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Curzon
Author

Curzon

Date

July 7th, 2005

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Bush’s Birthday Crash

President Bush’s birthday was yesterday, July 6th. On that same day in 2005, he was involved in a small bike accident with a British police officer. It was raining. Bush suffered scrapes to his hands and arms. The police officer may have a sprained ankle (unconfirmed).

Now, the headlines and the messages behind them.

Bush bruised in bicycle crash
BBC
Rather factual.

On Bush’s Birthday Abroad, Lots of Cake and Then a Spill
The New York Times
Off-topic headline.

President injured in bike crash
The Telegraph (UK)
Also very factual.

Bush, Scottish Cop Crash on Bikes
Fox News
Misleading—it suggests the policemen was also on a bicycle, which does not appear to be correct.

Bush collides with police officer during bike ride
CNN
Here, mention of the police officer with whom Bush collided.

Bush Involved in Bike Crash in Scotland
The Guardian
Thank you, Guardian. “Involved.” Sounds nice and… vaguely accusatory.

BUSH PROVES ONCE AGAIN THAT HE IS A MORON
Chiapas Indymedia (Mexico)
No comment.

Wipe-Out: Bush Crashes Bike At G-8
WGAL (Pennsylvania)
Nice sensationalism.

The Australians were the worst:
Policeman injured in Bush crash
Melbourne Sun (Australia)
How proletarian.

Bush hits Scottish policeman on bike
The Age (Australia)
More from the Aussies.

Bush stacks bike into policeman
ABC News Online (Australia)
“Stacks”?

Bush falls off bike again
Al Jazeera
Thanks for reminding us of his prior fall.

And the award for the most accurate headline goes to:

Bush lightly hurt in bicycle collision with policeman
Daily Times (Pakistan)
…for including all the relevant information, bias free.

Comments to this entry

Simon
July 7, 2005
6:13 am
NYT: "Warmonger runs-over Scottish insurgent".

Hey, this could be fun.
Matt
July 7, 2005
6:25 am
It's funny how protective you seem to be of Bush Curzon. I could be wrong cause I'm just the occasional lurker, but Bush falling off his bike again is a funny story. Who cares if the headline pokes a little fun? I doubt you're panties are in a bunch, but you seem to be overeacting a bit.
Mike
July 7, 2005
6:32 am
It is funny, but these newspapers aren't supposed to be the Onion.
Matt
July 7, 2005
7:02 am
No, but I think they should be allowed to show a sense of humor, especially in the headline.
Younghusband
July 7, 2005
7:38 am
*Bicycle-riding Bush collides with cop at summit venue*
From "Japan Today":http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=8&id=342699
Curzon
July 7, 2005
7:47 am
Matt: I fear you're misreading the point. Bush as the subject is irrelevant, albeit a rather amusing and entirely irrelevant piece of news. I'm talking more about the media and the inability of many publications to include "just the facts." Most papers are subtly putting in a message, and I think it's pretty insidious.

Although I would consider myself a supporter of Mr. Bush and a nominal Republican, "I'm no sycophant.":http://www.cominganarchy.com/2005/06/01/moral-clarity

On a normal day, I'd find plenty to criticize in Mr. Bush's policies. But as extremists frame the debate so far to the left with arguments like "the Iraq war is about oil and fighting Daddy's war,"Â? and other nonsense such as "Guantanamo is the gulag of our time,"Â? I find it hard to get to my criticism.
snow
July 7, 2005
7:57 am
It seems that Bush-haters just can't find any way to respect GW as a man. The stereotypes continue about how he's stupid. I read a story by Patti Davis, Reagan's daughter, who ridiculed Bush and made him look like a moron.

This doesn't surprise me, after all, I've long noticed the open disrespectfulness of so many on the left to anything they hate (of course many on the right do the same to their pet hates, but I find it a bit offensive-I thought hatred of Clinton was over the top, too).
Curzon
July 7, 2005
8:41 am
It seems that Bush-haters just can't find any way to respect GW as a man.


Thank you for articulating that much better than I. Indeed, the Right HATES its enemies while the Left RIDICULES its enemies.
Simon
July 7, 2005
8:44 am
We've all missed the obvious headlines: "Dominant paradigm overturned" or "Hegemony toppled".
Saru
July 7, 2005
12:01 pm
蔡ªè»¢è»ŠãÂ?®ãƒ”“ッ㔚·ãƒ¥å¤§çµ±é ˜ã€Â?警唚™ãÂ?®è­¦å®˜ãÂ?¨è¡Â?çªÂ?ãÂ?—擦㔚Šå”šÂ·

ピ“ッ㔚·ãƒ¥å¤§çµ±é ˜ã€Â?ãÂ?¾ãÂ?Ÿè”¡ÂªÃ¨Â»Â¢Ã¨Â»Å Ã£Â?§è»¢å€'　è¡Â?çªÂ?ãÂ?”¢Ã£”šÅ’ãÂ?Ÿè­¦å®˜ãÂ?”˜Ã£Â?Å’

Guess which one was _Asahi_.
Curzon
July 7, 2005
12:22 pm
Dude, DEFINITELY the second one. How about the first?
Saru
July 7, 2005
1:50 pm
_Yomiuri_.

I love the phrase: 蔡ªè»¢è»ŠãÂ?®ãƒ”“ッ㔚·ãƒ¥å¤§çµ±é ˜.

Understandably, due to space limitations on headlines it was shortened but the literal English translation is just too funny. What's your take on the slant of calling him, "Bush of the Bicycle?"
heirabbit
July 8, 2005
7:34 am
Well, his grammar is atrocious, he's a failed businessman, and he doesn't seem to read anything - not even those conspicuous "hey big planes are about to crash into NY and DC buildings" CIA briefings. I appreciate Curzon's attention to facts, but to find yourself a supporter of any major political leader is admitting to some serious partizanship. Perhaps someone has an issue with power worship?
snow
July 11, 2005
4:35 am
"Well, his grammar is atrocious, he's a failed businessman, and he doesn't seem to read anything"

heirabbit, I don't see what thats got to do with anything. And although you seem to think that any support of any elected leader is partisanship, I think it has more to do with fairness.

I'm not a Democrat and wasnt crazy about Clinton, but I thought that alot of the hatred of him was over the top and ridiculous, just as some of the hatred of Hillary is (she's being criticized severely for knowing about and not stopping Bill's philandering). In the same way, I find it offensive that so many call him a moron and show not the slightest amount of respect for someone who is the elected leader of the country.

I don't believe that anyone who becomes the leader of any country is stupid. They may have many faults, but stupidity is not one of them-at least I certainly can't think of any world leader I would call stupid.
ComingAnarchy.com » Blog Archive » More Bad Headlines
July 20, 2005
4:18 am
[...] Last time, I was partly joking. This time, I’m not. [...]