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 Bush’s Legacy of FailurePosted on Mar 18, 2008
That idiotic “what, me worry?” look just never leaves the man’s visage. Once again, there was our president, presiding over disasters in part of his making and totally on his watch, grinning with an aplomb that suggested a serious disconnect between his worldview and existing reality. Be it in his announcement that Iraq was being secured on a day when bombs ripped through that sad land or posed between his Treasury secretary and the Federal Reserve chairman to applaud the government’s bailout of a failed bank, George Bush was the only one inexplicably smiling. Failure suits him. It is a stance he learned well while presiding over one failed Texas business deal after another, and it served him splendidly as he claimed the title of president of the United States after losing the popular, and maybe even the electoral, vote. It carried him through the most ignominious chapter of U.S. foreign policy, from the lies about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction to an unprecedented presidential defense of torture. The totally unwarranted assurance was there this week as the once proud dollar fell into the toilet and the debacle of Iraq and Bush’s other failed Mideast policies pushed oil prices to record highs. The Europeans, who didn’t support the U.S. imperial intervention, are doing much better, not having to pay for guarding besieged oil pipelines while U.S. taxpayers are saddled with trillions in future debt, not to mention 4,000 U.S. military deaths and 30,000 U.S. injuries in a war the administration had promised would be paid for with Iraqi oil revenues. Even in Baghdad last week, there wasn’t enough oil to keep the lights on for more than a few hours. But the president is happy because his legacy issue, the war on terror, is intact. No matter that this week the Pentagon was forced to release a report conducted over the last five years that concluded, after surveying 600,000 official Iraqi documents captured by U.S. forces, that there is “no smoking gun” establishing any connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. The report was so embarrassing that we taxpayers, who paid for it, were not going to be told of its existence, even though the explosive conclusions were totally declassified, until ABC News forced its posting online. The network reported that the Pentagon had canceled plans to issue a press release or make it available by e-mail or otherwise online because, as one Pentagon official put it, the study is “too politically sensitive.” Damned right it is—Bush squandered U.S. treasure and lives in an effort that had nothing to do with the infamous attack on America. As for the real war on terror against the real al-Qaida, those folks are very much on the rebound, just where they were before the 9/11 attack, building their bases in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Meanwhile, back on the home front, Wall Street is crumbling, not because of planes crashing into buildings but because the outrageous knaves of finance, freed from the most minimal requirements of public accountability, have been permitted to destroy America’s reputation in the world for financial probity. In the name of ending what were claimed to be onerous regulations imposed after the Great Depression, this administration accelerated a bipartisan pattern of allowing Wall Street to betray investors with impunity while abandoning the federal government’s obligation, once accepted equally by conservatives and liberals, to ensure our national solvency. This tendency, under way for decades to give the bankers what they wanted—codified in the Financial Services Modernization Act, which was signed into law by Bill Clinton and which permitted banks, stock brokers and insurance companies to merge—was exacerbated by Bush’s appointment of rapacious corporate foxes to watch the corporate henhouse. They will take care of their own, which is why Bush was smiling, happily posed in that photo op between Henry Paulson Jr. and Ben Bernanke announcing the Bear Stearns bailout, made possible only by the federal government using your tax dollars to pick up the bad debt of the banks. Tape that picture to your wall to remind you, when you open a credit card bill with a 30 percent interest rate—not the 2 percent the Fed will charge banks—or see the increase in your adjustable rate mortgage, of just what your government will do for the really big guys that it will never do for regular folks. In the years to come, as millions lose their retirement income and homes, we will have occasion to remember Georgie Porgie, who kissed the taxpayers and made them cry before he ran away. Previous item: Rev. Wright on the Battlefield Next item: Obama Walks the Minefield Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.
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By Ivan Hentschel, March 19 at 10:11 am # Who is surprised?That we have weathered eight years of this idiot is beyond me. Perhaps the human condition is more resilient than I thought. He does not appear to worry because he never has and doesn’t know how.He must be totally numb inside. I never fully understood the extent to which the term “moron” applied until this clown came along.It just gets worse (and more embarrassing) everyday.
By MDC, March 19 at 10:10 am # This man began his presidency believing he could take generous vacations and act as a figurehead while Cheney funneled money to his friends and republicans in congress had their way. However, on 09/11/01 I believe Bush suffered a break from reality and has never recovered. Observing his behavior in video, I believe he is taking many prescription medications.
