If you think our President is out of touch with reality, his rubber-stamp Congress is even more insulated from the average American. The people's representatives have become such a crony kleptocracy dedicated to the rich, they didn't even notice Randy "Duke" Cunningham driving to work from his yacht in a Rolls Royce. Out of touch with us, our leaders are putting us out of step with the rest of the world. Recently, the world noticed us walk out on them because the planet's biggest polluter (us) didn't want to join in the global effort to do something about global warming. Bush's people argued, yet again, whether there is a problem in the first place and wanted to postpone any action until 2012.
While the fate of the earth is on a slow burn, we sure are busy frying people. Although the rest of the civilized world has long abandoned capital punishment, the world's champion of freedom and human rights finds itself in the disgraceful company of despotic regimes like China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea. But we're not like them, we don't torture. Or maybe we do, but only under extraordinary circumstances, even though it is not our policy. Condoleeza Rice just set our European a llies straight on that unfortunate issue dominating the agenda. As if we didn't stand for something other than torture.
Could this disconnect have something to do with our leader? In 2000 the rest of the world gave us a break because George W. Bush was not really elected, at least in any recognizable democratic way. But in 2004 the distinction between the American government and the American people went away and, while they may not hate us as much as they hate Bush, they hold us responsible for his leadership.
We own a man who never knew an average American until he was born-again and could pray with a plumber, equal under God, but once outside God's house, not have to do what Jesus would do. Rendering unto the inheritors and investors he represents, Bush's legacy will be that he made the rich richer and the poor poorer.
This is a man who, before he became leader of the free world, had no interest in it. Having only crossed into Mexico and spent a few days in Israel and Rome visiting his daughter. A man who ignored his Allies and his father's warnings and, according to one of the world's leading military historians and strategists, Dr. Martin Van Crewald of Hebrew University, plunged the U.S. into "the most foolish war since Emperor Augustus in 9 B.C. sent his legions into Germany and lost them." Van Crewald's book, "Transformation of War," is required reading for officers in the U.S. Army.
This is a man who thought he'd grab cheap energy to feed our addiction, but instead has placed at risk most of the world's oil reserves by unleashing a regional civil war between Sunni and Shia. Rewarding the Islamo/Fascists in Iran who ARE getting nuclear weapons, while destroying a secular regime who didn't have them, or ties to al Qaeda. But now jihadis are flocking to their new recruiting ground in Iraq that Bush has created. A man who has fulfilled the sick vision of the 9/11 attackers, rewarding an ideology of hate with facts on the ground. A crusader army occupying oil-rich Arab lands, killing Muslim innocents.
The only remaining question, as we wait for Bin Laden to set the price of oil and stock up on candles, IS - was Bush's war of choice, not necessity, a deliberate provocation to a clash of civilizations, OR the reckless endangerment of humanity from greed, hubris, ignorance and incompetence? Is he deliberately putting Armageddon on the fast track, or is he just a spoiled, insecure frat-brat, out of his depth, manipulated by a power-hungry cabal and beguiled by a cult of utopian foreign policy amateurs?
Or, could it be, that George W. Bush is the antichrist?