Bushisms and Other Ridiculous Ideas

Somewhere herein lies a portrait of a man who will say, do, or intimate anything in order to retain or enhance his own power.


George W. Bush's father served as U.S. President from 1989 to 1993.

Kim Jong-il succeeded his father, Kim Il-sung who was the leader of North Korea from 1948 until his death in 1994.

George W. Bush is Commander in Chief of all US military forces.

Kim Jong-il is General and Supreme Commander of all North Korean armed forces.

George W. Bush is in charge of all US domestic affairs covered under the Executive branch.

Kim Jong-il is in charge of all internal affairs in the Democratic People's Republic.

George W. Bush, in a televised debate held in 1999, was asked "What political philosopher or thinker do you most identify with and why?" Unlike the other Republican candidates, who cited former Presidents and other political figures, Bush responded, "Christ, because he changed my life." His appeal to religious values is believed to have aided his 2000 election as President.

Kim Jong-il's voice was broadcast for the first time in 1992. During a military parade, he approached the microphone and said "Glory to the heroic soldiers of the People's Army!" When his father died in 1994, he was not replaced as President, and in fact remains the President resting in the memorial mausoleum in central Pyongyang. The active position has been abolished in deference to the memory of Kim Il-sung, officially deified as the "Great Leader." Kim Jong-il unofficially succeeded him assuming the title of General Secretary of the Worker's Party of Korea, affectionately known as "Dear Leader."

George W. Bush, on his first day in office, moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counselling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions. Days into his first term, Bush announced his commitment to channelling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations, while his staff privately buffooned religious leaders.

Kim Jong-il in his position as Chairman of the National Defense Commission was declared in 1998 to occupy "the highest post of the state", so Kim may be regarded as North Korea's head of state from that date. This is the first, and so far only, time a communist country's leadership has progressed in a dynastic succession. Since Kim is not the president, he is not constitutionally required to hold elections to confirm his legitimacy and has not done so.

George W. Bush is known privately to have a singularly bad, head strong temper and relies on his own instinct and the advice of limited inner circle of advisors rather than consensus when making policy decisions. He has fired staffers, advisors, Cabinet members, and generals who have disagreed with him.

Kim Jong-il is a reclusive leader who is known for his "cruelty and unpredictability," and demands absolute obedience and agreement, and views any deviation from his thinking as a sign of disloyalty.

George W. Bush has a number of accounts of substance abuse and otherwise disorderly conduct in his past, and he has admitted to drinking "too much" described this period of his life as his "nomadic" period of "irresponsible youth". Bush was able to keep his drunk driving arrest a secret throughout his years as governor of Texas.

Kim Jong-il, prior to 1995, was frequently accused of dishonesty, drunkenness, sexual excess of various kinds and even insanity. He sometimes wears lifts and platform shoes.

George W. Bush is often referred to by the nickname Dubya.

Kim Jong-il dictates content of state television KCTV news broadcasts, which make frequent use of honorifics such as "Great Leader," "Dear General," and "Dear Father," and occasionally "The Sun of the 21st Century."

George W. Bush, in May of 1968, was accepted into the Texas Air National Guard. After training, he was assigned to duty in Houston. Bush has been criticized over his induction and period of service, and that he was irregular in attendance. Bush took a transfer to the Alabama Air National Guard in 1972 to work on a Republican senate campaign, and in 1974 he obtained permission to end his six-year service obligation six months early to attend Harvard Business School, receiving an honorable discharge.

Kim Jong-il, according to North Korean "enjoys golf, having shot multiple holes-in-one during his first try at the game. He reportedly aced five holes and finished 38 under par on the golf course."

George W. Bush's share in the sale of the Texas Rangers brought him over $15 million from his initial $800,000 investment. His net worth is estimates range between $9 million and $26 million. Dick Cheney's 2005 net worth is $92 Million.

Kim Jong-il once traveled across Russia by train with a Russian emissary who told reporters that Kim had live lobsters air-lifted to the train every day which he ate with silver chopsticks. His net worth approaches $4 billion.

George W. Bush, during his first term, sought and obtained Congressional approval for two additional tax cuts: the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. Arguably, cuts were distributed disproportionately to higher income taxpayers through a decrease in marginal rates. Three million new, low-wage, service-based jobs have been created, and an equal number of high paying, manufacturing and technology jobs have migrated overseas.

Kim Jong-il declared in 2002 that "money should be capable of measuring the worth of all commodities." North Korea relies upon foreign aid and imports most of it's commodities. Up to one half of North Koreans are unemployed, and have no state funded assistance.

