Off The Cuff: Bush in the world of 'Wirtual' Reality

Now you see it, now you don't… the curse of the Digital Age. When all our information - what our eyes see and our ears hear - is supplied purely by a string of numbers, all you need to do is remove or add a digit or two in order to alter the whole meaning. In fact to alter our whole perception of reality. The real becomes unreal and vice versa. And nobody is any the wiser.

Take, for instance, George W. Bush and The Strange Case of the Disappearing Pause.

When he made his State of the Union address last year, he became tongue-tied at an inopportune moment as he laid out the threat of Saddam's supposed weapons of mass destruction.

The line was meant to read: "It would take one vial, one canister, one crate, slipped into the country to bring a day of horror like none we have known."

Mispronounced

But the eloquent president stumbled between the words 'one' and 'vial'. On top of that he mispronounced the 'v' in vial as if it were a 'w'.

Now, one year later, in a new Republican Party TV commercial that uses some of that speech, the President's faux pas had mysteriously disappeared. When his Democratic rivals latched onto it, Republican officials had to admit the line was digitally enhanced in editing "to ensure the best clarity". Democrats are trying to stir up a political row about it.

It is all really quite scary. Digitally enhanced. Two medium-sized words that cover a multitude of sins. It's a licence to remove or alter any pieces of vital information. Or even wital information for that matter.

Then there's editing. Covers even more sins in the wrong hands. The best definition of an editor I ever heard was: Someone who separates the wheat from the chaff. And then prints the chaff.

One wonders what other instances of cavalier enhancement and editing affecting Mr. Bush might be hidden away...

The scene: An inner santum at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Special agents Bernie and Marvin have just intercepted this voice communication between two British MI5 agents in pre-war Iraq...

"Hello there, old sport. Sad to say Saddam could have scuppered our plans for tennis this morning. Even lunch. His weapons of mass destruction are really keeping me busy, I honestly don't have time to sit and think today, never mind get out of the office. I've got a meeting right now, so I'll call you back soon. In about 45 minutes."

Bernie: "Jeez, they don't half gossip on the job these Brits. Tell you what Marvin, start by cutting out all that old sport stuff. And who needs to hear about their stupid tennis match anyway? Get rid of that too."

Marvin: "You got it, Bern."

Bernie: "That's better, we're cutting to the chase now, eh? Just gimme the facts. OK. So this guy thinks he's got the only busy job in the world does he?

"Chop all that stuff about how he's got no time to think or get out. Nobody gives a fig about his personal arrangements."

Marvin: "You got it, Bern."

Bernie: "OK. Down to the nitty-gritty. How does the tape sound now?"

Marvin: "It says: Sad to say Saddam could even lunch his weapons of mass destruction in about 45 minutes."

Bernie: "Lunch??? Jeez, he must mean LAUNCH! This is dynamite. Get me the White House quick!"