5 comments

• 

  Dewayne Mikkelson

  2 years ago

  Excellent, Well reasoned post, which has helped me rethink my position. I am still not sure I can stop despising bush but at least I will stop hating him after the thoughts you have shared here.
  reply
• 

  CarlM

  2 years ago

  I try not to think about the fact that after the attacks of 9/11, the entire world sympathized with us and was behind us in our attacks on the Taliban & al-Quaida. But when Bush made his axis of evil remarks and then attacked Iraq (arguably the LEAST problematic of the three countries in his axis of evil), he turned the world against us. This was inexcusable. His administration keeps asking the question: Is the world better off with Saddam Hussein out of power? And they seem to be honestly puzzled that everyone doesn't rush to answer "YES!!!!" The fact is that this is not a fair question. It is not a meaningful question. It has no context. The world (and in particular the US) is NOT safer now than it was before 9/11. I don't believe that one gets safer by creating enemies and alienating friends.
  reply
• 

  Lonnie Webb

  2 years ago

  I can't agree with the post. The initial premise is that the world hates us because of Bush. The world has hated us for a very long time. The Bush presidency is historically arbitrary. Bush had nothing to do with events such as the first WTC bombing, the USS Cole, foreign embassy bombings in the 90s, the Iran hostage crisis, and so on back thru time.
  
  The world is simply more vocal.
  
  Radical Islam has reached a critical mass.
  
  Bush just happened to be president when it became an issue (and a very serious one) here, in the States.
  
  Now, I don't defend Bush or the GOP's way of offhandedly turning on the people who voted for them. But then again, that is a whole 'nuther matter...
  
  As for the US being safer, no beheadings on my street this week. No major bombings, either. Crime rate is up and down, but not so bad.
  
  Now, why did we (Bush, Senate, Congress, other governments) think that Iraq was a viable target? Saddam said he was. He claimed he was going to strike the US. North Korea and Iran are now beating that drum. And I guess I haven't learned my lesson since those guys worry me, too.
  
  So, for clarity's sake, let me ask the question How do you know what you know? Assuming you don't get your news from the Daily show--and I really assume you don't--I want to be as informed as you are.
  reply
• 

  CarlM

  2 years ago

  It is not true that the _world_ has hated us for a long time. The events you list (L.W.) are not representative of a wide range of countries. And, though some of our allies have disliked the attitude of "the world revolves around the United States of America" that has been espoused by many of our leaders (Democrats and Republicans alike), it has always been my impression that they did not really dislike the US and in fact respected our freedoms, etc. But, Bush has managed to change all that. As I said in my original post, the world was behind us after 9/11. Had Bush appropriately used their support to deal with the terrorists and not used 9/11 as an excuse to pursue other agendas, the respect of the world might still be with us. Had Bush understood that to diminish our freedoms is to let the terrorists win, the support of the US citizens might still be with him. Had Bush come down HARD on those in the military who did respect the Geneva Conventions and basic human rights, then the world might not wonder what has happened to our once proud country. Now even our strongest allies (who will stand with us a while longer .. some because they think that they have something to gain by being our friends, and others because they remember who we were) have begun to lose some of their respect for us. I'm not sure that they hate us (the United States), but some of them sure seem to hate our president. And, I cannot see how to defend him. I am saddened by some of the things that some of my countrymen have done under the cloak of "fighting terrorists," and I hope that the world can forgive us.
  reply
• 

  CarlM

  2 years ago

  PS I do not blame Bush for the attacks of 9/11. I (mostly) agree that he just happened to be president when that attack took place. I blame him for what he has done (and not done) since.
  reply