George W. Bush has presided over record economic profits by US based multinational energy corporations, domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers, health and hazard insurance companies, and Wall Street brokerages, yet real wages for middle class workers have fallen for five straight years, and domestic bankruptcies and homeowner mortgage defaults are at an all time high. Trade with China has nearly doubled.

Kim Jong-il is North Korea's foremost economic planner. Despite its international and economic difficulties as a result of poor industrial productivity, it does not seem to be in imminent danger of collapse. The Democratic People's Republic has begun limited market experimentation, and trade with China nearly doubled between 2002 and 2004

George W. Bush's domestic agenda carried forward the adoption of the No Child Left Behind Act, with Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy as chief sponsor. The legislation aims to close the achievement gap, measures student performance, provides options to parents with students in low-performing schools, and targets more federal funding to low-income schools. NCLBA has been a source of ongoing controversy. Critics argue that Bush has underfunded his own program, and Kennedy himself has claimed: "The tragedy is that these long overdue reforms are finally in place, but the funds are not." One in seven Americans has no health care coverage whatsoever, whereas every congressperson is afforded health care coverage for life at taxpayer expense.

Kim Jong-il's domestic agenda is reflected by estimates ranging as high as the existence of 5 million orphans and as many as 10,000 North Koreans starve every day as a result of corruption within the Pyongyang and regional bureaucracies, pilferage and hoarding by the government elite, neglectful disconcern by Kim and the loyal party base, and total disregard for the rural population outside the bubble of Pyongyang's fallacious auspice. During the 1990's, even soldiers were starved to death in lieu of Kim's ferver for advanced technological weaponry. Education and health care are virtually non-existant for all but roughly 1 million of it's 22 million citizens, and an estimated 2 to 5 million in the DPRK military.

George W. Bush publicly condemned Kim Jong-Il and his Stalinist regime, naming North Korea one of three states in an "axis of evil," and vowing that "[t]he United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons." Within months, both countries had walked away from their respective commitments under the US-DPRK Agreed Framework of 1994.

Kim Jong-il's relationship with the United States has been more difficult. The U.S. and North Korea signed the Agreed Framework following a U.S. military buildup near the country, with the U.S. considering bombing an active reactor. Under this agreement, North Korea was to shut down its graphite-moderated nuclear reactors and plutonium processing program in exchange for two light water reactors paid for mostly by South Korea, together with interim fuel oil shipments by the U.S. Construction of the light-water reactors fell behind schedule and delivery of the fuel oil was often late. North Korea was supposed to use these for energy only but was accused by the U.S. of pursuing nuclear weapons.

George W Bush's apparent mediocrity has been a major factor in his success.

Kim Jong Il happens to be brilliant at his primary responsibility--remaining in power.

George W Bush is a self-described "war President." Since his 2004 re-election, he has received increasingly heated criticism, even from former allies, on the Iraq War, the Guantanamo Bay prison and Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandals, as well as domestic issues such as federal funding of stem cell research, Hurricane Katrina, NSA warrantless surveillance, and a number of scandals.

Kim Jong Il dominates the life of the Korean people who form a harmonious whole with the General is a revolutionary life to glorify their noblest political integrity. This is why they have unbendingly advanced the revolution with an unshakable faith, not wavering under any obstacles and trials. The General is the mental pillar and the eternal sun to the Korean people. As they are in harmonious whole with him, they are enjoying a true life based on pure conscience and obligation. They are upholding him as their great father and teacher, united around him in ideology, morality and obligation. So, their life is a true, fruitful and precious life without an equal in history.

George W Bush's popularity has declined. Some people, such as Benjamin Ferencz, a chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, hold the view that Bush should be tried for war crimes along with Saddam Hussein for starting "aggressive" wars. They argue that the US-led invasion was a war of aggression, and therefore under the Nuremberg Principles it constitutes the supreme international crime from which all other war crimes follow.

Kim Jong Il is absolutely worshiped. The Korean people trust and follow him as god. These noble ideological feelings are ascribable to the fact that they have keenly felt the greatness of the General from the bottom of their hearts. He is the great teacher who teaches them what the true life is, a father who provides them with the noblest political integrity and a tender-hearted benefactor who brings their worthwhile life into full bloom.

Bush to Review Iraq Tactics
By KEVIN FREKING, AP

WASHINGTON (Oct. 20) - President Bush acknowledged Friday that "it's tough" in Iraq and said he would consult with American generals to see if a change in tactics is necessary to combat the escalating violence.

Seventy-four American troops have died in Iraq in October, likely to become the deadliest month for U.S. forces in nearly two years.

