In the Words of GW Bush: 'Game's Up!'
by Benjamin Roberts, 2006

When George Bush was going around doing his used car salesman bit trying to sell America on the idea that Iraq was an ominous threat and danger, he brusquely declared of Saddam Hussein, 'Game's Up!' Not, 'The game is up,' or, 'The game is up for Saddam Hussein.'

I recall this because a good friend, a man who spent most of his adult life in the Navy serving this country vocally complained to me about how embarrassing it was to watch Bush on TV murdering the English language when attempting to discuss anything. He noted how British Prime Minister Tony Blair eloquently explained going to war, while Bush's vocabulary was limited to 'Game's Up!' I chided my buddy by reminding him that he was a Navy man and Bush was his Commander In Chief, so he should refrain from such criticism. This only made him rant even more. Is it not odd that for both Tony Blair and George Bush we can say, 'Game's Up!'

Notwithstanding Blair's eloquence, and reprieve by Lord Hutton's inquiry, he is still in big trouble with British citizens for playing fast and loose with the truth in dragging them into war in Iraq. Bush likewise is in dire straits with Americans for dragging them into that same war employing the same distasteful tactics of declaring a death sentence on truth. These men, for all their claims to being sophisticated and civilized (Yes, Tony Blair actually declared in his ultimatum to the Taliban before attacking Afghanistan that 'We represent the civilized world.'). Makes one wonder which civilized world he and Bush were talking about. In the civilized world in which I grew up we were taught in our early school and at home many valuable rules to live by. Here is one Blair and Bush probably never heard:

Speak the truth and speak it ever cost it what it will He who hides the wrong he did does the wrong thing still. Though this rule might seem outdated in today's society, I must say that it has served me well all my life. Based on how Bush & Co. boldly look us in the eye and sells us 'facts,' and how they disclose 'irrefutable information' while choosing to remain anonymous, one wonders if any in the Bush entourage have ever heard this rule of life. Let's go down the list. Think Cheney ever head this rule? What about Rumsfeld and his rosy war predictions before more than 530 American souls perished in this greedy Iraq exercise? What about Ashcroft and his minions declaring to us that INS was clamping down on immigration from Haiti because Al Quaeda was using that country as a springboard for causing harm in America?

Or how about Tom Ridge looking us in the eye and telling us that the terrorist code was being elevated to ORANGE because of 'increased chatter' in the Arab world, complete with one of his employees described only as an 'unnamed Administration official,' telling us exactly which flight was targeted for attack during the Superbowl, as reported in the Washington Post that weekend? We have to throw in mainstream media types since many of them are 'embedded,' and for all intents and purposes are extensions of Team Bush. Yeah like Judith Miller, the New York Times writer of WMD fame. Think she ever heard of this rule of life? Probably not because a few nights ago she ran into a buzzsaw from a youthful New York audience she was trying to sell her 'facts' and fantasies about the evil, scheming Muslim world intent on destroying America with their 'deflected anger.' Think Wolf Blitzer of CNN ever heard this valuable rule of life? Highly unlikely, given the way he trumpeted weapons of mass destruction in Iraq right up until the eve of war. For some reason I suspect that, of all the cast of characters, Colin Powell, in his formative years, must have heard of this rule to live by. But that is another story in itself.

Had Bush lived by this valuable rule of life he would not be in the predicament he finds himself today. He looked Americans in the eye and told them they were in ominous danger and he had to attack another nation to ensure their safety. He alighted from a fighter plane in full war regalia declaring to Americans that war was over, only for them to witness thereafter the death of more than 530 of their sons and daughters. He declared that he was a patriot who served his nation in exemplary fashion, before it was revealed that he never even showed up for duty. Bob Mintz and Paul Bishop report in the Memphis Flyer that, as young National Guardsmen they were waiting for Bush who was scheduled to join their unit. But he never showed. For these distortions of truth Bush is now paying a heavy price. His poll ratings have plummeted. He is unable to go out and mingle with rank and file Americans, having to satisfy himself by haunting military bases and companies that manufacture military hardware. Even on television he is ridiculed by Americans, as he recently was on Meet The Press with Tim Russert.

Whoever it was who concluded that truth often becomes a casualty is more than a little bit mistaken. Truth is one of the basic tenets of our Universe. It is never a casualty. Those who distort and contort it end up being the casualties, as Bush is now finding out. The man is desperately doing everything and anything to stop the light of truth shining in all the dark corners of his despicable agenda to take over Iraq by hook or by crook, his so called war on terror, and his claims to being a stellar patriot. Now he's 'going to the moon.' Now he's 'offering amnesty to Hispanics.' Now he's showing us dental records and pay stubs to confirm that he was a great patriot. He's hugging kids in select crowds. He even let us in on the fact that his dog died. Anything to change the subject and ward off truth. But now Americans are reading him and declaring, 'Games Up!' His predicament should be a lesson to us all. The lesson is that truth cannot be banished indefinitely. It can only be sent on vacation for a while, but it always returns like a boomerang.

Ben is a newsletter editor, freelance writer and published author. His most recent articles *Tears For America, and *Believe George Bush At Your Peril can be found in the May archives of SmirkingChimp.com, AmericaHeldHostile.com, and Bushcritics.gmx.de. His action adventure novel, Jackals of Samarra, can be found by clicking here at iUniverse - A Unique Bookstore Experience , and at all the major Internet book outlet sites. Ben can be contacted by email at: grandt730@aol.com