Being Fair to Bush (God Knows Why)

Last night, I told friends at NYRSF that George Bush didn't know the difference between Sunnis and Shiites. Supposedly, when he met Iraqi opposition leaders in January, they had to spend some time explaining that there was, in fact, a difference between them.

Last night I read the original source for this claim, George Sanger's article "Dreaming of Democracy" in the New York Times Magazine. The evidence, I have to say, is less than overwhelming:

When [Bush] met with Makiya and two other Iraqis in January, I was told by someone not present, the exiles spent a good portion of the time explaining to the president that there are two kinds of Arabs in Iraq, Sunnis and Shiites. The very notion of an Iraqi opposition appeared to be new to him.

I feel silly being fair to the Bush administration, which has raised mendacity to new heights... But there's no reason to sink to it's level.

Concentration Camps for Mexicans (Again)

From the American Prospect: Michael Tomasky muses about the Bush administration's bullying of Mexico. He refers to the Economist quote that I reprinted here on Sunday, in which an unnamed US diplomat made veiled threats to Mexico. That diplomat claimed "a Mexican No could 'stir up feelings' against Mexicans in the United States," drawing parallels "with the Japanese-Americans who were interned after 1941."

He then refers to an account of a press junket with the president:

The president seemed concerned at the debate under way in Mexico... "We'll be disappointed if people don't support us," he said pointedly. With the Mexican press full of a debate over the ramifications of a vote against the resolution, Bush added, "But, nevertheless, I don't expect there to be significant retribution from the government." His emphasis was on the word "government," raising the possibility of adverse reaction to Mexico from America's business community and average citizens. Making that point, he cited what he called "an interesting phenomena taking place here in America about the French." With many Americans unhappy at French resistance to a war in Iraq, the president said there has developed "a backlash against the French, not stirred up by anybody except by the people."

(You can find an edited version of the account here; Tomasky doesn't give us the URL.)

Well, there you have it. This suggests that the unnamed "diplomat" wasn't speaking off-the-cuff. He wasn't a rogue cowboy in the State Department. He was relaying the opinion of his boss, the President of the United States. The president is threatening Mexico; he is saying there will be violence against Mexican-Americans if Vincente Fox opposes war with Iraq.

What could I possibly say to this?