George W. Bush

Most Significant Years Since 1945: 1968, 1989, 2001 And Now 2017

Ronald Leave a comment

When historians look back at the year 2017, they will agree that this year of Donald Trump, and the tumult and disarray it has engendered, will make 2017 a path breaking year in American history.

Every year is significant in some way or other, but 2017 will join four other years since the end of World War II as a turning point year, with the inauguration of Donald Trump, and the tumultuous events leading to the possible removal of Trump sometime in 2018 or beyond, due to the criminal activities of the President and many of his cabinet officers.

1945, the end of World War II, the atomic bombing of Japan, the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the evolution of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, will always stand as an especially pivotal year.

1968, the year of assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, of the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War which caused the withdrawal of Lyndon B. Johnson from the Presidential race, the disarray and tumult in America over civil rights and Vietnam, the election of Richard Nixon, has long been considered an historic year.

1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe, the Tienanmen Square Massacre in China, and the inauguration of George H. W. Bush make that year historic.

2001, the year of the September 11 attacks which made us aware that we were no longer safe from worldwide terrorism, and the inauguration and crisis leadership short term of George W. Bush after a highly contested 2000 Presidential election, also always seen as a turning point year.

Presidents Who Were Most Prolific Authors In Life Or After Their Deaths

Ronald Leave a comment

The issue of the intellectual prowess of Presidents is a significant one, in a time of a President who does not display much intellectual interest or talents.

Of course, ability to write and communicate in diaries or in books is not the only area of competence for a President, but we are fortunate that so many Presidents contributed to our nation in their writings.

First, however, is which Presidents did NOT contribute any significant writings in print or in diaries, although many left behind a massive amount of manuscripts, which historians have utilized in their published books on Presidents.

The list would include, chronologically, the following 20 Presidents.

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Rutherford B. Hayes
James A. Garfield
Chester Alan Arthur
William McKinley
William Howard Taft
Warren G. Harding
Franklin D. Roosevelt

A long list of Presidents (24) wrote diaries, Memoirs, or autobiographies, or other published works in their lifetime, or after their deaths, including, chronologically:

John Adams
John Quincy Adams
James K. Polk
James Buchanan
Ulysses S. Grant
Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Harry Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Donald Trump

Of all of these 24 who contributed published works, only a few, however, were voluminous, substantial, and could be described as prolific.

John Quincy Adams, with his 69 year diary in 48 volumes, would be one such case.

James K. Polk. with his 4 volume diary, would be another.

Theodore Roosevelt was extremely active as an author, and Woodrow Wilson was an active academic, which explains his large amount of publishing.

Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and Jimmy Carter, all with long retirements, were prolific, and Carter has continued to be so.

Barack Obama is expected to join this group of prolific authors, and had two books before his Presidency, similar to John F. Kennedy, who clearly would have contributed more, had he not been assassinated.

So this is a summary of the literary intellectual life of our 44 Presidents!

The Basic Tenets Of Democracy–Truth And Trust–Lacking In Trump Presidency

Ronald 15 Comments

The basic tenets of democracy are a promotion of the truth instead of constant lies, and a trust in the leadership of government, that who is in power can be seen as acceptable to have power.

On both counts, Donald Trump fails miserably.

The man tells more lies than any President or any political figure in American history.

He refuses to admit any errors or mistakes, and never apologizes.

He cannot tolerate opposition, which is basic to any democracy.

He terrifies millions of Americans, who are fearful of the effect he is having on our system of government, and sense that he is going to lead us into World War III.

He consorts with dictators in Egypt, Turkey, the Philippines, Russia, and elsewhere, and overtly praises the strong man leadership in nations, while attacking our allies in democracies.

He is dismissive of women, and one can see that his mixed relations with Great Britain and Germany are due to their having women leaders, Theresa May and Angela Merkel.

He is on the way to being rated the absolutely worst President in American history, and raising the image of failed or terrible Presidents, including Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, Andrew Johnson, James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, and Warren G. Harding.

Donald Trump is a menace to American democracy and world peace and order.

