Dean Says President Bush is Setting the Stage for the 'Failure of America'

[pruner]

By JODI WILGOREN
Published: October 9, 2003

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 — Howard Dean, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Wednesday offered perhaps his most overarching critique yet of the Republican incumbent, saying, "I think what the president is doing is setting the stage for the failure of America."

"If you look at what's happened to other great countries," Dr. Dean said over lunch with reporters and editors of The New York Times, "they get in trouble when they can't manage their money — and this president's certainly proven himself adept at that — and they get in trouble when they overstretch their military capabilities."

"This country's a great country, and the reason it's an important country is not just because I'm an American and proud to be an American," he continued. "America is the beacon of hope for the rest of the world. We are the last country on earth where cynicism doesn't pervade government. Americans really hope that things are going to get better in the world and they can make things better, and Americans believe more than any other people that we can make things better by sheer will and money and hard work."

Dr. Dean said he expects jobs to be the primary issue in next year's general election, and he expects Ohio to be the critical swing state. But he spent most of the interview answering questions about foreign policy, attacking President Bush on Iraq and North Korea and promising to send former President Bill Clinton to the Middle East as a peace broker.

President Bush, Dr. Dean said, is "particularly poorly suited" for foreign policy "because he has a black and white view of the world, and foreign policy depends on enormous understandings of nuances and trade-offs."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/09/politics/campaigns/09DEAN.html?ex=1066276800&en=52528689bd80e6d1&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[Cha]

1. Whoopi! DEan stickin' it to the buswa cabal, AGAIN!

:toast:

[7th_Sephiroth]

18. A war fought on two or more fronts is a loosing war

Sun Tzu's art of war

someone in the bush admin. should read it

[SCDem]

36. the word is losing not loosing

sorry to be a prude but the typo just disturbs the hell out of me

[Bandit]

39. You mean like Japan and Germany

:shrug:

[Cassandra]

41. I seem to remember...

that we had allied support for that.

[Bandit]

42. Are you forgetting the "Coalition of the Willing"?

Ha Ha Just kidding, I know you are right but I just couldn't resist.

[goforit]

2. The more the better!!!....Go Clark and go ALL!!!!

We need your military Clark!!!
Nothing but your finest!!!!

This would be step One!!!

[pruner]

4. what are you talking about?

you lost me at "The…"

[Pastiche423]

19. lol!

Yeah, where did that come from and what did it mean?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

35. Gremlins?

:shrug:

[jamesinca]

3. Excellent quote

President Bush, Dr. Dean said, is "particularly poorly suited" for foreign policy "because he has a black and white view of the world, and foreign policy depends on enormous understandings of nuances and trade-offs."


The Bush foreign policy on N. Korea was to call their leader a name and to send long range bombers to Guam. His solution to Afghanastan was war, his solution to Iraq was war, his solution to Syria is supporting Isreali attacks, his solution to PLO is to refuse to talk with Yasser Arafat, his solution to international support was to call the U.N. irrelevant, his solution to European support and NATO was freedom fries, his solution to a different opinion was leaking Valarie Plames job to the press, his solution to the ........

[tedoll78]

5. Despite all that's gone on..

it's still great to feel hope. One major reason I want Dean to get the nomination is that I don't think he'll hold-back during the general election.. I think he'll actually call Bush on some of his lies, some of the bullshit. He's no shrinking violet.

[knowledgeispower]

38. I'm afraid I must beg to differ

There just really doesn't seem to be much to hope for. I hate being fatalistic, but just look at all we got going against us. Global warming (which is already having PROFOUND effects, take the dying coral reefs for example), the crunch for resources (at some point the Earth's population can't sustain itself, I think we might be nearing that day), the ever looming threat of catastrophic war, the continual destruction of the middle class, and so forth.

So when Dean says this: "America is the beacon of hope for the rest of the world. We are the last country on earth where cynicism doesn't pervade government. Americans really hope that things are going to get better in the world and they can make things better, and Americans believe more than any other people that we can make things better by sheer will and money and hard work."

I just have to disagree. Cynicism does pervade every aspect of government. If not, why do only half the people in this country even bother to vote? And if people hope things can get better, why do they vote as if they are desperately trying to cling to what they have rather than in terms of what we could all gain?

Sorry to be so cynical. I just can't help it these days.

[Mal]

6. Dean - Just another bloody Yank

"America is the beacon of hope for the rest of the world."
This is just another typical example of Yank arrogance.
The world survived before America, and the world will survive after America is gone. In fact, I would argue that its chances would significantly improve.

[Vikingking66]

7. allow me to explain

American exceptionalism is par for the course.
Indeed, I think you would find it very difficult
to find a nation where its politicians don't say
that it's the best nation in the world.

When the "sun never set on the British empire,"
pretty much every British politican talked about
the British mission to civilize the world, how
Britain stood for democracy and law against the
forces of barbarism and and the despotic
French/Germans/Russians, etc.

If you look at the substance of Dean's speeches on
foreign policy, he's very deliberately multilateral
and internationalist in approach. If he has to mouth
platitudes about how great the U.S is to get Americans
to back away from unilateral preemption, is that
so bad?

[Mal]

8. Your example of the British

probably accounts for why such statements get so much on my nerves. The British could have done a lot of good in the world, if they hadn't so believed they were on a mission from God; and every impression I've gotten points to the US having the same delusion, and not just recently either, probably for the entire history of the nation.
I don't mind the US believing in their own superiority, as long as they don't force those beliefs on others. I'm reminded of some people I know, they are strongly religious and part of some small faction. They believe that you have to believe like them to be saved, otherwise you will never rise but stay dead forever (they don't believe in hell). Despite my oncoming doom, they never try to convert me, nor save my soul, and I never try to explain to them the fallacies of their beliefs and the much greater logic of atheism. We accept each others right to be wrong.

