R i g h t a r d i a: George W. Bush 's Triumph of the Will

Thursday, November 26, 2009

George W. Bush 's Triumph of the Will

On May 1, 2003, Bush became the first sitting President to make an arrested landing in a fixed-wing aircraft on an aircraft carrier when on the USS Abraham Lincoln in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, dubbed Navy One. The carrier had returned from combat operations in the Persian Gulf.

He posed for photographs with pilots and members of the ship's crew while wearing a flight suit. A few hours later, he gave a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq War. Clearly visible in the background was a banner stating "Mission Accomplished."

Bush's historic jet landing on the carrier was criticized by opponents as an overly theatrical and expensive stunt. For instance, they pointed to the fact that the carrier was within range of Bush's helicopter, and that a jet landing was unnecessary.

Originally the White House had stated that the carrier was too far off the California coast for a helicopter landing and a jet would be needed to reach it. On the day of the speech, the Lincoln was only 30 miles (48 km) from shore but the administration still decided to go ahead with the jet landing.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer admitted that the president "could have helicoptered," but the plan was already in place. Plus, he wanted to see a landing the way aviators see a landing.

This theatrical event was inspired by the German propaganda film, Triumph des Willens. In this film we also have a famous leader descend from the heavens in 1934. He though his mission was accomplished, too, but history had a different fate for him. Watch the intro from the movie. The parallels are striking: