The Burning Bush
Political pundits and bullish bloggers have had a great time over the last 6 years with our President. I have enjoyed the clips of his Bush-isms but as the years rolled on, especially after September 11 (Sorry, but I refuse to call it 9/11 for the sake of having a clever retrospective buzzword), the coverage turned nasty- WMD doubts, troop safety, Patriot Act, and most of all Bush’s perceived reckless and ‘above the law’ attitude towards National Security.
Although I am still waiting for a fair amount of tritium for my time travel device, I can honestly say that I would vote for G-dub again if I were to travel back to November of his first and second terms. And here’s why:
Bush didn’t win by a landslide; his winning, period, was controversial. He isn’t the most eloquent orator that has ever graced the pressroom at the White House. There is a laundry list of things that could (and do) put him at the top of people’s shit list. But even after all his shortcomings I still have to give the guy props because he is the first president in this hypersensitive and politically correct country to take on the challenge of rebuilding a fledgling nation after an onslaught of attacks we had yet to suffer.
In the submarine force, most of our policies and regulations concerning ship handling and workmanship are written in blood. We owe the safety of our boats to our shipmates who came before us and, through their errors, paid with their lives. The Scorpion, Thresher, Montpelier, Greeneville, and San Francisco gave the submarine community pause. The attacks on us in 2001 gave our country pause.
We learned the hard way that we weren’t ready for such an attack. We had no infrastructure. We are reminded time and time again that we are vulnerable not only to man made disasters but also natural ones. Bush has had a trial by fire initiation into the Presidency and I think he has handled it as well as any man could.
We, as a nation, are developing our own procedures and regulations from the events that have happened in the last 6 years. They are by no means perfect but like Monday-morning-quarterbacks it is easy to sit back and throw criticisms for why this idea worked or why that idea wasn’t entertained. It will take some time to figure this out.
As much as people bash the Republicans and their figurehead there just doesn’t seem to be an antitheses for the Bush haters.
“Bush lied!”
“Bush sucks!”
“Bush this and Bush that!”
Who did the Democrats have in their corner to counter the outlaw cowboy from Texas in 2000 and 2004?
Soggy douche bags.
Our nation, as always during the voting season, was forced to choose (using the eloquent words of Stan, from South Park, Colorado) between a giant douche and a shit sandwich. The Democrats couldn’t, and still haven’t, gotten their shit together. They packaged Kerry up with Botox, 3 Purple Hearts, and fancy clichés in hopes to sway voters from the values Bush seems to honestly embrace. It’s not about packaging or Bush would surely have taken a nosedive considering his hack of the English language.
The Bush haters are gloating like Paris Hilton after a 3-day orgy over Bush’s 29% approval ratings. Big deal; Hillary’s are down too. Both party’s talking heads just aren’t enough any more and after the slim margin of victory in the last election and declining ratings on both sides it appears to me that the American people are looking elsewhere for some political substance. Third parties perhaps? Who knows, but one thing is certain- the People are in want and like a fat kid in a donut shop they will run toward whomever offers the tastiest filling.
Although I am still waiting for a fair amount of tritium for my time travel device, I can honestly say that I would vote for G-dub again if I were to travel back to November of his first and second terms. And here’s why:
Bush didn’t win by a landslide; his winning, period, was controversial. He isn’t the most eloquent orator that has ever graced the pressroom at the White House. There is a laundry list of things that could (and do) put him at the top of people’s shit list. But even after all his shortcomings I still have to give the guy props because he is the first president in this hypersensitive and politically correct country to take on the challenge of rebuilding a fledgling nation after an onslaught of attacks we had yet to suffer.
In the submarine force, most of our policies and regulations concerning ship handling and workmanship are written in blood. We owe the safety of our boats to our shipmates who came before us and, through their errors, paid with their lives. The Scorpion, Thresher, Montpelier, Greeneville, and San Francisco gave the submarine community pause. The attacks on us in 2001 gave our country pause.
We learned the hard way that we weren’t ready for such an attack. We had no infrastructure. We are reminded time and time again that we are vulnerable not only to man made disasters but also natural ones. Bush has had a trial by fire initiation into the Presidency and I think he has handled it as well as any man could.
We, as a nation, are developing our own procedures and regulations from the events that have happened in the last 6 years. They are by no means perfect but like Monday-morning-quarterbacks it is easy to sit back and throw criticisms for why this idea worked or why that idea wasn’t entertained. It will take some time to figure this out.
As much as people bash the Republicans and their figurehead there just doesn’t seem to be an antitheses for the Bush haters.
