Legacy

Bush is certainly right. The decision to create a false scenario to facilitate the killing of 600,000 innocent people, the exile of 4,000,000 people; the destruction of their homes, farms, factories, roads, schools, markets and even their museums and ancient ruins "will forever be" the right decision, but only in the minds of the stupid, the venal, the religious and the inhuman. A speech such as he gave to the annual National Religion Broadcasters convention yesterday would only be cheered by such people as have made the proliferation of lies and confusion their profession and the spread of human misery their quest.

And cheered it was. Larded with his usual references to "Freedom" and "values" the 42 minute harangue was well ballasted with references to God and how much he looks just like us. Indeed he does, since he is us, and as we are stupid, arrogant, violent and stuffed full of our own righteousness to the point of shock and awe, we know that God just loves George Bush and the smell of the blood and burning flesh, the pong of poverty, the stench of fear and hopelessness he has brought to Iraq. None of that will waft its way to George's gentleman's estate. There isn't even the smell of manure to disturb his sanctimonious leisure or soil his Lucchese boots. He will retire to a life of flags, libraries, ceremonies and lapel pins where the cries of orphans and the sight of the maimed are far away and in another country - enjoying their George given freedom.

If this were a different age, a man like Bush might commission statues of himself, looking confidently into the infinite future toward the far bank of the Nile. Such things adorn ancient ruins from Egypt to Babylon, the tyrants and torturers who made them turned to dust or shrivelled mummies. At any rate, I hope he is remembered nearly as long; remembered for what he has done, for his fatuous faith, for his dishonesty, for his contempt for truth and those who speak it.

I wish I had faith in the Devil. I wish I could believe in a hell, that I might dream that the stench of George Bush and his deeds "will forever be" filling its bottomless bowels.