Probably no impassionate arguments about this article. No grieving Marine widow makes these
statement, but for those who actually think about these word, they well may be very sad, but also very true.

George Bush and the end of the American Century

Ours was the nation that won World War II and rebuilt Europe. So energetic, so inspired, so determined were we that the whole century was named after us.

Today our Army would have trouble defending Florida from Cuba. Not only have we failed to rebuild New Orleans; we can't even adequately rebuild its levees. And the current century will apparently belong to one of our most dangerous adversaries from the last one.

Yes, the American Century is over. But not because the 20th Century ended. Because the Bush presidency began.

This was no coincidence of timing, or inevitable epochal shift. It's the direct consequence of leadership so breathtakingly poor, from a man so painfully limited, that the richest, most powerful nation in history is now destined for bankruptcy, thrashing helplessly in a Mideast tar pit.

Unfortunately for the United States, the "uniter" who promised to "restore honesty and integrity to the Oval Office" quickly became the divider who lied us into a war and then kept on lying -- to avoid accountability for:

9/11 and the aftermath of Katrina;

The repeated placement of unqualified cronies, party activists, and Big Business insiders in important positions;

The even more-often-repeated circumvention of Congress, established law, and Constitutional protections;

The continuing effort to link 9/11 to Saddam Hussein, and opposition to the Iraq war to cowardice and lack of patriotism.

Brownie did a ... wait for it ... heck of a job. Alberto Gonzales, who doesn't know who's staying and who's going in his own department (or does, and is brazenly lying about it) answered Congressional questions -- hold for the applause sign -- "as honestly as he could." (Like Paul Wolfowitz, architect of the failed Iraq strategy and his girlfriend's recent career path, the Attorney General has Bush's "full confidence.")

It would all be laughable. If we lived in China.

Much is made in the media of Bush's supposed "loyalty." It explains, we are asked to believe, why he refuses to can appointees until the damage caused by their incompetence is irreversible. Such loyalty to pals is not new in our politics; crises come because a mediocre intellect is most likely to make pals with other mediocrities.

But the real problem is not Bush's loyalty; it's his (well-deserved) insecurity; confident, competent leaders can admit mistakes, and will pay attention to differing views. But any admission by Bush that he made a poor decision would, in his mind, make real his biggest fear -- that his startling inadequacy will become plain to the entire country, instead of just two-thirds of us.

That remaining, willfully blind, blame-Clinton-for-everything one-third likes to point out that al Qaeda hasn't attacked us once since 9/11, disregarding the fact that it was eight years between the first terrorist attack on U.S. soil and the second. Shall we praise Bush for six attack-free (albeit fear-filled) years? Maybe. Or we could credit the Department of Homeland Security -- the creation of which Bush adamantly opposed.

Those who intentionally tune into Fox News also say that Clinton weakened our military, disregarding the almost daily assertions by respected former and current military men that our Army, Marines, and Reserves are nearly, to use their word, broken.

Like Bush himself, the sad one-third is too angry, hateful, and insecure to admit the mistake America made in 2000 and 2004.

But then, maybe I'm the one wearing blinders when I beg for someone, anyone, to name something positive Bush has done since taking office. Am I ignoring today's relatively healthy (it only took five years) economy, possibly the result of Bush's tax cuts? Maybe, but those tax cuts have deepened the fiscal chasm our kids and grandkids will have to dig out of; in any case, I'll credit Bush when the one-third credits Clinton for America's longest sustained economic boom -- and a huge, quickly squandered budget surplus.

In the meantime, the French are launching a 350-mile-an-hour passenger train that doesn't burn fossil fuel; the best we can do is maybe not argue about Amtrak subsidies every couple of years.

In the meantime, Toyota surpassed General Motors in worldwide sales last quarter -- the first time that's ever happened.

In the meantime, every other industrialized nation guarantees health care to its citizens; we have 45 million uninsured and the world's highest prescription prices because the administration doesn't want to perturb its insurance and pharmaceutical contributors.

In the meantime, dozens of American states and cities are taking it upon themselves to fight global warming because the administration doesn't want to perturb its energy industry contributors. And we're as dependent on Arab oil as ever, despite Bush's lip service and empty State-of-the-Union promises.

(Which reminds me: Whatever happened to that manned mission to Mars? I'm not sensing any moon-landing urgency.)

