Who does Bush think he is......

I really was shocked today about the comments that Bush made in Turkey about them entering the EU. Who the .... does he think he is!!! Does he really think he can also rule Europe!!!

Here you find a copy of the text I found on CNN.

NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS, Ireland (Reuters) -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Saturday called on the European Union to open accession talks with Turkey, hours before he was due to fly there.

"As Turkey meets the EU standards for membership, the European Union should begin talks that will lead to full membership for the republic of Turkey," Bush told a news briefing at the end of an EU-U.S. summit.

"Turkey is a proud nation that successfully blends a European identity with Islamic traditions," he said.

The EU's executive commission is set to make a recommendation in early October on whether Turkey has met the political and economic criteria for membership. EU leaders will then decide by the end of the year on whether to set a date when accession talks could start.

The strongly pro-European government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has won praise from the Commission in recent months for implementing a swathe of political and economic reforms in a bid to win a green light for starting talks.

But Ankara's restrictions on its large Kurdish population and the continued use of torture in its prisons remain key sticking points.

The Commission has repeatedly said it will make an objective recommendation in October, insisting on exactly the same criteria that it demanded from the 10 countries which joined this year and from Romania and Bulgaria, set to join in 2007.

Ofcourse everybody knows Turkey is way not ready yet for the EU!!
We only have to talk about Human rights and you know they are not ready and this is just one thing. But ofcourse America also forget often what human rights are.

Sorry for my bad English, but I hope you understand what I mean

Bad English? Your English is better then most English people! (and much better than my Dutch!)

About Bush, you're right. If he thought he had any influence on these matters he's very mistaken. I think Turkey will join the EU at some point but as you say, they're not ready yet.

I think maybe he was making the statement for his own audience back home. It looks good on the US nightly news. Then, in October when the EU makes a statement saying "Turkey can join once conditions have been met", Bush can make a big show at home and pretend it was he who instigated this.

That's my theory anyway.

Well, I think your theory is right, that's also what I think. But I really really hate his power to just say that! But I also think that he says it because of the bad history between Turkey and America, to score some points.

NO! Your theory is WRONG. Turkey has struggled to be accepted as a European nation for years. You simply need to do some research on the issue before wandering off in the tall-grass of "who does Bush think he is". Turkey is NOT an Arabic nation. Turkey HAS BEEN a major cultural center in the past. Turkey has ruled, during the Ottoman empire, both "mid-eastern" as well as European lands.

Turkey WANTS to be part of the European community. This is a matter of Bush speaking on their behalf. You are very much showing bias to twist his statements to say that he is meddling in affairs he has no right to. This is called diplomacy. If Turkey has requested the support of the U.S. on this matter, Bush is well within his rights on a diplomatic basis to support their desire for E.U. acceptance.

First of all, you have to understand me well, i'm not saying that it's no good that Turkey will entering the EU. I only say that it's not time and they are far from ready. I also know they are working hard to be a member. Infact they are already working on it from 1967 and ask the EU officialy in 1987 to become a member, even before the Eastern Europeen countries asked. But there are still some major points they have to work on before they can enter. So they cannot say they are ready as well as Bush cannot say that. He puts alot of presure on the EU with saying that. And yes, I believe he says this for his own good.

I side with Valhall. Rai I think you're just a biased pile of ....

It's to be expected by a non-American and not even a native english speaker. Face it, Bush is doing much better than you're giving credit for. And Europe and human rights?

Don't give me that crap.

When Hutus were killing 8,000 people a day, the French were saying "hrmm...maybe we shouldn't call this a Genocide..." until finally 100 days later and after 800,000 Tutsies were killed, the Tutsies backed with some other African nations re-took their country.

Then France finally stepped in, said "Move that sand bag, burn those bodies over there" and claimed they had everything in Rwanda under control.

They didn't lift a finger.

Europe's comittment to Human Rights is exemplified by the ruins of Auschwits and Burchanau, and the mass graves sitting right next door to Itally, Greece, and Austria.

Yes you are right about what happened in the past, I know that, it's not apoint of argue. But we live now and these are one of the standards in Europe. Bush cannot say that they are ready, because they are not. The truth is that the human rights are still not good these days in Turkey and this is just one thing. He cannot decide on his own because it's looks good a home when something is good for Europe or not.

