George W. Bush

The Continuing Insanity Of War In Iraq And Afghanistan! Enough Sacrifice Of Our Courageous Military!

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President Obama has proclaimed that our involvement in Iraq is ending, and that only 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq after the end of August. Also, the remaining troops will be out by the end of 2011, except for those to provide security for our embassy.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government is in basic paralysis, and the idea that violence has ended and the country is stable seems a mirage!

Meanwhile, Obama has escalated our war in Afghanistan, and the number of casualties of our troops has reached an all time high, with no prospect of success anytime soon, if ever!

We have lost more than 5,000 men and women in the two nations, and close to 40,000 wounded, many severely! Many soldiers have served multiple tours, averaging at four to six, but one having TEN tours of duty over the past nine years!

Meanwhile, suicides have escalated, with 160 in the year ending September 30, 2009, and 32 suicides this past June, an all time record!

Physical and psychological wounds have been horrific, and the response to our veterans’ needs has been wanting, to say the least!

Afghanistan and Iraq have become the longest wars in US history, but neither war can be said to have been won or even being winnable in the future! This is not fighting Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan, or even the Soviet Union of old!

These two wars have been conducted in a horrific manner by both the Bush and Obama Administrations, and trillions of dollars have been squandered, with 99 percent of Americans not suffering at all from the wars, in the sense of being taxed for them. or even really paying attention and caring about the valor of our soldiers! The concept of shared sacrifice we had in World War II is lacking in this era!

Instead of wasting billions on war every month, we need to bring the troops home immediately and deal with the domestic crises in our nation, the worst since the 1930s! Rebuild our infrastructure, secure our borders, and spend necessary defense money on espionage and technology needed to fight terrorism!

We must not sacrifice our young men and women any longer! The time for withdrawal is NOW! 🙁

George H. W. Bush, “Voodoo Economics”, And Republican Economics In 2010!

Ronald 2 Comments

The Republican Party is famous, or rather infamous, for creating a vast majority of the national debt, and yet they keep on acting as if the Democratic Party are the villains in this regard!

George H. W. Bush, competing for the GOP Presidential nomination in 1980, attacked candidate Ronald Reagan’s claim that tax cuts would NOT cause an increase in the national debt! Bush called it “voodoo economics”! Of course, that is exactly what happened under Reagan, with a tripling of the national debt from one to three trillion dollars!

The first President Bush was more cautious on tax cuts, and actually increased taxes and was bitterly criticized by conservatives, which helped to cause his defeat in 1992!

His son, George W. Bush, managed to almost double the national debt from 5 to 10 trillion dollars, meaning just Reagan and the second Bush created nearly a 7 trillion dollar increase in the debt, much of it because of Reaganomics and Bushonomics, meaning tax cuts for the wealthy who had no need for it, as many themselves would admit!

Meanwhile, the national debt went up much more slowly under Jimmy Carter, often considered stingy in his desire to cut government spending and avoid major tax cuts! Under Bill Clinton, there was also a rise in taxes on the wealthy, and a more careful handling of the budget so as to add far less debt!

So under the first Bush, Carter and Clinton, only about 2 trillion dollars was added to the national debt, which was one trillion when Carter left office!

So the two Democratic Presidents were better at managing the national budget and avoiding major debt growth, while the two Republican Presidents added most of it, and father Bush added more than Carter and Clinton, but also kept the idea of “voodoo economics” in mind during his Presidency!

But now, in the midst of propaganda that giving the unemployed extra months of compensation in the worst economic climate since the 1930s will bust the budget and add to the debt, leading conservatives in the GOP argue that major tax cuts must continue to the wealthy!

Are these Republicans living in the real world, or are they just so lacking in concern about what they claim to be a major problem only when it affects average Americans? 🙁

Is this country to be run for the top two or three percent, or for the American people at large? 🙁

This is what Americans must consider as they go and vote this November in the midterm elections! Will they vote out of ignorance and fear, and allow name calling to determine their decision; or out of reality, common sense, and realization that they are being fed propaganda to manipulate them?

The future of this country, and getting out of this economic mess we call the Great Recession, is up for grabs, a terrifying scenario! 🙁

What Obama And The Democrats Must Do To Defeat The Republicans In November 2010!

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Republican House Leader John Boehner has made clear what the goal of his party is if they regain control in November: repeal all legislation passed under Barack Obama, and rescind all regulations and reforms that have been enacted! 🙁

This is a negative approach, which basically is saying that we should go back to the Bush years of deregulation and corporate malfeasance, and ignore the reality of suffering for millions of Americans affected by the Great Recession brought on during the Bush Administration!

So the Democrats MUST go on the offensive, and in a sense, fight a guerrilla war against those who speak up for corporate America, for the privileged, for the elite! Make it clear that we gave the conservatives nearly 30 years in power in one form or another, and that it is now time that progressive and liberal ideas be permitted to bring about necessary reforms and fulfill the American dream of equal opportunity and a sense of fairness and justice, all of which has been lacking over the past generation!

And understand, this is not an issue of race, as there are millions of middle class and poor whites who have been exploited by the corporate world with impunity; millions of elderly and retired people who have seen their nest eggs irreparably stripped from them; millions of young people who have a sense of hopelessness about the future!

The Democrats must use the tactics of the Republicans to fight them, including exposing the truth of their records, their connections, their associations, and their heartlessness! It is very evident that the GOP does not care about the damage done to millions upon millions of American citizens by the economic crisis, the oil spill, and overwhelming power of the special interests! 🙁

The Democrats are far from perfect, but their history, their connections and associations, and the accomplishments that have occurred under President Obama offers greater promise for a brighter future than the negativism and chants of repeal and oppose, which has been the GOP message in the first year and a half of the Obama Presidency!