Five Presidents Of Both Parties, 40 Years, And Unity, As Compared To Donald Trump’s Divisiveness

Ronald 13 Comments

That was quite a scene on Saturday night in College Station, Texas, at the George H W Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Texas A & M University.

Five former Presidents–two Republicans (Bush and his son George H W Bush) and three Democrats (Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama)—representing all of the Presidents since 1977 except for Ronald Reagan, were together raising relief funds for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria.

All five had been rivals–Carter vs the senior Bush’s boss, Reagan–Bush Sr vs Clinton—Bush Jr critical of Clinton when he ran against his Vice President, Al Gore in 2000—Obama critical of Bush Jr when he ran in 2008 to succeed him—Carter and Clinton both critics of Obama during his Presidential run and years in office—but they all came together and unified in a manner that Donald Trump is incapable of accomplishing.

All five former Presidents were far from perfect in office, but they all had high levels of popularity at some point, unlike Donald Trump.

Carter and the Senior Bush lost reelection, while the other three won and completed second terms, the first time we had three Presidents in a row finish eight years in office since Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe from 1801-1825.

We have had five former Presidents alive now for the fourth time in American history—1861-1862 for ten and a half months under Abraham Lincoln, until John Tyler died in January 1862, with one of the five former Presidents, Martin Van Buren, living to see eight future Presidents take the oath office—1993-1994 under Bill Clinton for 15 months until Richard Nixon died in April 1994—2001-2004 under George W. Bush for three years and four and a half months until June 2004 when Ronald Reagan died in June 2004.

With the miraculous accomplishment that George H W Bush has passed Ronald Reagan’s age, and will pass Gerald Ford’s age on November, and that Jimmy Carter, three and a half months younger than Bush, has also reached 93, and seems in better health than Bush, although has cancer in remissions, one wonders if it is possible that both Bush and Carter might last longer than June 2020, which would make the longest period of five living former Presidents, with Bush and Carter both being 96 in the year 2020.

That would be an amazing situation, and of course, were Donald Trump to leave office by impeachment, the 25th Amendment Section 4 utilization, or resignation, then we would have for the first time ever a total of SIX former Presidents of the United States alive and well at the same time frame!

Former Presidents George W. Bush And Barack Obama Come Out Against Trump, And Bush, Sr., Bill Clinton, And Jimmy Carter Are Also Opponents

Ronald 1 Comment

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both made speeches on Thursday, denouncing the policies and mentality of the Trump Presidency, but without mentioning his name.

Bush has never criticized his successor, Barack Obama, but he is clearly, along with his brother Jeb, and his parents George HW and Barbara Bush, willing to speak out against the nativism, nationalism, isolationism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump.

Obama has avoided direct attacks, but spoke in a similar vein as Bush.

Their opposition has been joined with utterances by Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and indirectly by the elder Bushes.

So all five living former Presidents have become critics of a man who has strongly attacked all of them.

And all five former Presidents are co-sponsors of a hurricane relief concert for the benefit of the victims in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. All five will be attending the Texas A & M concert this evening, and that will make for a rare photo of five living former Presidents, which has only been accomplished three times before–1861-1862 during the Civil War and the early Presidency of Abraham Lincoln; 1993-1994 in the first year of the Bill Clinton Presidency; and 2001-2004 during the second Bush Administration.

Additionally, all five former living Presidents will be with their wives, five former First Ladies—Rosalyn Carter, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama, an amazing development, since both the older Bush and Carter are now 93, and their wives are 92 and 90, respectively.

They are adding to their stature, as responsible and statesmanlike, something that Donald Trump is incapable of accomplishing.

The Urgency Of Gun Control Legislation To Stop “War Zone” Syndrome, And Save Multitude Of Lives, While Preserving Reasonable Gun Rights

Ronald 1 Comment

The shock of the Las Vegas Massacre, following the Orlando Pulse Massacre, the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre, and so many others, demands the attention of Congress, as the urgency of gun control legislation presents itself.

We must stop the “War Zone” Syndrome that has led to more deaths by domestic terrorists than on September 11, if one counts all the death since 2001.