Sure Turkey is ready.

See that's I think what Americans do not get about Europeans, Europeans since their great dark days of butchering people everywhere left and right. Have become "overly-righteous" and forgotten the first rule of CHANGING SOMEONE FOR THE BETTER.

Compassion.

Let Turkey in the Union, then slowly Turkey will become as the Union wants it to be.

Say "no become as we want you to be THEN you can join" will only cause Turkey to remain divided on those who want to join and those who want to retain their way of life...seeing the EU's demands as a threat to their soveriegnity and they will not change.

Bush probably doesn't recognize that, he was probably just speaking on behalf of Turkey and it was probably just more out of courtesy than real politics or anything.

But the real issue is more along the lines of what I stated, and along many other lines, and it goes beyond what Bush said but shows that what Bush said should not really matter so much to either side...we Americans don't think he's supporting the expansion of the EU, and you shouldn't think he's trying to declare what's good for it or not.

Originally posted by rai76
But there are still some major points they have to work on before they can enter. So they cannot say they are ready as well as Bush cannot say that. He puts alot of presure on the EU with saying that.

What "major" points are you referring to? And to answer the thead question. Bush is the leader of the free World. Does that answer it?

Originally posted by nyarlathotep
And to answer the thead question. Bush is the leader of the free World. Does that answer it?

The real answer to the thread question is, he thinks he is is the leader of the free World. If he bothered actually counting votes, he'd find out he didn't actually win.

Actually curme, even though I might be off on how many christians are in Turkey, I'm not off on the reality of the 2000 election...but you are. He won...learn it, love it, live it.

Originally posted by nyarlathotep
What "major" points are you referring to?

To be fair a lot of the big issues are the economic ones, rather than political. Things like interest rates, growth rates, etc have to be similar or converging. Then there's defense issues, border control issues(very important), tax harmonization etc. All these have to be proposed, considered, debated, etc. The human right's issue is probably the most headline friendly one, and EU politicians just like to talk about it because it make them sound "caring".

Originally posted by curme

Originally posted by nyarlathotep
And to answer the thead question. Bush is the leader of the free World. Does that answer it?

The real answer to the thread question is, he thinks he is is the leader of the free World. If he bothered actually counting votes, he'd find out he didn't actually win.

I don't know how many times we can go over this. Winning the popular vote does not mean winning the election. Do you know what The Electoral College is? If so, then you know that even though extremely rare, winning the polpular vote does not mean you will get the Electoral votes. Is this sinking in with anyone?

Originally posted by nyarlathotep


I don't know how many times we can go over this. Winning the popular vote does not mean winning the election. Do you know what The Electoral College is? If so, then you know that even though extremely rare, winning the polpular vote does not mean you will get the Electoral votes. Is this sinking in with anyone?

Apparently until people get it right. Not to hijack this thread, but the Supreme Court (citing 'equal protection') decided who won, not the electoral college. BUSH v. GORE

Originally posted by curme
Apparently until people get it right. Not to hijack this thread

Well you certaintly have and you could just created a thread for your bile if you feel so strongly about thisl

but the Supreme Court (citing 'equal protection') decided who won, not the electoral college. BUSH v. GORE

Yes they decided because the Democrats refused to let the Electoral College decide this.

Once again curme, live with the election and keep this stuff for the pit.

Are you just trying to make up for gmcnultys spamming?

Originally posted by curme

Apparently until people get it right. Not to hijack this thread, but the Supreme Court (citing 'equal protection') decided who won, not the electoral college. BUSH v. GORE

Well there you have it. The highest authority in the country even decided Bush won Florida, so What is your point?


Edit: removed a part that belongs on I just saw F9/11 thread

[edit on 6-26-2004 by nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by Valhall
Turkey WANTS to be part of the European community. This is a matter of Bush speaking on their behalf. You are very much showing bias to twist his statements to say that he is meddling in affairs he has no right to. This is called diplomacy. If Turkey has requested the support of the U.S. on this matter, Bush is well within his rights on a diplomatic basis to support their desire for E.U. acceptance.

I agree. Bush was just giving his opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.