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Bush's Farewell Address: Still Delusional After All These Years
Thursday night's valedictory speech was quintessential Bush: delusional from beginning to end.
He made Afghanistan sound like a swell place to take a vacation when, in truth, only those with a death wish venture out these days without an armed convoy.
He lauded Iraq as "a friend of the United States" -- without ever mentioning the fact that if Iraq has a BFF it is Iran, not America.
He said his Medicare prescription drug plan "is bringing peace of mind to seniors." Hardly. It's been widely derided as a poorly conceived, chaotic mess.
He claimed that, on his watch America's "air, water, and lands are measurably cleaner." Who is doing the measuring, the same eco-unfriendly companies to which he handed both his environmental policies and our public lands? This is a man whose administration refused to open emails from its own EPA because they contained information about greenhouse gas emissions that are endangering public health.
In a particularly jaw-dropping moment, Bush asserted that when people "live in freedom, they do not willingly choose leaders who pursue campaigns of terror" -- a remarkable claim given the fact that Hamas, which has kinda been in the news lately, has leaders who "pursue campaigns of terror" and were willingly chosen by people given the freedom to elect who they wanted.
Another striking moment was watching the great pride the president took in saying that even though we might not have liked all of his decisions, we have to admit that he "was willing to make the tough decisions." The Crawford Cowboy to the end.
Yes, he made tough decisions... but what is the value in that if the decisions you make are consistently wrong? And Bush has made the wrong decisions again and again and again.
He was wrong about Iraq and Saddam and WMD. He was wrong to take his eye off the ball on Afghanistan. He was wrong about tax cuts being the answer to our economic woes. He was wrong about Wall Street being able to regulate itself. He was wrong about Katrina. He was wrong about torture. He was wrong about extraordinary rendition. He was wrong about warrantless wiretapping. He was wrong about Gitmo. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The speech was spin at its most dangerous. It's easy to feel a pang of pity for a guy who was on top so long and is now heading out the door. But the more sympathy he evokes, the more susceptible we are to the lies he is telling. Before we know it, his revisionism becomes accepted as the truth.
So if there was any value in the speech it was this: it should remind us of the importance of refusing to allow this delusional revisionism to stand.
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Bush's Farewell Address
WASHINGTON — Unpopular but unbowed, President George W. Bush defended his tumultuous two terms in a farewell address to the nation Thursday night, claiming a...
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Bush's Farewell Address: Obama Election A "Moment Of Hope"
WASHINGTON — Unpopular but unbowed, President George W. Bush defended his tumultuous two terms in a farewell address to the nation Thursday night, claiming a...
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Bush Farewell Address (TEXT)
President George Bush gave his final primetime address to the nation on Thursday, January 15th. Below are a copy of his prepared remarks. Also check...
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Hamas Rejects Israeli Cease-Fire Demands
Hamas will not accept Israeli conditions for a cease-fire in Gaza and would continue armed resistance until the offensive ends, Khaled Meshal, the leader of...
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Bush's Final Gift: Gaza
Just when we thought it was impossible for the calamitous George Bush and Svengali Dick Cheney to do any more damage to the world or...
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Bush's Original Farewell Address Leaked to Press
I beenz Precedent of The United over 8 to 10 yearz gone bye. I haz fun to be Precedent of y'all, even immegrantz, but not gayz. Here is my list of favorites, all favoritez, for you.
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Evidence Grows That Israel is Using White Phosphorus in Gaza
Today, at least two UN officials have flatly declared that three or more white phosphorous shells were part of the attack today that set a UN building and compound ablaze in Gaza City.
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A Grand Opportunity for a Global President
Expectations for Obama are high and no where more than in the Muslim World that has seen the past decade marked by a threatened Clash of Civilizations between it and the West.
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Hamas and the Death of a Better Future
To me, Gaza is personal. As an Israeli infantry officer, I served in Gaza before, during, and after the 2005 Disengagement.
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What Bush Left Out of His Flat Farewell
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?