No one is saying that the Second Amendment should be destroyed, although it is clear that the Founding Fathers did not intend for all citizens to have firearms, as the amendment discusses a “well regulated militia”, and not the concept of everyone carrying firearms, even those who are mentally ill or have had criminal convictions.

But to demand a return of the Brady Bill, named after Ronald Reagan’s Press Secretary, James Brady, permanently disabled by the Assassination attempt against Reagan in 1981, but not renewed under George W. Bush in 2004, is not to ask too much.

To demand that background checks be done on gun purchasers; that loopholes that allow people to buy weapons online and at Walmarts and at gun shows without any search about their backgrounds be ended; that mentally disturbed people not be allowed to purchase weapons; and that the concept of allowing the expansion of gun silencers legislation, allowing gun owners to be able to fire at will without any sound being made for the potential victims to be aware of the sounds so they could duck or evade; or other reasonable measures, should be seen as sensible.

We have the highest gun violence rate of any Western civilized nation, comparing to Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and we must work to lower the death rate from suicide as well as violence against innocent civilians.

This should not be a partisan issue, as the Republicans, as well as the Democrats, need to see the issue of public safety as their major responsibility, and the National Rifle Association and its despicable leadership including Wayne La Pierre, who only are concerned with profits, must be defeated in their effect on our government policies.

All kinds of activities are licensed in our society, and guns need to be regulated in a responsible manner.

The Urgent, Required Need To Rebuild Puerto Rico And The US Virgin Islands As A “Marshall Plan”

Ronald 2 Comments

America has a major challenge that it has no choice but to meet in a committed and responsible manner.

That is, we MUST spend whatever it takes in public funds to rebuild two of our territories–the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands– both decimated by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria within the last two weeks.

The population of these two island nation territories are US citizens, nearly 3.7 million and a bit over 100,000 respectively.

There has been total destruction, and what is now needed is a “Marshall Plan”, similar to what the Unites States invested in the rebuilding of Western Europe after World War II.

There is no way to evade this responsibility, but we also must realize that the likelihood of a mass migration to the US mainland is likely, as it will take years to rebuild.

And many who migrate will decide to remain permanently in North America, and that is their right as US Citizens, as they are NOT immigrants.

Expect Florida in particular to be dramatically affected by growth in Puerto Rican migration, which has been rapidly increasing in recent years, particularly in the Orlando area of Central Florida.

We must greet and welcome these citizens as they come to the mainland, and do whatever we can, as individuals, to smooth the transition of people, who in many cases, are shell shocked by the horrible experiences they have had in these past two weeks.

We cannot allow the Republican Congress to ignore this plight, and for Donald Trump to bully these newcomers as a group of mostly Hispanic immigrants, and more important than tax cuts for the wealthy, is to impose tax increases on those best able to afford it, and who have had such massive tax breaks by legislation passed under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

Time For Direct And Massive Federal Action After Hurricane Harvey

Ronald 7 Comments

The horrible disaster of Hurricane Harvey demands direct and massive federal action, including tens of billions of dollars to rebuild ravaged Houston, the fourth largest city in America, as well as nearby areas that have been devastated.

The idea that charity and local efforts will be enough is preposterous, and Congress must do whatever needs to be done.

It is time for wealthier Americans to do their part, after having gained massive tax cuts under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

Instead of tax cuts once again, which Donald Trump wants for the wealthy, they must have their taxes increased dramatically, as they were in World War II, and also the higher rates under Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s and Richard Nixon in the 1970s, both Republican Presidents.

They can complain all they wish, as that is the American tradition, but they have been very fortunate, and already own the vast majority of the nation’s assets, and it is now their responsibility to do their part, and to thank the nation for their good fortune, also accentuated by the tax cuts in the 1980s and 2000s that greatly distorted the class system in America, and made this nation more stratified than Great Britain.

And corporations must pay the taxes they are responsible for, instead of lobbying constantly for special treatment.

Unfortunately, with a GOP Congress, they may not come through for Houston and Southeast Texas, and if they do not, that is the campaign issue for the Democrats in the midterm Congressional elections of 2018 and the Presidential and Congressional elections of 2020, including on the state level.