The sad fact is that George W. Bush had prime opportunities to become what he fancied himself -- our inspiring "decider." But he couldn't even muster the inspiration and imagination to involve the American people, through noble shared sacrifice, in his war on terrorism -- as easy as that would have been. The best he could do after the worst terrorism attack in history was suggest a trip to Disney World. (Maybe he was capable of more Churchillian leadership but preferred to prove his manhood in Iraq rather than finish the job in Afghanistan.)

So, once again, I defy anyone to name anything George W. Bush has accomplished as president that can't be attributed to luck, the cyclical nature of economies, or the patience of Osama bin Laden.

In 1974, British author Renee Winegarten wrote, "An epoch or a civilization cannot be prevented from breathing its last. A natural process that happens to all flesh and all human manifestations cannot be arrested. You can only wring your hands and utter a beautiful swan song."

Maybe she was right. (I know my hands are cramped after six and a half years.) Maybe the worst president in modern times has only hastened America's inevitable decline, just as venal and incompetent emperors hastened Rome's.

But it would've been nice if, before we blithely passed the baton to China, we'd done it uttering something other than "Send in the Clowns."

By Steve Horowitz
Created Apr 25 2007 - 11:45pm
_______


-- Modified on 4/27/2007 11:56:12 AM

After I read that babble I just shook my head and chuckled at the putrid, pathetic, pessimistic state of pseudo-liberal pinkism. It would contribute to their sorry state of mind if, for a change, they would make some meaningful substantive contribution to society but they can not seem to muster the talent to do that.

I'm not sure what gives me that impression.

I'm sorry, any post that requires scrolling down to read what could have been said in 3 words -- "He hates Bush."

It is people like him and the "liberal" influence and policies that have been the major contribution to the degradation of our values and standards and the intregrety that our great country was founded on...Merry Christmas...Happy Easter...and learn English

........ America made in 2000 and 2004.

The author is an idiot.

By extension......

No wonder the state of the left is hanging by their deranged feet and berating small children...

It is incredible to me what a morass people will allow their minds to sink into..

-- Modified on 4/27/2007 2:02:43 PM

and insightful recognition of all of America's accomplishments (even in the past 7 or so years).  

What are some of the accomplishments?  Even after 9/11 our economy is doing well.  Our markets remain open, and we still have the freedom to write as Horowitz and I still have the freedom to disagree.  I would say that this is a significant achievement.

With respect to misrepresentation... Drug costs?  Everyone wails and moans about how Drug costs are THE reason for our soaring health care costs?  How can a cost that is 11% of the total be responsible for the soar?  Inefficient 3rd party payer overhead, poor hospital administration, and overwhealming requirements to satisfy the political correct with respect to paperwork in the offices of physicians... well - those could not contribute - could they?  Why is this NEVER addressed in the media?  

Why is the linkage between the clinical trials necessary for FDA approval for a new thereapeutic and the ACADEMIC (read UNIVERSITY) institutions who charge an inordinant amount of direct and indirect costs for performing the clinical trials not fairly and honestly made?  Make no mistake about it - universities profit heavily from what they charge drug companies....

So?  am I impressed by this?  I would be if it were more honest and balanced.... I've no use for Bush and his somewhat dimwitted view of the world, but I've also no patience with those who offer sound bite analysis of very complex issues...



-- Modified on 4/27/2007 2:58:33 PM

that we still have the First Amendment. Talk about low expectations.

I mean, it's not like he fucked-up everything he touched or anything, right?

. .. from what Republicans have done in the last six years.

I wouldn't worry your sick little head about liberals. I would worry about getting this country back up to zero before China puts into receivership.

My prediction: conservatism will decline as an influence in this country. It will slump back into the loony redoubt from which it sprang.  

Second prediction: liberalism will be helpless and hapless to do anything for the next 40 years, so you don't have to worry about that.  

What it means, of course, is that we're screwed.

-- Modified on 4/28/2007 2:49:02 AM

His speech at Virginia Tech was nice, concise, and pretty good.

He also refused to make jokes at the Press Dinner out of respect for those who died.

Okay, not impressed, but at least he did better than worst.  

These constitute the only times his every opened his mouth that I didn't wince.  Including his "I can here you" bit, where everybody began to see what they wanted to see.

Immediately when the authority of the presidency is is off him, you will lose your remaining respect.

