Quotes of the Morning: Beating Our Plowshares Into Swords

“Last week, America and the world marked the fifth anniversary of the attacks that filled another September morning with death and suffering. On that terrible day, extremists killed nearly 3,000 innocent people, including citizens of dozens of nations represented right here in this chamber. Since then, the enemies of humanity have continued their campaign of murder.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 19, 2006

“Following are the latest figures for military deaths in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003:
[…]
IRAQIS:
Military Between 4,900 and 6,375
Civilians Between 43,269 and 48,046”
-Reuters, September 19, 2006

“Your guess is as good as mine as to which side this Administration is currently on.”
-Skippy

“At the start of the 21st century, it is clear that the world is engaged in a great ideological struggle, between extremists who use terror as a weapon to create fear, and moderate people who work for peace.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 19, 2006

“I’m still guessing which side Fearless Leader is on...”
-Skippy

“This morning, I want to speak about the more hopeful world that is within our reach, a world beyond terror, where ordinary men and women are free to determine their own destiny, where the voices of moderation are empowered, and where the extremists are marginalized by the peaceful majority.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 19, 2006

“Extremists marginalized by a peaceful majority… Wow, I wonder what that would be like?.”
-Skippy

“The principles of this world beyond terror can be found in the very first sentence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document declares that the ‘equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom and justice and peace in the world.’"
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 19, 2006

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Hmm.. Sounds like an interesting document. Let’s see what it has to say…”
-Skippy

“No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
-Article 5, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“Such vague terms. I mean, if Dubya can say things like this…”
-Skippy

“Bush called on Congress to define these ‘vague and undefined’ terms in Common Article 3 [of the Geneva Conventions] because ‘our military and intelligence personnel’ involved in capture and interrogation ‘could now be at risk of prosecution under the War Crimes Act.’”
-Marjorie Cohn, Legal News TV, September 18, 2006

“…about terms like ‘outrages upon personal dignity’ and ‘humiliating and degrading treatment’, then you can be sure that ‘cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’ is going to have way too much wiggle room for him. This is a man who likes his definitions nailed down, except for words like ‘freedom’ (which includes spying on US citizens and ‘free speech zones’), ‘justice’ (which includes locking people up without trial or legal recourse), and ‘peace’ (which includes war). Those words he has no problem redefining as needed.”
-Skippy

“Every nation that travels the road to freedom moves at a different pace, and the democracies they build will reflect their own culture and traditions. But the destination is the same: A free society where people live at peace with each other and at peace with the world.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 19, 2006

“So far Fearless Leader has started two wars. I guess that we aren’t really a free society. Dubya, can you back up that assertation?”
-Skippy

“While your peers in other parts of the world have received educations that prepare them for the opportunities of a global economy, you have been fed propaganda and conspiracy theories that blame others for your country's shortcomings.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 19, 2006

“To be fair, he was speaking of the poor disenfranchised youth of the Middle East. It just sounded more appropriate this way.”
-Skippy