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Obama, It's Time to Stop the Arms Gifts to Israel and Egypt
It's time for us to question the wisdom of ripping apart a country, or a territory as the case may be, in the name of snuffing out a militant group.
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The 2009 Slantie Awards
Since 2004, my website, ConWebWatch, has given out the Slantie Awards, which highlight the year's worst reporting and most outrageous statements in the right-wing media....
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Kucinich to Introduce Gaza Ceasefire Resolution -- Who Will Co-Sponsor?
It's great that Dennis is on the floor of the House telling the truth. But it's terrible for the prospects of changing disastrous U.S. policies towards the Palestinians for Dennis to be standing alone.
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You're No Harry Truman
President Bush apparently wants to be compared to President Harry Truman, who was also very unpopular when he left office. But Mr. Bush, you are no Harry Truman.
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A Jew's Prayer for the Children of Gaza
In this day, when the trepidation and rage and mourning that is called war, seizes our hearts and patches them in scars, we call to you, the Lord whose name is Peace.
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Who Was President on 9/11?
To Republicans, everything for George W. Bush begins on 9/12. It's really the most glaring insult of Bush's rehabilitation tour.
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Gaza and the Obama Effect -- Ending the War
It might be pushing the envelope to call Obama the peacemaker here, but it's hard to deny that his impending entrance to the world stage has an effect.
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Gaza, Qaddafi, And Starbucks
Along with the images of bloodied children, scenes of destruction and carnage in Gaza, debates on Arab disunity have increased in the Arab media.
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What Is the Difference Between Bravery and Courage?
The most critical element needed for peace is true courage: courage to withstand public criticism, and courage to take responsibility for our own wrongdoings, to learn from them and to change.
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Bin Laden's Message in the Era of Obama
The release of yet another tape from Osama Bin Laden Wednesday serves as a reminder of the many leftover issues Barack Obama will inherit from the Bush administration.
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Tanks for the memories
It was rush hour in Gaza and the tanks were bumper-to-bumper. I won't bother blogging about the current conflict in Gaza. The topic is so...
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Its been only one week of the Obama administration and already the nation sees his lack of experience. Jobs are being lost, the economy is in the tank, people are losing hope, Congress has no real leadership. But I am now remembering how much fun it is to tease those who take this stuff so serious.
Last Saturday I asked a team mate in my local bowling league, a staunch Republican who voted for McCain, what he thought about Bush now he was leaving office.
His conclusion: "It is a good job Cheney did not die under Bush's presidency or the nation would have had no leadership at all!" I also know him well enough to be certain that he does not agree with Cheney's position on most matters, Republican though he is.
When I related this story to my son he said: "Dad, you both missed the point. It is hugely important that Bush did not die in office! President Cheney would have been even worse!"
For the record I consider Bush a bumbling, incompetent fool but not evil. The evil behind the Bush years was Cheney.
. . . and who could forget " Terrorism" and "Terrorist" five or six more times. A life long Neoconservative invoking thr Boogie Man one last time. We have nothing to fear but Bush one more day !
See Joseph A. Palermo's Profile
I was channel surfing and caught one phrase from Bush that night: "America must maintain its moral clarity." (or something similar) -- I had time only to quickly change the channel and thank the cosmos that I won't have to look at this specimen any longer.
Yea, Bush claimed he made the "tough decisions" while exercising "moral clarity." His kind of "leadership" tries to exploit the collective lack of memory, so it's important for us to remember. How many times has this man taken credit for being a "tax cutter"? A lot, right. Well, how can he take credit for being a tax cutter when he never balanced any budgets?! Can the average head of a household take credit for cutting household expenses if he doesn't pay the utility bills one month? Of course not! Because he'll just have to pay twice as much the next month.
And of course, Bush's "tax cuts" are just going to be added to the four trillion dollar's worth of debt that his administration has passed on to future generations of taxpayers. That's not making "tough decisions" with "moral clarity." That's avoiding making the tough choices and then lying about it! Bush leaves office as a liar and a moral coward!
Tax cuts increased Gov. revenue Do your homework next time
The day Bush leaves office should be made a national holiday.
