An interesting juxtaposition of two personalities, courtesy of Electrolite:
Rhetoric of war. Compare and contrast.
Excerpts from the address of Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish, March 19, 2003:“We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.
“If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
“Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.
“You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.
“You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.
“Don’t treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
“If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.
“Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.
“It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly.
Excerpt from the address of President George W. Bush to the United States Congress, January 20, 2003:
“All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries, and many others have met a different fate. Let’s put it this way: They are no longer a problem to the United States and our friends and allies.”
It’s quite a sight when an officer about to lead men into combat sounds like a statesman, while the President of the United States sounds like a gangster.
