The Bush Legacy: Going Out With A Bang
By Jack
Neworth
During the last months of a
president’s term in office his concerns naturally turn toward his legacy.
(Except for Nixon whose thoughts turned toward if he was going to jail.) George
Bush, however, is not worried about his legacy. “Hell, it’ll take 50
years to figure it out and by then we’ll all be dead.”
Actually, it may not take quite that long.
In a poll taken among historians conducted through the “History News
Network, 60% concluded that Bush was the worst president of all-time. 35% rated
his presidency in the 31st to 41st category, while only 4% ranked him as even
among the top two-thirds.
Actually,
Bush takes comfort in comparing himself to other unpopular wartime leaders,
Lincoln and Churchill. If I took comfort comparing myself to Hemingway and
Steinbeck, I certainly wouldn’t say so in
public.
So, let’s examine the Bush
legacy.
Iraq: No WMDs, (oh,
well) 4,400 Americans dead, 60,000 wounded and a million Iraqi deaths.
We’re stuck in the middle of a 1400 year-old civil war which will cost
trillions while at home we have increased poverty, a health crisis and a failing
infrastructure. Instead of six weeks the occupation will last at least ten
years. Many historians call the invasion the worst foreign policy mistake in our
history. Colin Powell warned, “Invading Iraq would open the gates of
Hell.” Bush’s actual response, “I don’t get it,
they’re all Muslims,
right?”
The Economy: Bush
inherited a record surplus and spent us into record deficits. The value of the
dollar is so low foreign investors are buying up our country like it’s a
garage sale. Many economists say things haven’t been this bad since WWII
brought us out of the Great Depression.
The Environment: Immediately
upon taking office, Bush pulled us out of Kyoto. Until recently he’s
maintained global warming was just a theory. (Like gravity is just a theory?)
Our World Standing: On 9/12/01
almost the entire world was with us. In Tehran a million Iranians marched in
sympathy. Thanks to Bush’s “my way or the highway” we’re
down to Poland and Albania.
Treason: Bush and Cheney outed
Valerie Plame, a covert CIA agent during wartime. If it had been Clinton and
Gore, the neo-cons would be charging the White House with torches and
pitchforks.
Torture: At Yale
Bush was sanctioned for “torturing pledges” by branding them with a
hot coat hanger which he said was no worse than a cigarette burn. Forty years
later, his Administration tortured detainees to death, indicating he had
graduated to slightly worse than a cigarette
burn.
Support the Troops: Bush
sent ill-equipped, ill-trained GI’s on multiple tours into a war based on
lies and with no plan. The wounded face rats at Walter Reed Hospital and endless
red tape at the V.A. GI suicides are at record levels.
War Our Grandkids Pay For: Bush
is the only leader in the history of the world to wage a war and lower taxes.
(Leave no billionaire behind.).
Culture of Corruption:
Abramoff, Cunningham, Vitters, Craig, Foley, DeLay, Ney, Frist, and Gonzales are
either in jail or should be.
Pure
Arrogance: In 2004 when asked what mistakes he made in his first term, Bush
said he couldn’t think of
one.
“Mission
Accomplished.” When W. came into office the price of gas was $1.39.
Now it’s $4. Mission accomplished?
“Uniter, not a
divider” Bush’s 2000 campaign theme finally came true in that he
has all but united the Muslim world in their hatred for America.
“Bring it on!”
Given the devastating loss of life in Iraq, Laura convinced Bush it was a poor
choice of words.
“I looked
into Putin’s eyes and saw his soul.” That’s funny, because
when I look into Putin’s eyes all I see are gulags.
“The Children Am
Learning” Bush is clearly not smarter than a 5th grader.
“Wanted Dead or
Alive” After 6 years, Bush’s warnings seem a little hollow. Bin
Laden is still alive and, given the number of his videos, he appears to be
hiding rather well.
“Heckuva
job” Brownie was Bush’s remarkably incompetent head of FEMA.
During Katrina, Bush was in Arizona celebrating John McCain’s birthday
while Condi was in Manhattan shopping for shoes.
“Awesome speech” After a speech
by the Pope last month, Bush said, “Thank you, Your Holiness, awesome
speech.” The frat boy
president.
The Final Legacy: I
greatly fear Bush will go out with a bang by bombing Iran. It could come as an
October surprise and sadly, many Americans will blindly rally around the flag.
It may help elect McCain. (Whom the 2000 Bush campaign suggested had fathered a
black child out of wedlock and whose wife was a drug addict.) As an added bonus,
bombing Iran might even send gas to $5 a gallon.
Posted: Thu - May 1, 2008 at 07:09 PM
