Funerals

[Monketi Ghost]

Sorry if this has been discussed; if so, point me to it...
You know what I'm getting at.
Why won't he attend? What's the PR thinking behind that? If he ignores the coffins, they don't exist?

Why won't he attend? This has me baffled.

 

[Mr Manifesto]

 

[JamesM]

You know what I'm getting at.

Um, actually, no.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

If by this you mean I left out information necessary to understanding the question, forgive me: George W. Bush, funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq.

If you mean you don't understand it either, we're on the same page.

(And again, my attendance here has been spotty, so if this has been discussed, my apologies, and guidance please.)

 

[ssibal]

Sorry if this has been discussed; if so, point me to it...
You know what I'm getting at.
Why won't he attend? What's the PR thinking behind that? If he ignores the coffins, they don't exist?

Why won't he attend? This has me baffled.

Why should he attend? If he does not personally know the victom or the family then I see no reason for him attending the funerals.

 

[Ignatius]

I think that not attending these funerals is understandable. Apparantly is not something that presidents normally do, especially at a time of war. A piece in Slate pointed out that none of the past four or five presidents attended the funerals of soldiers that died in action.

Also, there is the point that right now in Iraq the people that have been attacking our soldiers are doing it with the understanding that it really doesn't have any real effect from a military perspective, but could from a political and public opinion perspective. In that way, the constant pictures of Bush at these funerals would play into their hands. I'm not as sure about this administrations ban on showing the coffins coming home.

Bush is a dickweed, but not for this particular reason.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Sorry if this has been discussed; if so, point me to it...
You know what I'm getting at.
Why won't he attend? What's the PR thinking behind that? If he ignores the coffins, they don't exist?

Why won't he attend? This has me baffled.

He = Me? When did I ever tell you I wouldn't attend a funeral?

 

[Nikk]

If, as seems likely, the coffins will continue to arrive for some time to come how would the head of state or any other senior politico decide which funeral/s to attend without being accused of favouritism?

What you need is a Royal Family. Then you have a whole host of people with time on their hands who can attend these events.

 

[fishbob]

Bad image, bad press.


Cryptic enough?

 

[demon]

If he isn`t going to attend even one funeral of one GI that he sent to war then he shouldn`t say stuff like:


"There's only one person who is responsible for making that decision , and that's me. And there's only one person who hugs the mothers and the widows, the wives and the kids on the death of their loved ones. Others hug, but having committed the troops, I've got an additional responsibility to hug, and that's me, and I know what it's like."
George W Bush to Barbara Walters, ABC "20/20," 12/13/02

Some families of the fallen soldiers aren`t too impressed by it either.

 

[Blue Monk]

Bad image, bad press.


Cryptic enough?

Bingo.

Politics 101.

If you want to keep support for a military action the last thing you want to do is draw attention to the corpses.

 

[Craig]

What you need is a Royal Family.

Seconded - take ours!