- ‹ previous
- 1851 of 8902
- next ›
What Bush Left Out of His Flat Farewell
George W. Bush gave his final speech to the nation on Thursday night. I skipped it to see my daughter, who has known no other president, perform with her school chorus. But when I later sat before my television to see how the speech was being punditized on the cable news shows, I was surprised. The water-landing of a US Airways flight in New York City dominated the coverage. There was little chatter--almost nothing--about Bush's farewell.
After watching the speech on the White House website, I understood why. It was flat and short. Bush said little of interest. He dwelled mostly on 9/11 and the so-called war on terror, once again (and for the last official time) characterizing the invasion of Iraq as part of his effort to take "the fight to the terrorists." He suggested that although the Iraq war was the subject of "legitimate debate," there "can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."
Was the nation's safety ensured because Bush invaded Iraq and did not finish the fight in Afghanistan? No doubt, he and his ever-dwindling band of defenders will continue to insist that it is so--just as a rooster might insist there is a connection between his crowing and the rising of the sun. And Bush defended himself for having been "willing to make the tough decisions"--as if making hard choices is the same as making wise ones.
For most of the 13 minutes he spoke, Bush offered surface-level observations. He provided one quote, noting that President Thomas Jefferson once remarked, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." It's no wonder Bush fancies this line. Given that he is passing to Barack Obama a country burdened with two unresolved wars and an economy in severe decline, Bush certainly would rather look forward (and hope his now unpopular presidency comes to be seen in better terms down the road) than face the present-day consequences of his actions and inaction.
Ernest Hemingway, I believe, once observed that what one doesn't put on the page is as important as what one does. And what Bush did not discuss in his farewell address also defines his presidency. Here is a partial list:
* Climate change
* China
* Russia
* North Korea
* Iran
* Pakistan
* Osama bin Laden
* Nuclear weapons
* Poverty
* Health insurance
* Foreclosures
* Housing
* Guantanamo
* National debt
* Budget deficit
* Trade deficit
* Wall Street
* Financial regulation
* Dow Jones
* Retirement security
* Social Security
* Medicaid
* Energy
* Immigration
* Automobile industry
* Housing
* Subprime credit
* Wages
* Jobs
* FEMA
What else is there to say? In the end, after eight long and traumatic years, Bush did not have much to tell us. Who wouldn't rather watch a miracle airplane landing than a failure saying goodbye?
This was first posted at www.davidcorn.com.
You can follow my postings and appearances via Twitter by clicking here.
I'm so glad to hear that he is proud of the fact that he has been "willing to make the tough decisions", as if that isn't one of the job *requirements* for being president.
Is he also proud of the fact that he managed to not spend *all* his time on "vacation"?
When Republicans say that something is open to "legitimate debate" they are actually admitting that they screwed it up and don't have a chance of making it right, so they will leave it up to someone else. Iraq, Afghanistan, the economy. global warming ("climate change") are all prime examples.
The image of Sully in his captain's uniform & Dubya in his "Mission Accomplished" flight suit make an apt contrast.
The Constant Weader at www.RealityChex.com
oh, he did discuss nuclear weapons actually! He characterized the lack of them in Iraq as something like a "disappointment," I think. I remember because I thought it was a particularly bizarre way to characterize the lack of nuclear armament by an allegedly dangerous government.
Bush's presidency has been such an appalling disaster for the US and the world that I was somewhat surprised that he would stage another event to talk about it.
For the last 8 years, I have run an anti-Bush website. I've gone through different levels of activity on maintaining it. At the beginning I was doing updates every day, but I've had to let that go due to periods of ill health and other personal reasons. However, I've had over a million visitors some years, and I do appreciate the feedback I've gotten from some of them.
So, I'm tired, and I may not even post a goodbye to Bush on my own anti-Bush website. However, during the speech last night, I was able to conjure up a very artistic and athletic double articulated flip-off. His speech made me wish that I had bought that TV brick you could get a few years back.