Message to America-> The world doesn't want you as savior

[GinaMaria]

37. "and not just recently either"

"and not just recently either, probably for the entire history of the nation."

Actually, it has been fairly recently in history. We were not always a super power. We only became a super power about 60 years ago, after WWII. People, both here and abroad, tend to forget that. For many of us, this is all we've known.

Americans and British have an interesting relationship. We share similarities and yet our differences are glaring at times. We are equally annoyed when refered to as your younger brother as you are at many of "our" attitudes.

Keep in mind that many here on this board probably share some of your values. Spewing anger may feel good for the moment but really doesn't accomplish anything. How about ideas or suggestions for stopping aggression? What do you see as the steps Brittian took to right itself? Was it a process, an event?

I'd really like to hear your thoughts,
Peace,
Gina

[maggrwaggr]

14. so, Yank-hater, where the hell are you from?

and why are you so superior?

[MercutioATC]

16. I'm soing to put on my swami hat (and read the profile) and say that Mal..

...is Australian.

[qwertyMike]

27. Why would a lot of the world hate the Yanks . . .?

S. Korea
Vietnam
Grenada
Panama
Chile
Many covert ops in S. America
Nicaragua
Guatemala
Iraq
Iran
Cuba
Support of Fascist regimes

et cetera et catera et cetra

I wonder
On 9-11, after the horror, my honest reaction was something like"I'm surprised it took so long" and "Why are they surprised?"

[maggrwaggr]

28. that I understand, but this guy's comments pissed me off

All he did was bash Dean and offer nothing else. Yet he does this from outside America? That's just too easy.

He seems to have vanished now

[qwertyMike]

32. Brit

I would say - the "arrogant Yank" attitude has always been rampant there. They feel socially superior, but are secretly deeply envious.
CunfuZed.

[Nottingham]

9. Failure is right!

and we will have to pay for it :bounce:

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. 
[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
here] to review the message board rules.

[truthisfreedom]

11. brainless tape recorder stuck in loop mode

repeating the party mantras

[haymaker]

13. Yeah, that way he can kill more babies.

Have you done your part to kill babies in foreign lands yet? Get busy tough guy.

Have another cocktail.

[not systems]

15. Wow really...

I better not vote for Dean then!!!

Thanks for saving me from ensuring "President Bush"
stays in power.

Your psyops skills are mad dope "Lightbringerrr".

[maggrwaggr]

17. I'd welcome you to DU, but your statement doesn't make any sense

Oh lightbringer.

Pray enlighten us with what the hell you're talking about

[SammyWinstonJack]

29. What did the poster say?

I always come in after a deleted post. Reading the replies makes little sense when the original is deleted.

[stickdog]

21. O K

Did you get that?

[lovedems]

22. ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER DAY OF FREEPER MADNESS??

Maybe they secretly learn something...like the truth

[farmboxer]

12. Yes, Bush Is Destroying America!

Bush is giving everything to his rich pals! However, Bush knows he can depend on his news media to lie for him and the Republican manufactured and programmed voting machines!

California has just shot itself in the foot, or should I say in the head?!

[malachi]

33. California has just shot itself in the foot, or should I say in the head?!

The head. And the bullet is in critical condition.

[Eurobabe]

20. which is why we need clark

for foreign policy matters. experience counts in this arena.

[Larkspur]

24. Clark is a toadie for the MIC

He's a different face to the same corrupt body Bush fronts.

Generals make poor presidents. Clark would be more convincing as a Dem presidential candidate if he had run for another civilian elected office, like governor, as a Democrat, managed that office well, won re-election at least once, and then run for Dem Prez nominee.

[progressivebydesign]

30. You're right..

It's still the "economy stupid" as they used to say in Clinton's campaign. While I find Clark's military experience impressive, and useful in some capacity in the post-Bush White House... we need someone with domestic experience and interest in the top job. I think a general who also held a governorship would be an awesome candidate. I think this is why so many nominees pair up when the nomination is won. One lacks in some ways.. another lacks in another way.. Makes a good team.

May the best Democrat win! I'm with Dean.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

23. Love this quote

President Bush, Dr. Dean said, is "particularly poorly suited" for foreign policy "because he has a black and white view of the world, and foreign policy depends on enormous understandings of nuances and trade-offs."

An accurate perception of *.

Dean says in his stump speech that *'s foreign policy is based on petulance...that line always gets tremendous applause. I love when he tells it like it is!

[progressivebydesign]

31. I would settle now for a prez that could spell NUANCE!!!

I was watching a Dean speech on DVD yesterday, and I remembered what it was like to have an INTELLIGENT person as president. Wow.

[kayell]

40. Petulance

This is what of the best words I have seen to describe *. Should have been in the poll earlier this week.

[bushisanidiot]

25. Give Him HELL Dean!!!

Can't wait until chickensh*t AWOL is run out of Al's house!!!!!

[wildwww2]

26. Bu$h Inc. is America`s Greatest Failure they out CIA agents for christsake

Pure treasury looting murderous trash. Bush Family Evil Empire was not coined for nothing. These Bu$h boys make the devil himself look tame. I am sure of it.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[Ganja Ninja]

34. Failure is not an option with George Dubya Bush.

Failure is his constant companion.