1 Question Each: Europe's Leaders Are Awarded Topics for Their Pres. Chat

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com



1//The Independent, UK 21 February 2005

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=613151



ONE QUESTION EACH: EUROPE’S LEADERS ARE AWARDED TOPICS FOR THEIR PRESIDENTIAL CHAT



By Stephen Castle in Brussels



As the leader of the free world George Bush is known to be a busy man. There have also been question-marks in the past over his attention span and dislike of protracted debate, but, even by the standards of the Bush White House, the assembled heads of Europe will be given short shrift tomorrow when they gather to address the President of the United States.



President Bush arrived in Brussels last night for his week-long tour of Europe. When 25 elected heads of state assemble tomorrow in the Justus Lipsius building, which houses the Council of Ministers, eleven of them have been chosen to address the US President on an international matter of importance, they will be allocated a minimal amount of time ­ the betting is five minutes each.



Tony Blair will give a commentary on the future of the Middle East. The French President, Jacques Chirac, will attempt to sum up the intricacies of European integration. Bertie Ahern will speak for five minutes on the subject, bizarrely, of Russia. But the man who has been handed the short straw is the Slovakian Prime Minister, Mikulas Dzurinda, who will address a doubtless stony-faced President on the subject of Iraq. Mr Bush will speak for half an hour in the 90-minute meeting.



EU officials in Brussels explain that, given the number of leaders who wish to speak, the format makes sense. Silvio Berlusconi forced his way on to the list (economic reform) after being excluded, further squeezing his colleagues' minutes. But, as the President begins a tour designed to reconcile old Europe and the White House, it has become clear that Europe is prepared to bend over backwards to ensure the guest has a good time.

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[TahitiNut]

1. Caesar Disgustsus deigns to hear provincial leaders.

Faux Emperor Sneero the Pathologue.

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[punpirate]

2. Oh... my goodness...

... Smirkus Americanus... take your pick--New World Order Emperor, or a newly discovered species of primate. :)

[NYC Liberal]

5. The emperor will not tolerate disloyalty from the subjects.

[tom_paine]

33. Caesar Disgustus! LOL! Got my Tiberius Bunnypants* beat hands down!

:toast:

Mind if I fuse the two to give Der Fuhrer his appropriate name?

Tiberius Bunnypants Caeser Disgustus

I guess that makes his Dad Poppy Augustus Caeser Disgustus.

[TahitiNut]

36. Be my guest. I just don't have the vocabulary to adequately ...

... express the degree to which I regard Chimperor Sneero and his enablers and handlers appallingly disgusting. That frustration comes out occasionally by finding new epithets.

[aquart]

3. My god, they're appearing before the king????????

He gets half an hour to blather, they each get five minutes??????

AND THIS INSULT IS SUPPOSED TO HEAL THE BREACH?????????????

[radfringe]

10. did they have to submit their questions beforehand....or

were they handed a script of pre-approved questions? Wonder if they will stick to the script?

yes, this smacks of a photo-op audience with the emperor...

[WildClarySage]

4. way to mend those fences, georgieboy.

[Liberty Belle]

6. I don't supposed any of them will ask W if he's humping the WH whore,

"Jeff Gannon."

[noamnety]

29. I doubt it

Since the questions are probably written gannonymously by a WH staffer and given to the other world puppets in advance.

[burrowowl]

7. Would that these leaders

give their impressions of Bu$h to the European press, e.g., the man is mad and completely obcessive, wants to invade Syria, Iran, may mini-nukes on Europe to get them in-line, etc. and that Europe and Japan should pay for it .... Europe: 'we are going with China and Russia for economic reasons ....', except we are scared shitless ....
Would love to see some real 'impressions'. Chirac is rather Fascist/Corporatist around the edges and the only reason he disagrees with Bu$h is that Bu$h is neither subtle nor sane ...
Is big shit around the corner in the next few years? most probably.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

8. Who does he think he's dealing with?

This is not the press! I know he can't handle follow up questions because he's not scripted for them. But how in the hell does he think this is going to make anyone see things his way?

BUSH: I'll limit them to one question each, they can't corner me that way.

Europe: What an egotistical ass!

[AFSCME girl]

14. I hear ya Lone_Star_Dem..

these are heads of state - not toddlers!! What an idiot * is! :grr:

[leftchick]

15. the problem is, the chimperor** does not see them as

"heads of states". He sees them as everyone else in his warped world. They are his minions and HE is king of the world. And that ain't no shit! :scared:

[AFSCME girl]

16. This is very true, leftchick!

[diadem]

25. there is a name for this- narcissism... n/t

[xxqqqzme]

9. I am soooo pleased 2 see he takes

arrogance everywhere.

Can't that ear-bud/transmitter/debate toy help him out? Come on they have only used it 3 or 4 times.