If anything good came out of the speech, it was that it seemed to give another reassurance to those of us who were paranoid about a false flag attack, martial law, and a Bush/Cheney dictatorship another reason to think he's REALLY going this time. Or IS he....?
-Wexler
Katrina
If Bush was so bad, why would millions still vote for him again? And millions vote for him twice?
because, unfortunately, even leaders who are utterly wrong and utterly corrupt still have followers. it is a sad fact that some people, even in the face of irrefutable truth, still believe the spin the bush administration puts on its failures. there are still people who get all of their news from FOX. perhaps millions would still vote for bush, but they would be as woefully misled to do it now as they were in the last 2 elections.
Because in his first term he was screwing up other nations and our media was lying for him and hiding his crimes. Only in his second term, that the media could not cover up for him anymore and his misdeeds became obvious to every American.
Jennifer;
Many, many people followed Hitler as well - does that make his reign of terror a good one?
Jennifer, the answer to your question is pretty simple: they voted for him because James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and all other "luminaires" of the Religious Right told them to. They presented him as a fellow Christian man, a man of faith and blah blah blah. Why? Only because Bush claims to be anti-abortion and "cares" for the unborn. As for the thousands of lives of walking-and-talking people destroyed by his actions, as for the trail of tears and suffering he lives behind, who cares? Not Dobson and his acolytes anyway.
This is how the administration ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper...
Hearing "liberals" complain and attack bush is pretty sad. Bush (and all his cronies... are you listening dana parino?) should be laughed at while watching Stephen Colbert... or dismissed completely. Until the democrats in office grow spines and indict some of these criminals, liars, thieves (and the list of anti-social adjectives continues)... we should all stop complaining and/or listening to the bushes of the world. Once again: pelosi, feinstein, waxman, et.al. - get off of your asses and bring these people to justice! Otherwise laugh and/or ignore... Don't blame OJ for flaunting his innocence like bush blame to stupid LAPD cops that botched the case... and the democrats who'd rather pat themselves on the back than do something constructive.
Jennifer: I've wondered that for years. Perhaps the Democrats did not put a good enough candidate up, perhaps people like to believe what Bush says, who knows. I'm just glad they've come to their senses!
I think Raul has it correct. It is so easy to bash Bush, but without some introspection on the part of the Dems. for there helping role(s) in many of the actions they now claim to abhor, why take them seriously?
For that matter, if OHB wanted, as it appears, to resurrect the Clinton administration and it's many anti-progressive policies, he needed only to support HRC.
Bush is a failure
Apparently, George never learned that there is a difference between making tough decisions and making correct decisions - a trait all those who voted for him share in equal abundance. I decided that I'd learn a lot more from a Daily Show rerun that I would listening to George and his pathetic excuses. The only people more pathetic are the members of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees who failed to impeach the SOB when they had the entire country was behind them.
George Bush has done great deal to go down in history...While he talks of democracy in Afganistan and Iraq he has tried to destroy it in the United States -Spying on citizens as the K.G.B. does -.- trying to remove women's rights of choice...He give "our money" to fight AIDS in Africa WHILE CUTTING S-CHIP FUNDING IN THE U.S.A. claiming he has done good ?.? He Has Spent More Time On VACATION Than Any Other President - WHILE THE PEOPLE CAN NOT AFFORD A VACATION -.- STAY-CATION.......Everything that has happen is directly his fault - either by his actions, or by his in-actions allowing it to happen......
PUT THE BAILOUT INTO PLAY OVERNIGHT ?.?.? BUT NOT PLANNED IN ADVANCE ?.?.?
Jennifer, that is a good question. I have no answer as to why anyone voted for him in 2000 and then again in 2004. In 2000, when he "won", I hoped he'd be a "harmless idiot". Even before 2004, I knew those hopes were dashed. By 2005, I was one of those paranoid enough to believe Bush would declare a national emergency, martial law, null the 2008 election if it were held and stay in office...it _appears_ that Bush is leaving. There are many people, and I know a few of these ultra-conservative misguided people who _still_ support and would vote for Bush _again_ if they could!!!! Bush has literally brought this country to its knees with his recklessness and indifference. For several years, I have believed Bush to be psychotic and a sociopath. Those are the kindest things I can say about him; otherwise he is simply a liar and an innately cruel person.
