Not Even Original Dreck
George W. Bush has been touting his new memoir Decision Points. He’s very proud of the fact that he wrote the book himself – sorta.
Crown also got a mash-up of worn-out anecdotes from previously published memoirs written by his subordinates, from which Bush lifts quotes word for word, passing them off as his own recollections. He took equal license in lifting from nonfiction books about his presidency or newspaper or magazine articles from the time. Far from shedding light on how the president approached the crucial “decision points” of his presidency, the clip jobs illuminate something shallower and less surprising about Bush’s character: He’s too lazy to write his own memoir.
The article has many examples of where Bush lifted almost word for word from other accounts. This one is my favorite, he lifts an anecdote for an event he wasn’t even present for.
Many of Bush’s literary misdemeanors exemplify pedestrian sloth, but others are higher crimes against the craft of memoir. In one prime instance, Bush relates a poignant meeting between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a Tajik warlord on Karzai’s Inauguration Day. It’s the kind of scene that offers a glimpse of a hopeful future for the beleaguered nation. Witnessing such an exchange could color a president’s outlook, could explain perhaps Bush’s more optimistic outlook and give insight into his future decisions. Except Bush didn’t witness it. Because he wasn’t at Karzai’s inauguration.
His absence doesn’t stop Bush from relating this anecdote: “When Karzai arrived in Kabul for his inauguration on December 22 – 102 days after 9/11 – several Northern Alliance leaders and their bodyguards greeted him at an airport. As Karzai walked across the tarmac alone, a stunned Tajik warlord asked where all his men were. Karzai, responded, ‘Why, General, you are my men. All of you who are Afghans are my men.'”
That meeting would sound familiar to Ahmed Rashid, author of “The Mess in Afghanistan”, who wrote in the New York Review of Books: “At the airport to receive [Karzai] was the warlord General Mohammad Fahim, a Tajik from the Panjshir Valley …. As the two men shook hands on the tarmac, Fahim looked confused. ‘Where are your men?’ he asked. Karzai turned to him in his disarmingly gentle manner of speaking. ‘Why General,” he replied, “you are my men–all of you are Afghans and are my men.'”
Jon Stewart did a good story on Bush’s memoir tour (before the plagiarism was detected) and I realized that Bush’s face and voice still make me gag.
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Tags: George W. Bush, Republican Liars, Worst.President.Ever
Bush’s memoir is evidently a work of fiction. Anyone who was around during his reign should not be surprised.
I feel sorry for the poor audio engineer who has to record Bush reading for the audio version of this pile of shit. Can you imagine how many takes Bush will need to say ” As Karzai walked across the tarmac alone, a stunned Tajik warlord asked where all his men were.” ??
Hundreds. Scores of hundreds.
Hope the International Court of Justice indicts Bush for violating the Law Against Torture, since the U.S. Justice department won’t enforce the law. Shame on you Obama, you wimp.
I’m glad to hear this. I was starting to feel sorry for the chump, and this brings his laziness and sense of entitlement — the things that fueled my scorn towards him in the first place — back to the fore. Thank you, George W. Bush!
Hundreds. Scores of hundreds.
Maybe even brazilians.
Talk about ‘lazy.’ This story is just an aggregated lift from the HuFFPost. Omg! We better call Bob Woodward cuz this is Bigger than Watergate!
Your hero is a dumbfuck. I think we can all agree on that much.
The Bush apologists have been pretty lame lately.
http://alethonews.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/march_of_tyranny.jpg?w=720&h=553
Rewriting history! Do any of you really believe this schmuck was capable of writing a book? Yes, he lifted shit right out of Bob Woodwards book, which of course he told Woodward. If this Justice Dept was really a Justice Dept they would have taken all the 28 plus impeachment allegations and investigated, prosecuted and convicted the entire Bush regime for crimes against humanity. How easily repukes forget what their leader did, and what these dumb bastards they just elected (majority have never served in any capacity in public office). Admitting to his war crimes should have been the sole reason for the Justice Dept. to act. Lame ass justice dept under Holder no differnt than Asskroft and the others. Obama we are moving forward not backward? Of course, cuz he is committing the same war crimes right now, and the people are covering up for him.