Beyond lying

They are serious about nothing (except power and greed). And if you take them at face value about anything, even (and most especially) the sacred task of spreading democracy, you’re either profoundly ignorant or criminally dishonest. From today’s Washington Post:

While President Bush vows to transform Iraq into a beacon of democracy in the Middle East, his administration has been scaling back funding for the main organizations trying to carry out his vision by building democratic institutions such as political parties and civil society groups.

...Some organizations face funding cutoffs this month, while others struggle to stretch resources through the summer. The shortfall threatens projects that teach Iraqis how to create and sustain political parties, think tanks, human rights groups, independent media outlets, trade unions and other elements of democratic society....

We could make a list a mile long of things Bush claimed were dear to his heart that were promptly dropped like hot potatoes as soon as they proved difficult or the man became bored. The only reason the “democracy” meme has lasted so long is that no other justification for his pre-emptive war still remains useful to him.

If you haven’t read Jane Smiley’s essay on Bush and the truth at Huffington Post, do so immediately. It is definitive.