Driving the Process

Bushdrivingsharon

The White House press operation did a pretty good job stage managing George Bush’s meeting with Ariel Sharon on Monday. Besides a series of photos released by the Israeli press office, the general media was only allowed to take pictures from a distance during the leader’s joint press conference. All other images were controlled by the administration.

Not surprisingly, the photographs provide the message to the domestic audience that Bush has the Israeli-Palestinian situation well in hand. This shot — which ran on the cover of yesterday’s LATimes — is indicative. Basically, Bush is firmly in the driver’s seat, with Sharon passively along for the ride. Actually, the image couldn’t mirror the White House talking points any closer. According to the story line, Bush (and Sharon) are driving forward strictly adhering to the President’s road map (ambiguous as it really is), with Bush seeming to guide Sharon on where he needs to go. (By the way, the White House managed to beat to death the idea of Bush directing the otherwise obstinate Sharon, as you can also see here and here.)

Supposedly, the meeting was intended for Bush to draw a firm line with Sharon on the future of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The only problem is, this meeting was basically for show. In actuality, this issue was hardly discussed. Rather, the attention was limited to Bush expressing his support for the Israeli’s pull-out from Gaza.

Regarding another piece of political smoke, the White House likes to make a big deal about which world leaders are or aren’t invited to stay at Bush’s ranch. In this case, Sharon was afforded the honor. However, he was hardly there. He spent the night at a local hotel, he came over in the morning, and was gone by the afternoon.

If you read carefully, you’ll see that it was Dick Cheney (the guy who’s more likely doing the pointing) who actually slept over.

(image: Eric Draper/White House – 4.12.05 in LA Times, page 1)

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http://disaffecteddems.proboards3.com moses

Can you analyse this one? :
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41024000/jpg/_41024401_bushsharon203.jpg

What struck me was the body language– the splayed legs in particular.
I know that spreading your legs has meaning in male body parlance, but I can’t recall the details.
AS I recall, and this picture strikes me as conforming to a negative interpretation, spreading one’s legs is a way of imposing your genitals on those present.
It is also a declaration of superiority in that it shows a lack of respect and a narcisistic love of ones between the leg parts and comfort.
Both men have their legs splayed. Sharon looks a little less assertive in his leg spalying, but this may be due to his girth and age. His inferior leg splaying ability emphasizes his age (while he does follow suit and splay his legs in an undignified fashion, for his age) and he looks a bit grandmothery.
So Bush wins this little macho contest of the genitalia being opened and put forward in the room.
In keeping with his wider spread of the legs and confidence in doing so, it looks like Bush is lecturing — confidently and arrogantly– he is leaning back away from Sharon as he does so, the lesser, older man, who is splaying ihis legs, but in a less aggressive manner. Also, Sharon still has his jacket on. Like a farmhand or foreman who has dropped by, having been summoned, and is being told what to do w/ the south 40, and will be on his way when the bossman is done w/ him.
Of course this is kibuki, because Scowcroft has said that in fact, Bush is “mesmerized” by Sharon. So maybe there is a subtle mating thing with the two men spreading their legs.
http://disaffecteddems.proboards3.com moses

An apolitical young person of my acquaintance mentioned he was struck by the clearly propagandistic quality of the photo on the fp of the Post yesterday. Bush on a high porch with his hand thrust forward, and Sharon approaching from below on a dirt road/path, his hand also outstreached for imminent shaking. This comports with the “Bush is King” spin — however, the articles which have appeared have emphasized that Sharon wasn’t interested in what Bush had to say, and stated that there would be expansion of settlements and Israel was going to take even more of Palestinian land, AND that it would become Israel. And not a peep out of Bush.
So Bush is just posturing as the macho man, as young bucks in the sway of an older man often do.
http://disaffecteddems.proboards3.com moses

An apolitical young person of my acquaintance mentioned he was struck by the clearly propagandistic quality of the photo on the fp of the Post yesterday. Bush on a high porch with his hand thrust forward, and Sharon approaching from below on a dirt road/path, his hand also outstreached for imminent shaking. This comports with the “Bush is King” spin — however, the articles which have appeared have emphasized that Sharon wasn’t interested in what Bush had to say, and stated that there would be expansion of settlements and Israel was going to take even more of Palestinian land, AND that it would become Israel. And not a peep out of Bush.
So Bush is just posturing as the macho man, as young bucks in the sway of an older man often do.
Asta

There’s definitely some sexual meesages going on in the photo of Sharon and Bush sitting and talking. Moses, you’re right about the “macho, in power” interpretation. Particularly on Sharon’s part. However, did you notice that Bush actually has his left hand resting just above his crotch? Nothing subtle about that.
George Myers

I once rode a bike, an Ariel bike, (a) Norwegian would.
They called them “square four” a “gentleman’s bike” and sold them to say,
If we all rode bikes, maybe the Bush, would be OK.
He, once flew a jet, maybe it ran out of gas, where he points to today,
But, as we can see, we all drive big, gas loving “jeeps”, that give me the creeps, (a) Norwegian would.
George Myers

So this Israel and Texan were talking one day. The Texan tells the Israeli, “I can drive from sun-up to sundown and never see the end of my property.” The Israeli says to the Texan, “I had a car like that. I got rid of it.”
The BAG

Since I started focusing on news photos, I have gotten a steady stream of emails pointing out the Prez’s open-legged sitting posture. I think I’ve take it for granted by this point. However, it’s interesting that it comes up again surrounding Bush’s meeting with Sharon, which (as pointed out) is obviously an “alpha” event.
aethorian
Sharon shouldn’t feel all that special riding shotgun. Fellow passengers in President Bush’s Ford F250 include:
- Barney (the Top Dog, not the purple dino—but that would be some photo op)
- Tony Blair
- the Bulge
- Vincente Fox
- Junichiro Koizumi
- Vladimir Putin
The cab’s getting crowded: somebody needs to ride in the back.
Two wheels bad, four wheels good, but not always. Anyone remember this pre-Presidential close encounter?
death from above

BUSH LOVES THE SAME GOD AS SHARON AND THIER UNSPOKEN BOND UNSEEN BY THE REST OF US OVER RIDES EVERYTHING ELSE FROM THE JEWISH IN THE MIDEAST TO THE JEWS IN THE U.S THEIR IS A COMMON GOAL .