The Giddy So-Called Diplomat

Condoleeza Rice's appearance on Larry King's show on Thursday evening revealed more than just the regular talking points propaganda the Bush administration is now infamous for. With a glint in her eye and an obscenely perverse grin in the face of such an extremely serious situation in the Middle East, Rice glowingly pushed the neocon vision of the world while informing King that Bush still hasn't even spoken to Olmert directly.

KING: Is there a reason why President Bush, though, hasn't spoken to him?

RICE: The president has spoken to leaders when it's been necessary to do it. It isn't necessary for him to call to let the Israeli people or the Israeli prime minister know that we consider Israel an ally and a friend. It isn't necessary to state what he's been stating, that they have a right to defend themselves.

It's also absolutely clear, I think, to everyone that it's time for an end to the violence and so we're communicating those messages directly and in other ways. I think that when the president needs to speak to people, he speaks to them.

So, America is not only financing Israel's war efforts through its billions of dollars of annual foreign aid but indeed is directly supplying bombs to Israel's military yet Bush doesn't think it's even 'necessary' to speak to Olmert about how America's money is being spent? Isn't the Bush administration's willful neglect of its so-called road map what got Israel and Lebanon into this war in the first place? Then again, why would it be necessary for Bush to call Olmert when he's actually doing exactly what Bush wants anyway? The silence speaks volumes.

And, who's really to blame for what's happening in the Middle East right now? According to Rice, it's the fault of practically every former American administration since Israel came into existence and, she boasts:

I think that we have made more progress under this president toward a Middle East that will be different and better than at any other time in recent memory.

George Mitchell and Queen Noor of Jordan, who followed Rice's appearance (and who have far more experience with the Middle East than Condi can ever dream of) both vehemently disagreed with Rice's assessment of her husband's president's handling of the situation.

Now, you can certainly agree that the Middle East Bush and the neocons want is certainly 'different', but saying it's actually going to be 'better' is a highly pompous and questionable claim. What, exactly, is 'better' about the current state of affairs?

And, how does Rice feel about her role in all of this? (Remember, she was quite cheerful throughout this interview and was positively radiant when she made the following statement):

I would have to say, Larry, it's a time when the international system is changing, changing very rapidly and I rather like the challenge of the changes that are going on in international politics right now. If you're going to do this job it's great to be doing it at a time of consequence.

She is obviously suffering from Bush Fever™™ - the delusion that she is one of the movers and shakers who will present the world with a New & Improved Middle East. She's become the spokeswoman for this exciting product that Bush is promoting as something that will handily zap terrorists, magically produce lasting democracies with US friendly leaders, shoo away all dissenters and create enduring peace in the Middle East forever and ever, amen. She's no diplomat. She's a snake oil salesperson. And, almost everyone in the region is not willing to buy what she's selling except, of course, the American-sponsored consumer Israel - which has to purchase it because it's spending America's money anyway. That, in business terms, is what is called an ROI - a return on investment. And those who refuse to believe that war is anything but a business in the end are simply fooling themselves and have purchased the snake oil lock, stock and stinking barrel.

And, while equally deluded Americans stand in Rice's audience and cheer on her shilling, thinking this is all really about the Great War on Terrorism while naively believing that Bush actually has the power to rid the world of such evil through his mystical connection with their version of the Creator as if he's some sort of omnipotent New Saviour, they'll gladly look the other way when the price of the real oil that fuels their daily lives ever increases - lining the pockets of the war merchants. But, in this day when distant wars no longer require much personal sacrifice at all, they'll gladly line up to fill their gas tanks with $200/barrel oil because, after all, war is peace, isn't it?