Bush did nothing but defend his own actions, and I don't recall him saying that certain things had to be changed.
I can see how the economy is growing when the deficit has hit an all time high. Is the Bush administration proposing anything?... NO! Does he have any plans to save social security?... NO!... Is he doing anything to give health care to 50 million Americans?... NO! All Bush ever does is go to Capitol Hill and tell the Congress to do something, just like he went to NATO last week and asked all those nations to help him re-build Iraq. Basically, Bush always expects people to clean up the mess he made.
let's play a game!
let's play a game!
Everybody try to guess which country Bush is going to invade next and for what bullshit reason...I'll go first:
COUNRTY: CANADA
REASON:
We Canadians have been pissing Bush off for a long time. We've got it coming.
W's MADE UP HIDDEN WEAPON of TERROR:
Canada has been secretly talking with Osama Bin Laden and has been manufacturing plutonium. The canadians plan to unleash a nuclear dirty bomb soon by a war head disguised as a sick Moose.
let's play a game!
Everybody try to guess which country Bush is going to invade next and for what bullshit reason...I'll go first:
COUNRTY: CANADA
REASON:
We Canadians have been pissing Bush off for a long time. We've got it coming.
W's MADE UP HIDDEN WEAPON of TERROR:
Canada has been secretly talking with Osama Bin Laden and has been manufacturing plutonium. The canadians plan to unleash a nuclear dirty bomb soon by a war head disguised as a sick Moose.
Pish-posh. We all know you Canadians have sharpened ice-skates. I've been told you can hear them being sharpened over the border.
Pish-posh. We all know you Canadians have sharpened ice-skates. I've been told you can hear them being sharpened over the border.
The Americans are probably going to wage war on us because they're gonna blame us for the NHL lock-out this season :P
(Not that that makes any sense, but :P )
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT NHL IS!
Actually I do..but I have to run now.. Denis Leary is stalking me for using that joke.
Actually I do..but I have to run now.. Denis Leary is stalking me for using that joke.
I remember when Bush came to Romania. It was like a god or something was visiting us. The media was all about that... :S
Anyways... the measures u wrote there, omg!!!
Would the US do that if an European official would visit? hm... don't think so...
Anyways... the measures u wrote there, omg!!!
Would the US do that if an European official would visit? hm... don't think so...