Bush was supposed to have graduated in the bottom forth of his high school class
and was just as mediocre in college.
He was supposed to have been mediocre at most everything he did in his life.
"The Economist" had an article about nepotism and Ivey League schools
that said 10 to 25 percent of the students are there only because of their
family wealth and connections and they didn't meet the SAT and GPA
requirements. Thats probably how Bush went to Yale.
Considering his past it is not suprising that he was a mediocre president.
Bush was not a mediocre president. Carter was a mediocre president.
Far from being mediocre, Bush was the WORST president in US history.
... and he should be tried in a court of law!
Under Bush, 4300 American troops are dead for a pack of outright lies. Many times that number are maimed for life and suffereing from PTSD. All becuase of Bush lies.
But let us not forget if it were not for Bush, the Oil companies and War Profitiers would not have done as well as they did.
The Mission was most definately accomplished... look at how many Bush cronies profited handsomly from 9/11, and the Illegal Occupation if Iraq.
Capitalism as work.
As I watched his speech I too thought that this man is delusional and I was angry when I thought about all of the young men and women that were sent to war, for the ones that died and those that are maimed for life..... I tried to think of who benefited and yes of course it is the oil companies .. his cronies.... and let us not forget Haliburton.
This isn't capitalism at work, it is nepotism at work.
In true capitalism, the state regulates trade and commerce, it doesn't hand out lucrative contracts to the buddies of the people who rigged an election in order to gain power.
The problem isn't capitalism, it is that people in power bend the rules and manipulate the system to their benefit.
Liberals claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war. They complain about his prosecution of it. One liberal recently claimed Bush was the worst president.
Let's clear up one point: We didn't start the war on terror. Try to remember, it was started by terrorists BEFORE 9/11.
Let's look at "worse" presidents
FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.
Truman finished that war and started one in Korea, North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,333 per year.
John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.
Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent, Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.
In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Lybia, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. We lost 600 soldiers, an average of 300 a year. Bush did all this abroad while not allowing another terrorist attack at home.
Worst president in history? Come on!
'Delusional' ideas are necessarily erroneous or lacking in rational support. Having delusions is always unfortunate, but is definately not always derogatory.
"Bush has made the wrong decisions again and again and again"
This says more than meets the eye. What it really says to me is that Bush was incapable of growing with the job. Now that his 8 years are behind him he seems relieved that he can hand the job off to somebody else. To say that Bush was in over his head is a gross understatement. Why did Bush even want the job in the first place. It had to be painfully clear to him that he wasn't up to the task. So what drove him to make such a fool of himself. This is something that will be studied for years.
Dallas: why Bush wanted the job is the same reason that Palin agreed to be McCain's V-P. Two totally unqualified people who were too stupid, craven, ignorant - or just plain power-crazed - to even care whether or not they were qualified. Amassing power and wealth is all these narcissistic sociopaths want - the rest of society, and the world, be damned!!
Does anyone really think that Bush was the one making all those decisions? When you have people like Cheney, Karl Rove, all your Daddy's friends, telling you you should run because they know that you can win, it must be pretty convincing. They didn't care if he could do the job, they were going to do it for him anyway. It was a way for the right to re-gain power. Bush was the puppet and there were quite a few puppetmasters. And he is probably not bright enough to truly care.
I think George Bush thinks he made all those decisions. The Triumvirate (Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld) were very skillful at not telling George what to do, but limiting and presenting the information he got so their choice seemed the only obvious one. Reinforced by constant ideological conversations to fill in the gaping holes in Bush's knowledge base, of course.
Outright treason aside, I think tat the worst thing any president can do is take us into a war that could have been avoided. Our soldiers have always been wonderful. I hope Iraq becomes a good cause. I am horrified to think that it may not and those precious lives of US and Iraqi citizens may have died in vain. I know a woman whose son died in Iraq and I well up whenever I see her. We may never know if the decision was right ,but we do know how it was sold to the US. That will always be GWB's cross to bear. His tenure has been loaded with tragedy. The Dixie Chicks were vilified and even threatened. Dan Rather's career was ruined. Reputations of Tom Dashle, Saxby Chamblis and John Kerry called into question. Outing of Valerie Plame, Hatfield writes Fortunate Son, critical of Bush including a cocaine arrest and commits suicide after DoJ finds ways to 3 strikes you're out him. George just go away, don't attach yourself to any post service causes we want to see you no more.
