Bush Strikes Again

George Bush had quite a week at the G8 Summit. It's hard to keep track of the ways that he embarrassed himself (and our nation in the process). First there was him getting burned by Putin during a press conference when Putin responded to Bush by saying Russia doesn't want the kind of democracy they have in Iraq. Then he gets caught, when he didn't know their was a microphone on, sounding like a complete idiot talking to Tony Blair and showing off his amateurish understanding of diplomacy as pertaining to the Israeli-Arab conflict - not to mention his realization that Russia and China are both big countries.

And, finally he's caught on video giving German Chancellor Angela Merkel a quick unsuspecting massage. This last gaffe will probably be the least reported on and discussed incident, but I think it is possibly the most important incident worth focusing on. Though Bush's simplified beliefs on how to stop the fighting between Israel and their Arab foes deserves it's own special place in The Bush Hall of Fame. However, that shouldn't take the focus away from an equally telling Bush moment which might at first seem like nothing to take seriously.

However, Bush grabbing the German Chancellor is not something to overlook. It may seem innocuous, but it is as telling as any of Bush’s gaffes about what a complete and utter clown this man is. There’s no denying that the German Chancellor cringed, and you can’t spin that any other way because it was a completely natural, spontaneous reaction by her that’s as obvious as anything.

I’m sure in Bush’s mind it wasn’t malicious or perverted. Of course not, but what he is too ignorant and arrogant to understand is that it's a clear sign of disrespect. That woman happens to be the leader of Germany. The leader! Just think about that. Right or wrong there’s a certain sense of importance that all leaders have. It’s only natural; and they happen to think their presence commands a certain amount of respect. They usually don’t get grabbed unexpectedly in front of other people, by any human being on the planet, while they're acting in their capacity as leader of a country. People don’t pinch their cheeks, or give them noogies, or go to shake their hand and then at the last second pull back their hand and run it through their hair while saying, “Sike!”

It couldn’t be more disrespectful. I’m pretty sure the people of Germany think they are a pretty important, powerful country and should be afforded more respect. They are not Guam (my apologies to that guy in Guam that’s reading this). And, what they also know is that people only disrespect someone like that who they think they’re better than. People don’t do that to their boss; they do that to their assistant. You also have to wonder if he would have grabbed a man like that. I can’t imagine Bush walking behind Putin and unexpectedly grabbing the tendons between his shoulders and neck. I think the German Chancellor knows this, as do the German people.

It may seem like nothing, but it’s not nothing when most of the world already hates you and think you’re an arrogant nation run by an arrogant, incompetent bully. And, it’s not going to help as you try to get other nations, like Germany, to follow your lead on the most serious matters around the world.