The destructive policies of President Bush

[AlphaCentauri]

(edited for copyright purposes-proud patriot Moderator Democratic Underground)


IT IS HARD to believe how far this republic has fallen since President George W. Bush took office. Eight years ago, the United States had a budget surplus, peace and prosperity reigned, and America was universally respected. True, Bill Clinton had besmirched the office of the presidency by his self-indulgence. In his memoir, he would put down his dalliance with a White House intern to the worst of all possible motives. He did it because he could. But that pales in comparison to what Bush has done to the country.

I believe that the decision to invade Afghanistan was the right one. But instead of finishing what he started, Bush botched the job and hared off into Iraq, which was not a threat, never committing the necessary resources and attention to Afghanistan. Iraq is, and always was, a diversion to the struggle against Islamic extremism. Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia didn't exist before Bush invaded. And Iran has been immensely empowered.

Remember Donald Rumsfeld talking about hitting Iraq after 9/11, not because there was any connection between Iraq and 9/11 but because there were more things to bomb in Iraq than in Afghanistan? And no discussion, no dissent, no word of caution would be allowed to influence Bush's decision.

When all the various reasons for a preemptive war against Iraq are examined - the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction, spreading democracy, helping Israel, etc., etc. - it all boiled down to the worst of all possible reasons: Bush invaded Iraq because he could.

(snip)

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/10/07/the_destructive_policies_of_president_bush/

[izquierdista]

1. Not hard to believe

The Onion even predicted it with their Jan. 17, 2001 story about how Bush would end "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity".

It's also a pretty lame attempt to twist a Churchill quote to fit the situation at hand, these neo-cons were not "few" in number. They got close enough in 2000 to steal the election, so they had the support of roughly half the people, and they did so again in 2004. That's what happens after a Democrat fixes the economy, turns deficit into surplus and puts the country on the road to paying off the national debt in another decade. The gay-bashers and Bible-thumpers and fetus-worshippers and oil thieves and greedy deregulators rush in to put their agenda to ruin in place.

The other half, the Democrats in the minority, never had a chance, as their concerns were tossed aside like yesterday's garbage. You don't know what you are talking about, they were told. Since you made the government run a surplus, we have to give it back in tax cuts. That's the problem in dealing with Republicans, you can lead a fool to the facts, but you can't make him think.