But if you are really asking what is so bad about George Bush, then you need to turn off Rush Limbaugh and do some serious reading about his presidency.
I couldn't help but finish Bush's sentence "This is a nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of freedom" with ", regardless of any great wall we errect." I'm sure leaving out that last part was just an oversight. ;)
It reminds me of Lincolns saying: "You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." Bush is a 'What me worry' character who is laughing all the way to the bailout banks, which you all will be made to pay and work for in the comming generations. As he exits stage right, what would be his appropriate sayings or quotes? I think this gem about sums it up. "Green Power as renewable is irrelivant to the American Economy". This gem was spoke after his first two months in office in 2000 when he had just cancelled out all the previous administrations ecological organic Green power aggrements with the international (Kyoto)etc. and the local American ones. This after the threat to the planets livability from fossil fuels had been well documented etc. Medicine, where do I go to puke.
I'm so glad Bush is gone. I didn't listen to his farewell speech because I knew it wouldn't have any substance. I hope he doesn't find any peace in his retirement (well, truth be told, he's been on retirement for 8 years, if you consider all of the vacations he's had) and I hope he will not get a chance to spend all of the money he's stolen through ill-gotten gain. I have been waiting for 8 years for the idiot who stole 2 elections to finally leave the White House. I was even willing to go to Washington, D.C. and help to throw his belongings out on the front lawn. That being said, now, the healing process can begin and I can finally do what I've been waiting for for 8 years, "Waiting To Exhale."
This guy got elected by default and not on merits,the first time the court helped him to the tipping point and the next time 'Osama' helped him by selling 'fear' to the voters.Eight years of nightmare is ending in 96 hours.Phooooh...... !
The "fool some of the people, some of the time" phrase lacks a very vital suffix, One does not need to fool "all of the people, all of the time." One need only, as Mr. Bush so flagrantly demonstrated, fool ENOUGH OF THE PEOPLE ENOUGH OF THE TIME.
One in five people in the world today claims the faith of Islam.Over fifty countries have Muslim-majority populations, while other groups of believers are clustered in minority communities on nearly every continent and every Muslim is watching their Islamic brothers and sisters ,fathers and mothers slaughtered at will by the 4th strongest military in the world which is Jewish.
G.W.Bush and his Administration knows well that GAZA like Lebanon before it and all the other rampant destruction and killing carried out by Israel will provoke a response and naturally bring on a backlash of anti Semitism and anti Americanism in the rest of the World.
But G.W Bush apparently having spoken by phone to Israeli Olmert immediately instructed Condi Rice to ABSTAIN at the UN on the "motion for immediate cease fire in Gaza". A "motion" Condi had a large part in "creating" !!!!!!!!!
The frightening part is that G.W. Bush and Israel want this "undeclared war on 23% of the Worlds population" and want more Anti Semitism and Anti Americanism and perpetual WAR !!!.
Shame on G.W.Bush and the neocons and all people who are collaborators by being silent !!!!!
Jews 0.02% of the worlds population with their poster child Israel and its Jewish Army proudly the 4th strongest in the World with 250 Nuclear Weapons targeted "WHO KNOWS WHERE " are at a point in their history where common sense is called for instead of the madness they have perpetrated on the World since the creation if Israel.They must return from the brink of MADNESS ASAP.
For the same reason the Jews got into the freight cars and entered the "showers". The TRUTH was too terrible to believe.
Many people vote for the candidate who is perceived to be the lesser-of-two evils.
Unfortunately the Democratic Party had nominees in 2000 and 2004 who were not acceptable choices to most American voters.
The George Bush presidency proved to be a tragic disappointment that resulted in much national damage. Rather than dwell on George Bush, I prefer to look to the future with cautious optimism.
Well, Well, Well............."Cowboy George" finally gets the boot!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAW!!!