"One of the reasons you're seeing more casualties is the enemy is active and so are our troops, along with Iraqis," Bush said in a brief interview with The Associated Press.

He said he planned consultations within the next few days with Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, and Gen. George Casey, who leads the U.S.-led Multinational Forces in Iraq.

"We are constantly adjusting our tactics so we can achieve the objectives and right now, it's tough," the president said. "It's tough on the families who've lost a loved one. It's tough for our citizens who look at it on TV. It's hard on the Iraqis. They've lost a lot of life."

He declined to say, though, whether he thought a change in tactics was necessary

The president has often said that U.S. goals in Iraq remain the same: to have a country that can sustain itself, govern itself and help in the war on terror.

[...]
The White House said that while Bush might change tactics in Iraq, he would not change his overall strategy despite growing opposition and Republican anxiety that his policy could cost the GOP control of the House or the Senate - or both.

[...]
"The president is not going to alter his approach based on political considerations, but instead on the business of trying and moving toward having an Iraq that can sustain, govern and defend itself," Bush's spokesman said.

With the war in its fourth year and the U.S. death toll above 2,780, Bush faces intense political pressure to change what critics say is a failed Iraq policy. An independent commission led by former secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana is exploring options for a new Iraq strategy.

On another contentious foreign policy issue, Bush said he would not comment on a report that North Korea had apologized for conducting a nuclear test until he had a chance to consult with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials on the nuclear standoff.

The mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il had told the Chinese that "he is sorry about the nuclear test." The North Korean leader also raised the possibility the country would return to arms talks.

Bush said Rice would report back to him later Friday. "I will then react, but we'll wait to hear confirmation on whether the leader of North Korea has stated that," he said.

[...]
Later, at a fundraiser in Washington for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Bush said his party has the best ideas for fostering U.S. economic progress and winning the war on terror and the war in Iraq. He urged Congress to extend his tax cuts and said if Democrats win the elections, they will raise taxes.

He also railed against Democrats who criticize the war in Iraq. Calling the Democrats the party of "cut and run," Bush said: "The voters out there need to ask the question, `Which political party will support the brave men and women who wear our uniform when they do their job of protecting America? Which political party is willing to give our professionals the tools necessary to protect the American people? Which political party has a strategy for victory in this war on terror?

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

North Korea's Kim Regrets Test
By BURT HERMAN, AP

SEOUL, South Korea (Oct. 20) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said Pyongyang didn't plan to carry out any more nuclear tests and expressed regret about the country's first-ever atomic detonation last week, South Korean media reported Friday.

North Korea, however, kept up its bellicose rhetoric as more than 100,000 people gathered Friday in Pyongyang's central Kim Il Sung square to "hail the success of the historic nuclear test," according to the North's official media.

Kim told Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan that "we have no plans for additional nuclear tests," Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed diplomatic source in Beijing.

Kim also told the Chinese that "he is sorry about the nuclear test," the mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo daily reported, citing a diplomatic source in China. The North Korean leader also raised the possibility the country would return to arms talks.

"If the U.S. makes a concession to some degree, we will also make a concession to some degree, whether it be bilateral talks or six-party talks," Kim was quoted as telling a Chinese envoy, the newspaper reported. The delegation led by Tang met Kim during a daylong visit on Thursday.

[...]
A North Korean official, meanwhile, defended last week's nuclear test and said Pyongyang would "crush U.S. imperialists' schemes with its self-defensive power."

"No matter how the U.S. imperialists try to stifle and isolate our republic ... victory will be on the side of justice," said Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency's Korean-language report.

Choe made the comments at a rally in the North Korean capital in which tens of thousands of citizens and soldiers cheered the nuclear test, according to KCNA - the first known celebration directly tied to the explosion.

In an interview with ABC News in Pyongyang, North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Kye Gwan, said the country was willing to return to talks.

"We believe that the nuclear test that we've already held gives us full deterrent, sufficient deterrent power, and we hope to return to six-party talks," Kim Kye Gwan said, adding there's no reason North Korea should remain an enemy of the U.S.

In the interview, Kim also noted the North has not indicated there would be another nuclear test, but that "others have said that."

[...]
North Korea has long insisted that the U.S. desist from a campaign to sever its ties to the international financial system. Washington accuses Pyongyang of complicity in counterfeiting and money laundering to sell weapons of mass destruction...

Associated Press writers Audra Ang in Beijing and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

JR Ford
UP (Unsubstantiated Press)
St. Petersburg, Fl.
sixtimeseven@aol.com