By Tony, March 19 at 9:11 am # Fundamental ProblemI hear everyone complaining and I read here of all your complaints...The USA will never correct itself with only a two (2) party system...We need to vote out EVERY current politician and CLEAN HOUSE!!! And we also need to support new parties, limit campaign funding evenly so that we vote for candidates based on qualifications not how much money they can raise… bush cheney rice wolfowits rove and that whole crew are evil!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By chuck, March 19 at 8:45 am # bush is a liar & an idiot. He caused this recession. He causes us to spend $ 17 BILLION /month in Iraq. We should have no oil crises with Iraq & Iran having so much oil. bush doesn’t even talk about our oil RESERVES. Any new president can make the USA a better place to live & be proud of---bush is the worst president we have EVER had! Oh yea, Darth Vader cheney is the worst VP. Congress has failed us too. We need to use a fireman’s hose to clean up the BS in Congress & the “administration.”
By Eric L Prentis, March 19 at 8:40 am # It is well known that President Bush is a pathological liar. Now President Bush has gone further into perdition by wholeheartedly sanctioning Chairman Bernanke’s unprecedented bailout of the Wall Street investment bank, Bear Stearns, which demonstrates Bernanke’s financial hubris and complete overreach of his authority. President Bush, defender of the ownership society ideology, can now be called the hypocrite’s hypocrite. Republican Senators Larry Craig and David Vitter can only dream of scaling the heights of hypocrisy that Bush has achieved by endorsing socialism for the rich and powerful at Bear Stearns while supporting privatizing social security and the second class punitive bankruptcy laws for the average US citizen. The United States is a plutocracy, run by the rich for the benefit of the rich.
By Conservative Yankee, March 19 at 8:35 am # Blame GeorgeI wouldn’t vote for ANY Bush ever for ANY office. He couldn’t run the town of Podunk without bankrupting them HOWEVER When Sheer says the disasters are “.... part of his making and totally on his watch” he is prevaricating. Carter began the deregulation binge in 1978 with the deregulation of the airline industry. Carter said it would make “flying cheaper” at the time I was flying the Eastern Shuttle from Boston to Newark for $35. after deregulation, when Pan Am began flying the same route the tickets went to $75. Eastern started its long slide to oblivion, then Pan Am followed. Once the USA had the best and biggest airlines. Now we have hollowed out husks that are not even shadows of their former selves. Deregulation has been bad for business, but the people who profited by buying and selling the businesses, rather than the product have kept this philosophy alive through five consecutive administrations. I lost my GREAT local bank when living in Lawrence, my small insurer (who was very inexpensive) when living in New Hampshire, and my formerly great union drug plan (.50 per prescription) last year. No I do not like of trust GWB, but when it comes to fucking the public, he has LOTS of company.. and for a long time!
By Davol, March 19 at 12:43 pm # Re: Blame GeorgeFrom Wikapedia:
By BigUnit47, March 19 at 10:30 am # Re: No Legacy without His Buffoonery100% on target. The intellectual-less dishonesty this administration has paraded before the world for the last 7+ years has left a lasting legacy of total disaster. Won’t be long before few have jobs, which means they’ll have plenty of time to spend at those casinos Republicans would love to see dotting the national landscape (what jobs are left will be those aiding the wealth-redistributing flim-flammery that has been signature of our current economy. America doesn’t make anything anymore; but America will have to when currency trends force us to stop buying the cheap goods from China seemingly designed to eventually kill us (not all those terrorists come in the form of turbans w/AK-47s). And check those drugs; if made in China, they, too, could bring more harm than good. Why do I get the impression that, with Republicans in charge, the country has a distinctly down-hill course, economically and otherwise? Because they’re only out for themselves and their special-interest friends. This nation NEEDS a Ralph Nader as pilot…
By don knutsen, March 19 at 8:05 am # Who needs Osama Bin Laden when we already have a president more then able to destroy our country from within. It boggles the mind what agenda this world emporer has going on behind those beady eyes. But what is most disturbing is how ineffective our goverment has become in holding this blatant criminal to account for the damage he has done to america and the world at large. Reality is of no concern to George, they early in his presidency decided they could create their own reality. They have dismantled most of the agencies put in place to protect us from the very excesses we are now seeing come to the forefront. They have removed the people’s abillity to redress these injustices and have put in place a future for america that will be filled with desperation and the chaos that breeds. It didn’t have to go this way, but our congress, up till last fall lead by the republican party turned criminal enterprise gave this president / VP , the banking industry, the credit card companies, the pharmecutical companies, the insurance industry everything they wanted and refused even the slightest form of oversite of where the peoples treasure was going while the supposed opposition party still quakes in fear afraid to conduct any of the people’s buisness. Those of us in mid life have lived long enough to remember when we were the one country that all others aspired to be. Those days are over, we are way down the list in mortality rates, health in general, education, and just basic contentment among the rest of the so-called civilized nations. Our democracy was a great 200+ year experiment that is over now as we continue to slide toward a corporate 21st version of facism brought on by the greed of a relatively few in power. Whatever the modern definition of a traitor is, its label surely applies to the individuals that run this administration.