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
47- Press Conferences
77- Vacations
Let me see............that's less than 6 press conferences per year and more than 9 vacations per year. So much for Bozo Boy's work ethic. Ooooooops......did I say "ethics"? I forgot, G-dub has NO ethics!
I want to personally APOLOGIZE to the rest of the world for all the ace-holes who voted for this miserable excuse of a "world leader". What an EMBARRASSEMENT! Way to go Americans.
As for "Jennifer"..........if you have to ask that question then you were part of the problem. All you had to do was research the "GW" record as a governor and his "non-service" to his country during the Vietnam conflict! Try a little Google action before you vote next time.
The problem is that you don't need to be "informed" to vote in this country. So if more "uninformed" people vote than "informed" voters..............THE BEST LIAR WINS! (advantage- Repukelicans)
Just a little gift to all the "Jennifers" out there. Write this down and carry it with you into the voting booth. Check it off against each candidate BEFORE you make another 8 year mistake!
"CHOOSE YOUR LEADERS WITH WISDOM AND FORETHOUGHT.
TO BE LED BY A COWARD IS TO BE CONTROLLED BY ALL THAT THE COWARD FEARS.
TO BE LED BY A FOOL IS TO BE LED BY THE OPPORTUNISTS WHO CONTROL THE FOOL.
TO BE LED BY A THIEF IS TO OFFER UP YOUR MOST PRECIOUS TREASURES TO BE STOLEN.
TO BE LED BY A LIAR IS TO ASK TO BE LIED TO.
TO BE LED BY A TYRANT IS TO SELL YOURSELF AND THOSE YOU LOVE INTO SLAVERY."- Octavia Butler from "Parable Of The Talents"
Words to live-by from an incredibly wise woman. The "real" tragedy is that she did not live to see the dawning of a "new" day in the country she loved so much! God bless you Octavia..............and "Damn You To Hell George W. Bush"! For if there is a hell.................it waits for you.
EPITAPH:
President George W. Bush-- Coward, Fool, Thief, Liar, and Tyrant.........................R.I.P.
"the answer to your question is pretty simple: they voted for him because James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and all other 'luminaires' of the Religious Right told them to. They presented him as a fellow Christian man, a man of faith and blah blah blah. Why? Only because Bush claims to be anti-abortion and 'cares' for the unborn."
And you know what? It would be very nice if the Democrats, particularly Democratic men (not to put the entire onus on them, but really now), would be more consistent and INsistent about standing up for women's rights.
Take the "partial-birth abortion" ban. Please. No, seriously--There were Democrats who voted for that bill as well as Republicans. Our Vice President-elect was one of them. It's nice that he championed VAWA, but outlawing medical procedures because they make fundies feel icky is its own special brand of violence against women. Some of the safest forms of late-term abortion were banned by that bill. Thank you very much.
We need to clean our own house before telling Republicans how to vote. This is why I do not identify as Democrat. At least the Greens have the guts to mention the F word in their platform, and I mean "feminism," not what liberal guys would rather be doing without worrying about child support, which is why any of them ever stand up for legal abortion at all.
Good riddance to Bush, but if we are about to face eight years of Bill Clinton in blackface, if you think the Republicans are fractured now, just you wait. The way women were treated by the Democrats during the primary was bad enough.
Ya' gotta wonder if W hears/reads/sees any criticiam or commentary of him & his term from 'the people'? Is he realy so isolated, so cut off, so lacking in curiosity about the pulse of the country that he truly doesn't know?
I'm thinkin' yup.. he's totaly in the dark.
The realy tragic piece is the current environment of 'PC' politics that dominates the Dems - Shame on N. Palosi & the others for not acting then to get rid of the scum at the top...shame on them now for letting them walk, scot free, with their pockets FULL of our tax dollars.
Their oughta' be a REVOLUTION!
With a little help for my friend.
The fear of
the darkness
again disappears
when my
memory lives,
saving the pleasure
of a natural life;
and a thanks
overcomes, like
a delicate bird
near a shining
fountain.
Francesco Sinibaldi
One must not to forget the collaboration of our so-called free media in promoting Bush's propaganda step-by-step like a tango dancer. They took the lies and fear spewed by Bush and amplified it hundred folds.