In discussions with my conservative friends, they always use the "he kept us safe" argument but it starts to fall apart when you remind them he was prez when we were attacked. The next remark is usually "it's all clinton's fault" for not going after bin laden when he had the chance, which I then remind them that the 1. the repub congress wouldn't let him back then, and 2. they had intel months before 9/11 that bin laden was going to attack using airplanes full of fuel. The next remark is usually along the lines of "sputter sputter clinton sputter dems sputter clinton sputter". It works like that with the Iraq invasion argument to, like, "we thought he had WMDs" to "at least Bush did something", nevermind it had nothing to do with 9/11. It gets tiresome arguing facts vs. propaganda.
I agree, most Bush supporters are delusional. However, I haven't actually heard anything that makes sense from the democrats either in the last 8 years. For most of those eight years, they were standing behind Bush. As a moderate, I have been wholly disappointed by the right and the left, and have decided that there are few people in power who can actually lead us anywhere worth going.
Certainly most Democrats have been, as George would say, "disappointments" over the last eight years. The problem, though, is that they were trying to be "moderate". Well, there was stupidity and cowardice involved, too, but the philosophical cover was the old Clintonian mantra that they would lose votes if they got too far out of the "mainstream". Instead, they managed to lose a country's soul (and, more importantly, bank account).
Did you get a chance to read Bob Barr's Libertarian platform?
You left out the part where they blame Carter.
I hope and pray this never happens again..and shouldn't if people are doing their jobs..but if Americans are attacked on our soil..we'll see who's delusional..it will be on Obamas shoulders period. No excuses..no cover-ups..nada..That is his first priority.period..
Al Qaeda is about due for another strike, so we can't say it won't happen. The Iraqi have invited us to leave, and the most conservative people have to be weary of that war. I do feel we should make some efforts to sustain Iraqi independence rather than let it be partitioned among Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia, but what we have to say about it once we leave I don't know.
The Afghan War is another problem. The Taliban is back and even besieging Kabul. Our strategic goal is simply to kill bin Laden. The Afghan government, like any Quisling government, is fundamentally corrupt. This was the place where a major British army was utterly massacred in "Auckland's Folly." Our withdrawal from Afghanistan (and the withdrawal from Iraq) have to be conducted with supreme military security.
The pointlessness and misconduct of the Bush wars are appalling. What ever happened to declaring victory and pulling out when you win?
Allow me to remind you - this is a replay of Vietnam from 30 ago, if you have the recollection...
Victory in Iraq? Ha ha ha!!! Who was dumb enough to take these words seriously, I wonder? It meant Victory for Halliburton, Bechtel and the rest of the big contractors and oil companies. The so-called "fabric" of the economy of America...
Will you buy the "it just happened on my watch" line that Bush gives?
Goodbye to all of that. And may Bush's final moment as president be one of unity, for a change... http://bushbash09.com/
I am sick and tired of hearing how under GWB the country has not had a terrorist
attack for seven years, and that his administration has kept the nation safe for seven
years. This is absolutely the wrong way to view what actually took place:
Our great nation WAS attacked during the watch of GWB. He failed to
prevent us from harm even though there were prior warnings. Period.
Stop the nonsense.
Arianna, great post! When I was done watching Bush's speech I came away feeling that all I heard was "blah blah blah blah ...." You know, like the way the adults spoke in the old Charlie Brown cartoons. So I'm very glad that you pointed out specifics with what is wrong with his speech.
Bush is beyond delusional. And the really pathetic thing about him is that he probably sincerely believes he did good for the country. He also continues to believe that telling a lie many times over it will become truth - which is why he continues to lie even during his farewell speech.
I'm so glad he's gone and out of here.
I think he is delusional enough that he doesn't realize that it is a lie.
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