May 24, 2004
THE WORSE:
George Bush never looked into Nick's eyes: Even more than the murderers who took my son's life, I condemn those who make policies to end lives (Michael Berg, May 21, 2004, The Guardian)
People ask me why I focus on putting the blame for my son's tragic and atrocious end on the Bush administration. They ask: "Don't you blame the five men who killed him?" I have answered that I blame them no more or less than the Bush administration, but I am wrong: I am sure, knowing my son, that somewhere during their association with him these men became aware of what an extraordinary man my son was. I take comfort that when they did the awful thing they did, they weren't quite as in to it as they might have been. I am sure that they came to admire him.I am sure that the one who wielded the knife felt Nick's breath on his hand and knew that he had a real human being there. I am sure that the others looked into my son's eyes and got at least a glimmer of what the rest of the world sees. And I am sure that these murderers, for just a brief moment, did not like what they were doing.
George Bush never looked into my son's eyes. George Bush doesn't know my son, and he is the worse for it.
Would a responsible news organization run such fatuous nonsense after Mr. Berg's son was tied to the 20th hijacker? They may well be making themselves a mouthpiece for al Qaeda propoganda. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 24, 2004 10:43 PM
What else would one expect from the parent of a man who would cavalierly wander in an anti-American war zone with no protection ?
Nick Berg was a loon who didn't perceive reality well, and the apple obviously didn't fall far from the tree.
In the first place, the families of the military members killed might legitimately blame Bush for putting their loved ones in harm's way, but how in the world did Bush have anything to do with Nick Berg ending up in Iraq ?
Posted by: Michael Herdegen at May 25, 2004 5:40 AMMichael:
I know you meant that in the general sense of families being resentful about an unnecessary war or gross recklessness, but this modern phenomenon of soldiers' families being interviewed nightly to pronounce on the injustice of their sons' deaths (right after the families of prisoners have had their say)has got to be a morale-kicker. At some point, somebody from the military or other families is going to have to get over their silent respect for the bereaved and let a few missiles fly.
We had four deaths in Afghanistan from friendly fire a little over a year ago and the interviewing of the families as to how they felt, whether they blamed, who they blamed, etc. went on and on until I wanted to throw up. It became as if the wisdom of our presence there was determined by an ongoing poll of these four families. It is very corrosive.
Posted by: Peter B at May 25, 2004 6:45 AM"George Bush never looked into my son's eyes. "
Yeah, but then he never sawed the kids head off with a knife, either.
(Apologies to Tim Blair)
Are there a lot of people stupid enough to equate the act of sawing off a living person's head with enforcing UNSC resolutions? Is this what we've come to?
Enforced sterilization of idiots sounds better and better all the time.
Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at May 25, 2004 8:16 AMJeff:
Yes. It's called appeasement. In the 30's, the left (and much of the right) went to extreme lengths to deny what was before their very eyes, and over a long period of time. It is a mistake to underestimate the mental hoops these people will go through to delude themselves.
Posted by: Peter B at May 25, 2004 9:17 AMThis statement by Michael Berg is pornographic. "He felt Nick's breath on his hand" - one gets the impression Mr. Berg would shake Zarqawi's hand next. Fatuous is too weak a word. Berg is a moral midget and a coward.
Posted by: jim hamlen at May 25, 2004 10:33 AM"I came to the enemy and it was us." Or at least 40% of us.
Berg is an ass.
Posted by: Genecis at May 25, 2004 11:49 AM