Man you're smart and so well read!  Love it when you add to my posts!  the work you put in (wha- it took you how many hours to do the research and find the facts to put this out!  I'm just sooooo impressed), the validation that you provide!  It is just really too much.  We gotta get you into something more suitable to your obvious intellectual capacity!  what say all? !  WHat is it that YOU think that JB would be great at?!!!

-- Modified on 4/28/2007 7:13:03 AM

explain your snark. Are you denying that you wrote the following?

"we still have the freedom to write as Horowitz and I still have the freedom to disagree.  I would say that this is a significant achievement."

but not me!  I get it.  and no, I am not a conservative who says "I and my fellow conservatives must take the high road!"  Rather I'm the ok, you take a swipe at me... I can take one at you too!  

Both you and Z feel that it is ok to post kinda nasty comments, because you assume that I won't post in kind.  Get over yourselves.  You're just not that important to me!

As for significant achievement to keep the 1st alive?  

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
— The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

There it is!  How many Islamic regeimes have this freedom.  For that matter, how many governments in the world have this degree of freedom?  Keeping this is no small accomplishment.  Consider this, while we prohibit nativity scenes or a posting of the 10 commandments, we permit muslims to refuse taxi passengers because it offend their religion.  yea, we go overboard to address the concerns of others.  

So yea, I posted that and it means that I can respond to you any way I please.

-- Modified on 4/28/2007 9:58:14 AM

with snide remarks is because you say stupid things. For example you quote the First Amendment yet do not understand it. You ignore that it says "Congress shall make no law..." I would hope that you would be able to point out which government run taxi service allows its drivers to discriminate against passengers. Also point out which government prohibits anyone from displaying a nativity or cross on their own property.

In your original post you seemed to insinuate that it was a "significant achievement" keeping the First Amendment since 9/11. Now you are saying that it is a "significant achievement" keeping it for the last 230 years. I totally agree. And let us give mad props to James K. Polk and Chester Arthur as well for keeping the streak alive.

Your snark would be much more effective if it did not go further in demonstrating how uninformed and silly you are. And it probably is not a good idea to include little giggles (i.e. tee-hee-hee!) because it makes you sound like a little girl.

yes, it is a significant achievement over the past 6 years.  An attack on any countries territory would in most instances cause them to think of curfews, banning freedom of assembly, not to mention banning a specific religious group associated with the act of terror.  So yea, I count the achievement significant.  Sorry, but you are to dimwitted to notice cause your head is up your ass.  That "manly" enough for ya?

as to how stupid that statement is? Who has called for anything even remotely like that except for perhaps the furthest right wing nuts who support Bush? England, Spain, Israel have had plenty of terrorist attacks on their soil and they haven't rescinded their constitutions or banned any religions. I am not surprised that a little girl like you would want to throw in the towel so quickly. This country has lasted as long as it has because up until now it has not been run by scared little pussies like you. Hopefully you can ride out the next year and a half without you peeing your pants too much.

you are really a dope.  There is a specific reason England and Spain  have not banned a specific religion.  They have a significant Muslim populace.  Isreal?  lol!  live there, it is not as free as presented.  look - dude... travel dude... and you will see.

Since I have been going to England over the past 3 decades, the ethnic mix of the country has changed significantly.  It is a reality.

and wait, rescending of liberties is done in incremental steps.... so far, there are attempts within this country to do it... most notably by the "POTUS Bush" administration.  

And it is not I who wishes to "throw in the towel" but rather you.  You wish to just hand the country over to whoever wants to take it over - ie, no borders, no protection of those who work so hard to build the country up, no preservation of wealth.  You're the one who just wants to give it all away, while I want to fight for the country... what- too chickenshi1t to fight for the country?  yup, from your own posts, I would say you are.

I still cannot figure out if you are in favor of or opposed to the Bill of Rights. You seem to be arguing both sides of the equation. And let us not mention the fact that you just went back on your claim that it is common for countries to rescind their constitutional rights in face of terrorist attacks. Then again, you think that the existence of actual evidence of something is overrated.

One other thing, I have been against Bush since day 1. It is not saying much but, at least that makes me a hell of a lot smarter than you.

As far as being for the BOR?  yea I am.  but let us not forget that suspension of rights occurs in many countries.  no, maybe not the modern UK, or Germany or France... but it has happened in Germany, it has happend in many 3rd world countries... so get over it.  It does happen that people loose the right to freedom of speech and religion.  it happens.

were a lefty. Not sure what we are arguing about then, but welcome aboard.