Donald Trump: The Liar Of All Liars, The Most In Presidential History!

Ronald 1 Comment

It is true that it is part of human nature that all of us lie in our daily lives.

We lie when we do not want to be honest about someone’s clothes, appearance or our private thoughts about them, when we are in their presence.

We lie at work, to get along with fellow employees, and to avoid antagonizing our supervisors, as we wish to avoid tension, and danger to our livelihood.

We lie, when we try to influence our teachers and professors, hoping to gain a better grade in a class.

We lie when we deal with relatives in order to keep the peace.

We lie when we have friends we do not wish to lose over minor disagreements.

In many other situations, we lie, as we pursue romantic interests.

So it is “normal” to lie, but hopefully, none of this lying is serious lying that undermines our protection of ourselves in society.

Hopefully, we are not lying to the extent that others can see right through our lies, and where our moral and ethical standing is compromised to our detriment.

Hopefully, we are not lying where it causes harm or even more to anyone, in the name of our own ambition.

But then there is Donald Trump, who is, the liar of all liars, the most in Presidential history by far!

Dwight D. Eisenhower lied about the U-2 Spy Plane Incident in 1960.

Lyndon B. Johnson lied about the Vietnam War in 1967.

Richard Nixon lied about the Watergate Scandal in 1973-1974.

Bill Clinton lied about the Monica Lewinsky Affair in 1998.

George W. Bush lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction in 2003.

All of these lies were horrendous, and undermined the record and reputation of the Presidents involved.

But none of these Presidents lied so early in his term, and not at the rate of five lies per day as an average, as shown by an analysis done by the New York Times of the first six months.

Donald Trump has lied about just about everything imaginable, much of it where he knows that we know he is lying, but he is incorrigible.

Donald Trump has made an art of lying, and carries along with him one third of the American people, who seem not to care, or simply be ignorant enough that they do not understand he is lying.

And this lying is going on with no major crisis having yet arisen, but much going on internally which we do not know about, due to national security, but will undermine our nation once we become aware of what Trump and his advisers are perpetrating that will cost American lives, and make the lives of millions of others worsen dramatically, due to the disease of lying excessively.

With only 24 percent trusting him, and 73 percent not trusting him in the latest CNN poll, Donald Trump has lost all credibility.

Donald Trump has become a massive liar, the liar of all liars, a chronic and habitual liar, a disease that undermines any possibility of success in his Presidency.

America On Verge Of Massive Tragedy Caused By Donald Trump Incompetence, With No Clue To What It Will Be!

Ronald Leave a comment

In the midst of the incompetence of Donald Trump, one can sense that America is on the verge of a massive tragedy we are not yet aware of.

Every Presidency is faced with challenges and crises that determine the historical record of that President.

So as September 11 would have a dramatic effect on the reputation of George W. Bush; the Monica Lewinsky scandal affect the Bill Clinton legacy; and the Affordable Care Act determine the image of Barack Obama, the question is what challenge or crisis will mark the Donald Trump legacy, other than the scandal regarding Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, now proved by the revelation of emails and meetings between Donald Trump, Jr and his brother in law Jared Kushner with Russian agents, regarding the 2016 Presidential election campaign.

Now we learn of an unreported meeting of Trump with Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit dinner in Germany, in full view of other national leaders, but with Trump alone with Putin and a Russian to translate for Putin, but no one else on the American side with Trump. What in the world was going on? This only adds to the image of Russian collusion, with a President not able to be tracked as to what he was doing at that dinner meeting.

Will it be war with North Korea; or a crisis in relations with Iran; or major alienation with NATO allies; or further tensions with China or Russia; or Trump attempts to destroy civil liberties and civil rights in a manner which promotes open conflict and bloodshed in America?

We have no idea at this point, but a major crisis in either foreign or domestic affairs seems imminent, with a damaged, and mentally unstable Presidency in our midst!

Donald Trump is clueless, ignorant, “out to lunch”, lazy, taking no interest in what is going on in Congress, just interested to sign his name, and display it to the gathered audience!

We have a child, not very bright or motivated, who is leader of the free world, and the world and the nation are in deep trouble, about to get worse!