“Bush lied!”
“Bush sucks!”
“Bush this and Bush that!”
Who did the Democrats have in their corner to counter the outlaw cowboy from Texas in 2000 and 2004?
Soggy douche bags.
Our nation, as always during the voting season, was forced to choose (using the eloquent words of Stan, from South Park, Colorado) between a giant douche and a shit sandwich. The Democrats couldn’t, and still haven’t, gotten their shit together. They packaged Kerry up with Botox, 3 Purple Hearts, and fancy clichés in hopes to sway voters from the values Bush seems to honestly embrace. It’s not about packaging or Bush would surely have taken a nosedive considering his hack of the English language.
The Bush haters are gloating like Paris Hilton after a 3-day orgy over Bush’s 29% approval ratings. Big deal; Hillary’s are down too. Both party’s talking heads just aren’t enough any more and after the slim margin of victory in the last election and declining ratings on both sides it appears to me that the American people are looking elsewhere for some political substance. Third parties perhaps? Who knows, but one thing is certain- the People are in want and like a fat kid in a donut shop they will run toward whomever offers the tastiest filling.
I'm sure the hundreds of innocent people imprisoned at Guantanamo without ever having been charged with a crime or given the opportunity to protest their innocence or challenge their detainment appreciate your support of the man who put them there.
ReplyDeleteNo, I think you are wrong on this one. They probably wouldn’t appreciate it if I was supporting the guy that is keeping them there if they haven’t done anything wrong. It’s kind of like the people on death row who are innocent but are held there awaiting punishment for a crime they didn’t com-- ooooooh, I get it. Your post was sarcastic; another “Bush sucks” reply. I don’t think that bobber even hit the water before you grabbed that one.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the innocent people held in Gitmo- are you talking about these guys? http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041018-124854-2279r.htm
I agree that those innocent people in Gitmo, however many there may be, are getting the raw end of the deal. A friend of mine just returned from a 6-month tour in Gitmo and while he sympathized with the issue he said there are a lot of assholes who do belong there. They are the victims of a knee jerk reaction to a major catastrophe (like when we rounded up all the Japanese after Pearl Harbor, or 12/7 for you trendy types), and after 18+ years in the Navy I know one when I see one. But like I sais in my original post, there are going to be growing pains to this post terror attack nation.
But don’t worry, if a Democrat wins in ’08 rest assured the innocents will be released and all will be right with the world. I’m actually surprised Clinton hasn’t come out with an official apology yet and some sort of reparations plan for those people.
On that note, I wonder why Gitmo has fallen from the media’s eye?
Guantanamo could not possibly have fallen from the media's eye or I wouldn't know about it.
ReplyDeleteYou raise an extremely valid point when you ask what the Democrats can do about it. There isn't an easy answer. Only 10 of the Gitmo detainees have been charged with a crime, out of more than 700 people who were apprehended, spirited halfway across the world and imprisoned in flagrant violation of international and American law. Bush's defense? The law doesn't apply to stateless terrorists. But show me the law that says that. Show me the law that says the Executive branch has exclusive right to determine who has rights and who doesn't.
Presumably hundreds of people, if not thousands, are arrested and processed across the United States every day. I can't accept that in more than four years we couldn't pull together the resources to formally charge these people with crimes and allow them to present a defense.
What do we do with them? Let them go? What if they were indifferent to America before but hate us with a deadly passion after years of unjust imprisonment? Can we pay them reparations? Should we?
I don't know what the solution is. But I do know who started the problem.
Use of the d-word aside, this is beautiful in its own way. What really bothers me is that Andy was unable to think of one nice thing to say about Bush but he had plenty of nice things to say about bin Laden.
ReplyDeleteThe worst is when the Left constantly shouts "Bush is a dummy" like they're a bunch of six year olds. Okay, the guy is no Aristotle, but he has the kind of intelligence that is needed to act as president: Actionable intelligence. It's easy to have a cozy Senate job and talk about ideas that you never see put into action all day, but Bush does a good job of actually getting things done- like stopping terrorist attacks, and for that he deserves credit.
By the way Trickish Knave, how would you like to become a merchant in the Marketplace of Ideas over at little cicero's blog?
ReplyDeleteThe market fee is a recipricol link. What do you say?
I don't know what the solution is. But I do know who started the problem.
ReplyDeleteYeah, yeah, Bush. We get it. I think the hatred of this administration has really affected people's perception of just who started all this shit. It's like watching the Unknown Comic with the sack turned 180 degrees.