Bush Misadministration a strange combo of the “Wizard of Oz” and Orwell's “1984”

The Bush Misadministration is a strange combination of the “Wizard of Oz” and Orwell's “1984”
Two plus two is four,“except when the state says it's five” and “Pay no attention to the man behind that curtain.” or is it “Blazing Saddles”, as in “Gentlemen we've got to save our phony baloney jobs!”

“Politicians use the simple doublespeak of redefining a common term and then using their new definition without telling us or seeking our approval”
— The New Doublespeak by William Lutz —
HarperCollins 1996 page 157

• The war on Al Qaeda morphs into a war on Terrorism, a technique not an enemy.
  
• It morphs into an invasion of a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 2001.
  
• It morphs into an accomplished mission when only the Oil Ministry was secured.
  
• It morphs into progress when water availability, power reliability and Iraqi health are worse than before the invasion.
  
• Insurgents control more of Iraq than they did at the handover.

It's all a matter of redefining a few terms.

Debate was and, I'm pretty sure, still is an important part of life at Phillips Academy at Andover, where I like G.W Bush spent two years.

Winning, even by redefining common terms is something to watch out for in this and any future debates. In fact, we've all seen some extreme examples in the justification of his Iraq policies.

Tonight's Rules

Neither President Bush or Senator John Kerry will be allowed to step from behind his lectern at any time.

Nor will they be allowed to pose questions directly to each other, though they can pose rhetorical questions that may cry for answers just the same. They cannot approach one another with "proposed pledges,'' like "Let's stop all negative advertising right now." They may not single out any member of the audience, as they might on the stump, as the living embodiment of a failed or successful policy.

There will be no opening statements, just closing ones, and those can last only two minutes. The candidates are not allowed to use any props. That means no charts, no diagrams and no photographs. They can take notes, however.

A candidate will have up to two minutes to respond to a question, and should the moderator, Jim Lehrer of PBS, ask a follow-up question, 30 seconds to respond to that. A candidate who speaks for too long will be alerted by a flashing light and a buzzer that will be seen and heard not only by those in the hall but also by television viewers.

At the outset, the candidates are to shake hands at center stage before proceeding to their respective places, which will be marked by lecterns that are 50 inches high and 10 feet apart. The audience will be instructed to keep quiet throughout the “debate”.