In interpreting President Bush's speeches, it is important to realize that, like the caterpillar in Wonderland, Bush uses words that mean what he wants them to mean, and nothing else.
Keeping these simple definitions in mind while listening to Bush or his minions speak will help us all understand what is going on in the administration, as it continues to do its best to destroy American society for all but the very wealthy (though they won't be that comfortable, either, but they don't know it).
Democracy: Voting for who I want you to vote for. Institutions of civil society and the rule of law? What's that?
Freedom: Doing what I tell you to do.
International Cooperation: Other countries doing what I tell them to do.
Bipartisanship: Democrats doing what I tell them to do.
Defeatism: Criticizing my policies just because they don't work, and in fact create dangerous disasters and new threats to our security.
Legal: Whatever I say or do.
Partisanship: People having ideas different from mine. Listening to other ideas is not worthwhile, because only my ideas have any importance.
Strict Constructionists: Judges making decisions I like, regardless of the law.
Activist judges: Judges making decisions I don't like.
Responsible dialog: Agreeing with me.
Irresponsible criticism: Not agreeing with me.
Up or down vote: Up vote.
Respectful process: One that turns out the way I want it to.
Culture of Responsibility: I got mine; I take care of my friends no matter how badly they mismanage their duties. Screw everybody else.
Ownership Society: I own it, along with my buddies at the club.
Permanent fix: Ending it (his goal for Social Security, Medicare, and most of the rest of the government).
No Child Left Behind: Building a public educational system that produces ignorant, uncritical drones who will accept the Republican Party line without question. After all, my kids and their friends can go to private schools.
Friends: Tools.
Allies: Tools who don't speak English good like us Texans.
Failures: Medal of Freedom winners, if they're Friends (see above).
War on Terror: Excuse for anything.
Uniter: Divider.
ddicted to Oil: All right. Performing your natural duty of pouring vast amounts of wealth into the bank accounts of my friends. Not in any state that needs changing.
Science: Religion.
Fear: A slogan word, emptied of all content, used solely to convince people to vote Republican.
War: A slogan word, emptied of all content, used solely to convince people to vote Republican.
Morality: A slogan word, emptied of all content, used solely to convince people to vote Republican.
Tax cut: A slogan word, emptied of all content, used solely to convince people to vote Republican.
Liberal: A slogan word, emptied of all content, used solely to convince people to vote Republican.
Conservative: A slogan word, emptied of all content, used solely to convince people to vote Republican.
Constitutional rights: Not given a meaning, because never enters the consciousness.