[thecrow]

11. Worst. President. Ever.

Uneffinbelievable.

[dbt]

12. Europe largely has a free press.

It will be very interesting to read analyses of this Imperial Event. Betcha the Boy King gets roasted!

:evilgrin:
dbt

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. The problem is that Bush doesn't talk to other heads of government

anything like as often as he should. He's so wrapped up in a cocoon that he almost never visits other countries, and he tends to sit in isolation in the White House as well - unless he can get them to come to him so he gets a photo-op.

So when he does finally poke his nose out of the USA, they have to queue up to get a bit of time with him. Most European leaders probably get more time, on the phone or in person, with Putin than Bush. Oviously, they have to pay attention to their relationship with the richest country in the world. Britain has had no ambassador from the USA for 8 months now - and the occupier of the seat before that was a waste of space. I think the relationship is mainly run with Britain as a subsidiary of the State Department, with Blair reporting to Rice (if he's lucky).

This is, by the way, a sign that the EU is still far from a state in its own right - none of the governments can trust one another, or the EU commissioners, to get their points of view over properly. They all want to make sure they get time themselves.

[DrRang]

17. Just a photo-op

Bush won't listen anyway, it's all just to produce footage for the sheeple back home. Look how all those degenerate old Europeans line up in honor of JesusBush! Gotta have something to broadcast besides demonstrators in the streets.

[Horse with no Name]

18. I wonder why

The other countries would even agree to this charade?
For God sake we have an idiot (p)resident who can't string two syllables together by himself without the assist of his puppeteers.
Seems Bush only needs the pics so his media whores can show them all shaking hands nicey nice and print untruths about the "summit",lol.
Does this strike anyone else odd as in this is what the Pope does?
Now, instead of an audience with the Pope, you get an audience with the Dope.
Just shaking head.

[smirkymonkey]

20. Exactly! Is the whole bloody world in on this warped charade?

These are heads of state, not members of the press corp! How does he get off TELLING them what the terms will be on THEIR TURF!

Will ANYONE ever have the courage to scream at the top of their lungs "The Chimporer Has No Mandate!"

Why is the rest of the world letting him get away with this kind of shit? I am just stupefied by it all. :nuke:

[cthrumatrix]

21. at the "global level" there is an agreement for the choas and death

that we see... you can' get to one world order IF everyone were healthy wealthy and happy.

[CitySky]

32. "Audience with the Dope" - LOL - n/t

[peacebird]

35. why don't the European heads of state boycott this?

or at least stand with their backs to * when he lectures for half an hour?!?

FIVE MINUTES EACH?!? and each given a TOPIC? Like students in elementary school?!?

:wtf:

[MisterP]

40. the Pope doesn't use an egg timer to determine how long people

can ask him questions, I believe
Woop, your 300 seconds are up--next!
on edit: pinheaded little hemorrhoid!

[Rose Siding]

19. There's that effective "mending fences" attitude

Who doesn't respond to such magnanimity?

[Mandate My Ass]

22. That stooge is a total embarrassment

I hope they all ask him does he seriously think they're going to bail his sorry ass out after yet another brazen insult.

[bettyellen]

23. "bending over backwards to ensure 'the guest' has a good time"

that's quaint

[shantipriya]

24. Bush & European leaders

Is there any topic Bush can intelligently discuss with the European leaders most of whom are better educated and knowledgeable than the chimp?Most of them whose language is not English speak better english than our beloved(!!!) pResident.

[mtnester]

26. "Mr. Bush, do you realize you are naked?"

sigh...I can dream

[rocktivity]

27. It sounds more like they're bending over FOWARDS to me

Why don't they just say no?

:headbang:
rocknation

[jakpalmer]

28. Why would they agree to do that ?

It's so insulting.
Do they want to look like puppets in this moran's hand ?

[smirkymonkey]

30. That's what I want to know - Why willingly prostrate yourself before

the biggest murdering buffoon the world has ever known? Do they realize how impotent it makes them look?

How can one agree to this and still have any self respect?

[complain jane]

31. Is this a joke?!?

Who the f does he think he is? And why would any head of state agree to this?

:wtf:

[Redstone]

34. Think any of them wil have the guts to ask THIS one question?

"Why don't you just fuck off?"

Redstone

[maxsolomon]

37. a useful charade

i think the euros are wary of allowing their relations with america to deteriorate any further. chirac could get all up in his grill in 5 minutes if he wanted.

so they are willing to participate in bush's news management charade just to keep a foot in the door. and as an olive branch to the poodle.

i hope they're speaking their real opinions to condi & dick in private, because bush couldn't understand them even if he tried.

[Fovea]

38. As I always used to say to my martial arts students

There are times when you need to feign conviviality in order to get a better weapon.

[nookiemonster]

39. Where's a pretzel vendor when you need one!

n/t