His Obsession a.k.a. Bush's Madness Related to Radness a.k.a Animotion Ahead of Their Time (CS)
How does one describe President Bush's attitude towards Iraq? I'm going to try, but as an aid, I'm going to reach way back to the mid-80s for this gem:
Ah yes, Animotion's "Obsession."
Give it a good watch/listen.
Animotion went a bit wild with the costumes in this one. The video opens with the jester's shoe tapping to the beat. Later we see this character idiotically "drumming" around the reflecting pool. The President has been characterized as an idiot and a clown often enough that this comparison should be obvious enough, The President is The Idiot. Though later on we see the lead-man (in his cheesy Miami Vice-esque blazer and also dressed as a Roman centurion) it is the fool, the idiot (just like the President) who is setting the beat to which we must all dance (or march, as the case may be).
Of course, George W. Bush would wish himself to be associated with the Centurion. This is the figure that tries to take the lead in this video, brandishing his sword and swearing victory. He objectifies his counterpart, the Cleopatra figure. Here we see the classic set up of Occident vs. Orient. These are close to the simple terms within which Bush often phrases the war. It is always an "us" and "them" proposition. Bush's oversimplification of Iraq and the entire region of the Middle East is a modern day act of Orientalism at its worst and most destructive. His silly and uneducated view of the Middle East might even be expressed with Animotion's lyrics:
Like the Lothario seeking his prey, or to stick to the very words, the butterfly catcher seeking the butterfly, Bush has fetishized Iraq. He sees it (and likely always has) as the quill in his cap, the essential mission he was put in this position for, the golden star in his collection of lifetime achievements. However, not all has gone according to plan for poor Bushie. As the song goes:
That an occupation could ever have worked is, of course, purely Bush's delusion and the Centurion of the video mirrors this as he is also a complete sham. Notice at the 1:11 mark the huge sign "HOLLYWOOD" appearing right by the Centurion's head. For all his attempts to appear stoic and powerful, we can see right through him, right into the artifice. Try and sit through one of the President's speeches. Look at his face and listen to his words. A big "HOLLYWOOD" sign might as well be planted above his head as well. Also like our President, the Centurion of "Obsession" has not proven himself in battle. In the only scene where we see him "fighting" (2:09) he is wagging his sword about like a child, play-fighting. From his far too cavalier attitude toward using America's armed forces abroad, we can guess that Bush's conception of battle to be just as infantile.
The Arabian is another figure that pops up in "Obsession." He sits by the poolside bored and ignored. You'll notice that the Jester (our established ACTUAL Bush character) takes one look at the Arabian and decides to not deal with him at all (2:20). Likewise, the mission in Iraq was never about the people, but instead all about Bush. Had this been an actual humanitarian or democratizing mission, then how come so little attention was paid to tribal factions within Iraq or the will of the people (which would have us out of the country yesterday)? How come so little attention continues to be paid to humanitarian crises in other pars of the world such as Sudan and Zimbabwe (where there is even less of an excuse of Chinese and Russian slow-peddling on the security council as in Darfur)?
The Iraqi people are not the only group Bush has ignored. His critics and the people of various nations (including his own) tried to warn him. Even many of his generals and advisers have gone against the administration line. But despite all this, despite even saying that he wasn't "Stay the Course," Bush has stayed the course as if that were the ONLY option. Once again, I defer to Animotion (as if speaking for Bush):
There are moments in the video which simply cannot be explained in any sort of reasonable fashion such as the stiff, writhing, ineffectual astronaut (perhaps relateable to Bush's aircraft carrier flightsuit stunt?). But even the absurd reminds one of our current predicament, for how else would one describe this madness except as absurd. Animotion's video appears, at times, to be fueled by coke and/or simply batshiat insane. Bush's history with coke aside, his policy in Iraq could be seen the same way, without direction, maddening.
Most obviously, the song is about obsession, which is the only way one could seem to describe Bush's attitude towards Iraq at this point. He seemed determined to fix the intelligence around getting into Iraq, throughout the war refused to accept any criticism or advice that strayed from his course, and now, with seemingly only Barney and the First Lady by his side, he has stubbornly chose an option few if any (including his generals) would go with. Bush is the decider. And he has decided not to give an inch... Animotion:
The entire video takes place at a big mansion in the hills. It comes across as a bunch of spoiled children playing roles. It is a game and in the end they will leave their costumes behind. In Bush's case, however, we must wonder what the situation will be by the time he hangs up his spurs. All his good intentions are worthless and artificial (whether he realizes it or not) for behind them all is an undeniable obsession which on the world stage can be characterized as nothing but destructive. When Bush is finally done playing his game from the fancy house up on the hill, how much damage will have been wrought by this obsession?
Ah yes, Animotion's "Obsession."
Give it a good watch/listen.
Animotion went a bit wild with the costumes in this one. The video opens with the jester's shoe tapping to the beat. Later we see this character idiotically "drumming" around the reflecting pool. The President has been characterized as an idiot and a clown often enough that this comparison should be obvious enough, The President is The Idiot. Though later on we see the lead-man (in his cheesy Miami Vice-esque blazer and also dressed as a Roman centurion) it is the fool, the idiot (just like the President) who is setting the beat to which we must all dance (or march, as the case may be).