It was the conversion of the Neocons, Cheney, Corporate and Oil interests that led an intellectually-deficient President to the current chiastic state we are in today. Now the guy is gone, the current and future generations will scramble to clean the mess. I hope that we have learned a lesson.
Mr Corn
I love your analogies. you said perfectly. Every time I see George Bush I will get so depressed I turn T.V. off. This man brought shame and missery to this country. From his economic policy to his foreign policy. Lot of people have died because of his judgements and so many people lost their house and end up to be homeless in this country.
While millions voted for Bush in 2000, MORE people voted for Gore. As far as the second time, Bush and his cronies lied; the right wing bloviators spew the fear-mongering talking points; and spineless mainstream media never held W.'s feet to the fire They were stenographers, not journalists. Plus as the London Times headline said the say after the 2004 election, "How can (the # of people who voted for Bush) be so wrong?" Or was it "stupid"? Let me ask you....Why were Bush and his policy failures so roundly defeated on November 4th?
Worst president EVER!! It's pathetic how the right-wingers on this comment page still try to defend the worst 8 years of most of our lives! Funny how you idiots clamor about less government until you actually need it's help, then you over-spend us into a depression. Remember the surplus? See ya later, rightie. It's been a hoot.
I'm thrilled to see W go. He is being replaced by someone who can motivate and inspire a country deeply in trouble. Let's look toward the future and hope that the new president can turn the USA toward a healing position.
Simple ignorance
Bush will make his real farewell address when he makes his first post-presidency speech to his true constituency: the richest 1%. They'll give him standing ovations and hugs and he'll tell a few jokes and everyone will get them. They will make him feel appreciated like no other group can. Look for it happening in March in some golf club outside of Houston.
obama has got the rule,and the change
Obama making it happen 100 days blackcoptermedia.com, is new and hot fresh new ideas just like the new regime in Washington!
You forgot Torture, Illegal Wire Taps, Illegal Imprisonment, Outing of CIA agents married to people with opposing views....
Everyone keeps giving w a pass on his false claim that america has not been attacked in 7 years since 9/11. I would bet that a lot of americans in Iraq or Afghanistan or anyother place where an act of terror took place and an american was killed or wounded would disagree.
But the biggest lie and pass to me is that no one seems to think that what is finanically happening right here in the country, here and now, is an attack against america by homegrown american financial terrorists. But I bet before all is said and done more and more people will recognize the financial disaster we live in IS an attack on america. And I am sure I have heard it said by the w & dick show that the threat to america is also the threat to our economy. Well?
In four years, when it's Obama's turn to leave office and make his farewell speech to the nation, I can only hope people will be kinder to him than they have been to President Bush. Was Bush a great president, another Lincoln or Jefferson, Washington or Reagan? No, probably not. Did he do his best to always follow his conscience and to do what he thought was in the best interest of the country? Yes, I believe so. The evidence is clear that, even when unpopular, he still stayed the course. To be a true leader, one needs to be prepared to be unpopular. Lincoln understood that. So did Reagan and Bush. Obama still needs to learn it, which is why, I suspect, he will never be counted a true leader.
Clint Green,
Where have you been for the last 8 years?!
"Bush failed because in the end it was all about him [(narcissistic personality disorder)]"
Frank Rich. (2009, January 3). A President Forgotten but Not Gone. The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04rich.html?partner=permalink&...
Frank Rich says it so well.
Ultimately, George W. Bush is a failure because it was all about him.
Had Bush developed empathy skills and learned or constructively aspired to care about the interests and positions of other people, he would not have gone down in history as the worst U.S. president ever.
That Bush's presidency was entirely about Bush is utterly sickening.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
Hate is such an inadequate word for my feelings about George Bush (either one). He destroyed the world but will not admit he did.
Hectic Capiznon Bloggers 2009
Following.. good to see more people here!
Great article about flats.
Great article about flats.
http://www.thebuildingdirectory.com.au/
nice posting very interesting topics.... tnx for this post...