Earlier this week, President Bush caught a little heat due to comments he made while talking to Tony Blair in front of a microphone that he didn’t think was live. As he stuffed bread into his mouth, the leader of the American empire said:

“See, the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit, and it’s over.”

Afterward, public debates sprang up about whether the President was wrong to curse and if the media should have reported it. Personally, I don’t have any problem with Bush cursing while talking to Tony Blair in what he thought was an off-camera remark. I also think that it is critical that the media, in spite of what the FCC believes, reports such information.

The real problem, which most of the media has ignored, is that Bush really believes what he’s saying. Unfortunately, his comment ignores the United States’ role in demanding Syria’s exit from Lebanon last year, which has undermined Syria’s ability to keep Hezbollah under control. Also, Bush’s comment suggests that he doesn’t acknowledge the responsibility of Israel, with whom the U.S has considerable influence, in achieving peace.