Of course, George W. Bush would wish himself to be associated with the Centurion. This is the figure that tries to take the lead in this video, brandishing his sword and swearing victory. He objectifies his counterpart, the Cleopatra figure. Here we see the classic set up of Occident vs. Orient. These are close to the simple terms within which Bush often phrases the war. It is always an "us" and "them" proposition. Bush's oversimplification of Iraq and the entire region of the Middle East is a modern day act of Orientalism at its worst and most destructive. His silly and uneducated view of the Middle East might even be expressed with Animotion's lyrics:
I will find a way and I will have you
Like a butterfly
A wild butterfly
I will collect you and capture you
Like the Lothario seeking his prey, or to stick to the very words, the butterfly catcher seeking the butterfly, Bush has fetishized Iraq. He sees it (and likely always has) as the quill in his cap, the essential mission he was put in this position for, the golden star in his collection of lifetime achievements. However, not all has gone according to plan for poor Bushie. As the song goes:
My fantasy has turned to madness
And all my goodness
Has turned to badness
That an occupation could ever have worked is, of course, purely Bush's delusion and the Centurion of the video mirrors this as he is also a complete sham. Notice at the 1:11 mark the huge sign "HOLLYWOOD" appearing right by the Centurion's head. For all his attempts to appear stoic and powerful, we can see right through him, right into the artifice. Try and sit through one of the President's speeches. Look at his face and listen to his words. A big "HOLLYWOOD" sign might as well be planted above his head as well. Also like our President, the Centurion of "Obsession" has not proven himself in battle. In the only scene where we see him "fighting" (2:09) he is wagging his sword about like a child, play-fighting. From his far too cavalier attitude toward using America's armed forces abroad, we can guess that Bush's conception of battle to be just as infantile.
The Arabian is another figure that pops up in "Obsession." He sits by the poolside bored and ignored. You'll notice that the Jester (our established ACTUAL Bush character) takes one look at the Arabian and decides to not deal with him at all (2:20). Likewise, the mission in Iraq was never about the people, but instead all about Bush. Had this been an actual humanitarian or democratizing mission, then how come so little attention was paid to tribal factions within Iraq or the will of the people (which would have us out of the country yesterday)? How come so little attention continues to be paid to humanitarian crises in other pars of the world such as Sudan and Zimbabwe (where there is even less of an excuse of Chinese and Russian slow-peddling on the security council as in Darfur)?
The Iraqi people are not the only group Bush has ignored. His critics and the people of various nations (including his own) tried to warn him. Even many of his generals and advisers have gone against the administration line. But despite all this, despite even saying that he wasn't "Stay the Course," Bush has stayed the course as if that were the ONLY option. Once again, I defer to Animotion (as if speaking for Bush):
You protest
You want to leave
Stay
Oh, there's no alternative
There are moments in the video which simply cannot be explained in any sort of reasonable fashion such as the stiff, writhing, ineffectual astronaut (perhaps relateable to Bush's aircraft carrier flightsuit stunt?). But even the absurd reminds one of our current predicament, for how else would one describe this madness except as absurd. Animotion's video appears, at times, to be fueled by coke and/or simply batshiat insane. Bush's history with coke aside, his policy in Iraq could be seen the same way, without direction, maddening.
Most obviously, the song is about obsession, which is the only way one could seem to describe Bush's attitude towards Iraq at this point. He seemed determined to fix the intelligence around getting into Iraq, throughout the war refused to accept any criticism or advice that strayed from his course, and now, with seemingly only Barney and the First Lady by his side, he has stubbornly chose an option few if any (including his generals) would go with. Bush is the decider. And he has decided not to give an inch... Animotion:
There's no balance
No equality
Be still I will not accept defeat
The entire video takes place at a big mansion in the hills. It comes across as a bunch of spoiled children playing roles. It is a game and in the end they will leave their costumes behind. In Bush's case, however, we must wonder what the situation will be by the time he hangs up his spurs. All his good intentions are worthless and artificial (whether he realizes it or not) for behind them all is an undeniable obsession which on the world stage can be characterized as nothing but destructive. When Bush is finally done playing his game from the fancy house up on the hill, how much damage will have been wrought by this obsession?
Labels: 1980s, Animotion, Bush, fetish, funny, idiocy, Iraq, music, Orientalism, video, war, YouTube
posted by Craig at 11:38 PM
3 Comments:
This very well might be the world's first absurdist, New Romantic Iraq policy editorial.
Wow.
This is the single best thing I have ever read.
Yes, nice representation of 'Bush the delusional'. But 'tis a bit flawed because I feel it may detract from the basic assumption/premise/fact that Bush really decides or thinks up or controls anything. Bush is a puppet in the mold of Retard-Reagan, only somewhat worse. Bush made and follows no plans of his own; Cheney, Crumsfeld, the neocons and corporate hacks derive his policies and for the war gave him the choice of this plan or another identical plan and let him "decide". Now he goes around calling himself the "Decider" and now, more than ever they're all scared they're gonna get blamed for this bungled oil-grab and are desperately scrambling to come up with a way to pin it all on the Dems and libs. The Dems have to fight hard, as they're trying to do, not to fall into the trap of blame, as the American sheeple are easily swayed by bully-rhetoric (you know; they idolize bully/cowards because they love being fear-mongered to and controlled by their "leaders: "Let them call the shots," the Sheeple say, "It's their money anyway.").
As far as playing war games, the little minds who identify themselves as neocon are actually the war architects: Fieth, Crummy, Wolfowitz, etc., and a short examination of their professed ideological and geopolitical aspirations reminds me simultaneously of both playing with Army men in the sandbox when I was a child, with a stark correlation to the Nazi war architects of 1930's Germany.
Children with guns or power.
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