By Atticus Madison, March 19 at 7:52 am # Of course Bush is perpetually smiling. Why shouldn’t he? He’s the most sadistic, psychologically-unfit-to-be-president, incompetant, delusional, nitwit ever in the U.S. government, who never has to take responsibility for the hell he causes our country (except the filthy rich) and the world! The cowardly congress, including Democrats who won’t impeach him, let him get away with more and more desecration of the Constitution, violation of U.S. and international law, total secrecy to hide his war crimes. And the pathetic American people have become disgraceful sheep who pay more attention to hookers and amateur contests than they do the the rape of their country. There is no longer an American republic, you fools! You gave it up and disgraced the Revolutionary generation, the Civil War generation and all the brave, principled people who fought endlessly to keep our liberties.
By JG, March 19 at 7:12 am # Bush’s legacy will be that we and generations after us will know him to have been THE WORST president in history. He has ruined this country, our environment and our standing in the world. I cannot even stand to look at him or listen to him anymore…
By DennisD, March 19 at 6:36 am # Systematic failureBob - yes, Bu$h was a failure before he took office and he’s only taken it to the next level while in office. No one needed an advanced degree to predict that. Let’s not forget the Congress and courts that have aided and abetted him every step of the way. It’s all the people we’ve elected in our system of government that have failed us by not ridding the country of this cancer.
By villager, March 19 at 5:44 am # Don't blame Bush but those voted for him,From childhood, to Yale, to Texas businessman and governor, W showed nothing self accomplished “success”, yet more and more glorious post were given to him and in 2000 almost half American sent him to be the free world leader over a million times better Al Gore. Just because he is a prince who is also funny and good to have a bear with? I don’t think W is really that responsible for what he did. He has no clue, his IQ in lower 80, views everything in black and white, and still think he is the savior of America. It is American who elected him twice should bear the responsibility. We are paying the price - including more than half who never voted for him. W’s approval rate never drops below 25%, I wonder what a “bad job” means to those idiots. God bless America.
By Mark, March 19 at 5:43 am # mission accomplishedgas prices 1990: $1.00/gallon gas prices november 2002: $1.40/gallon (40 cent increase over 12 years - 40%) gas prices today: $3.25/gallon (7 years of GWB = $1.85 increase - 185%) mission accomplished!
By SuGee, March 19 at 4:44 am # I repeat my former comments on this website and others. The president of the United States and his father figure, the alcoholic “Unka Dicky” are both War Criminals. The fact that they have been criminals their entire adult life, but pre-emptively attacked a sovereign nation WITHOUT just cause and then torturing human beings for no other reason than the delight in seeing them suffer is thoroughly disgusting. But that’s what corporate America wants; a criminal as our head of state. I normally don’t listen to Georgie-boy’s radio messages on Saturday. But March 21st, 2003 he appeared on the BOOB tube and said, “We’re ALL sinners!”. That was after 3 days of Shock & Awe on the Iraqi civilization. Apparently that was the last time he attempted anything close to his supposed religion, “Christianity”. I can remember other “Christian” fallen figures, like Jimmy Swaggert, who used the same line. Apparently they think that they can be forgiven for all of their terrible crimes. Not this time. By the way, he LIKES to torture people. That says it all, right there.
By weather, March 19 at 5:49 am # Re: Re: How the newsmedia assists a corruptWe would be blessed if Eliot Spitzer could take on the most pernicious symbol of this epic of crimes:9/11 It would serve Obama well if he asked Edwards to be his Attorney General and to appoint Spitzer as special counsel.
By weather, March 19 at 3:05 am # Instead of having movedinto a new and very challenged century w/esteemable hope, we’ve been dragged down into a dark, draconian hole w/out a flashlight - and this sad, inept little man is America’s tour guide, whose had all the help he could have ever needed from the MSM monster. In broad daylight and w/great calculation WE turned over the title of the house and didn’t even know it. If you’re ever forged a belief system outside of self w/what maybe considered the God of your understanding you better get comfortable w/it now, because this part in the screenplay that’s scary enough to frighten Stephen King. Add Your Comment |
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