Public Opinion Polls And President Obama: What Do They Forecast For 2012?

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As the midterm elections come upon us, there is contradictory evidence on the popularity of President Obama!

The Washington Post-ABC News poll reports that only 43 percent approve of the job President Obama is doing. Nearly 60 percent do not trust him to have solutions to the problems the nation faces!

But the President is not running for reelection this year, so the question is this: Even if Obama is slipping in popularity, does that truly mean that the country is ready to kick his party out of control of the Congress, and put in a party that has had no ideas or agenda, except to oppose the President in difficult economic times?

The CNN Poll of Polls, a combination of the aforementioned Washington Post-ABC News poll, the CBS poll, and the Gallup poll shows a bit better situation for Obama, with 47 percent in favor and 46 percent against his leadership!

So is this contradictory evidence, which still makes clear that Obama has slipped at least somewhat in popularity, mean he is in trouble for reelection?

The odds are NO, as he is at a higher level of popularity with 47 percent, as compared to Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, at the same point of their first terms (both 42 percent)! And guess what? Both went on to reelection by substantial margins!

At the same point, George H. W. Bush was at 60 percent, and lost reelection! His son, George W. Bush, was the highest with 76 percent, less than a year after September 11, and won reelection handily!

The odds are still heavy that Obama will win reelection, but he may lose control of Congress as Harry Truman did in 1946, Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954, and Bill Clinton in 1994 in their first terms; and as Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush lost control in the midpoint of their second term in the White House in 1918, 1986 and 2006!

Will 2010 Be Another 1934? More Likely Than Imagined Today!

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Only twice has the party in the White House won seats in the midterm elections–1934 and 2002!

2002 was right after the attacks of September 11 the year before, and there was still great support for George W. Bush, so the GOP gained a few seats in 2002–four in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate!

In 1934, the Democrats under Franklin D. Roosevelt gained nine seats in the House and nine in the Senate, an amazing reality considering the unemployment rate was 21.7 percent, down from 24.9, but still unbelievably high!

In 1936, when FDR ran for reelection and swept all but Maine and Vermont, the unemployment rate was still 17.0 percent; and in 1940, it was still 14.6 percent!

FDR was constantly attacked by the Republican opposition, and by demagogues on radio, called a socialist and a communist by many! But still, the American people saw that the President was concerned about them, and was doing everything possible to work on the economic mess, while the opposition was only negative and critical, and had no real alternative to what the Democrats offered!

So while there is a 9.5 percent unemployment rate in early July, 2010, it has not risen to the Reagan high of 10.8 in 1982, having peaked at 10.2 percent months ago!

No one is saying that anyone is happy about the economic situation that exists, but don’t be so sure that the Republican and conservative attacks are really going to have the effect that many believe!

The more the GOP candidates for office speak and comment, and the more research that is done by the Democrats on their backgrounds and records, the more the chance grows that the Democrats will have only small losses in Congress, and with some luck, maybe even some slight gains in one or both houses of Congress!

It is not time in July, 2010, to give up on the Democratic party, which has brought about fundamental change under President Obama, similar to what happened under President Roosevelt almost eighty years ago!

Barack Obama And Immigration Reform: Time For Action!

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President Obama has finally given the speech on immigration that he should have given much sooner!

Obama’ speech hailed the importance of immigration in American history, and the contributions that immigrants have made to our development and success!

He also said what many seem to have forgotten: that America is a land shaped by immigration, and that we are all immigrants, other than native Americans!

He called upon Republicans who had supported immigration reform under President George W. Bush to stop playing politics and back necessary reform now!

He emphasized the need for illegal immigrants to come out of the shadows; pay fines and taxes; learn English; and get in line to become citizens but wait till it is their time, rather than expect to become naturalized before those who came legally!

What is clear that there must be more efforts to protect our borders to the South, and that while we cannot deport 11-12 million illegal immigrants ( a totally impractical matter), we must concentrate on ridding our country of those undocumented people who have committed crimes, are involved in drug dealing, or are members of gangs!

We should not have illegal immigrants facing situations such as having parents sent back without their minor children; having parents forced out while their adult children serve in our military; having them being afraid of being stopped while shopping or driving and faced with immediate detention; being victimized by employers who refuse to pay them a living wage; being harassed by state or local governments based on racial and ethnic profliling and stereotyping; and having politicians exploit the issue of illegal immigration by sowing hate and division!

Where is the former John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and other GOP senators who were courageous enough to defy the conservative think tanks and media and show understanding and principle on this topic?

It is time for a push for immigration reform, and for the demagoguery and discriminatory legislation that has been endemic, to cease! 🙁

The McChrystal Controversy: An Opportunity To Revisit Afghanistan Policy!

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The controversy over the insubordination of General Stanley McChrystal, the commander in charge of our military effort in Afghanistan, creates the opportunity to revisit the Afghan War policy!

Now the longest war in American history, and with no strategy that insures any end game anytime soon, and with growing numbers of casualties, it is time for President Obama to use the occasion of the McChrystal matter to decide that it is time to cut our losses, and withdraw sooner, rather than later!

Instead of saying that we will START withdrawing from Afghanistan in July 2011, how about us saying that we start withdrawal immediately, meaning July 2010, and accomplish a complete withdrawal by a year from now, July 2011?

It is clear that Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, is a crook, illegally elected, and an unreliable ally, who should actually be prosecuted for his involvement in war crimes, corruption, and drug dealing! At the least, we should not trust him one iota, after his talk of working with the Taliban against the Western allies! With allies like Karzai, we need no allies, as he is a detriment to the whole prosecution of the war!

It is time for us to face the facts: The only time we could have won in Afghanistan was right after September 11, IF President George W. Bush had committed adequate forces and equipment to overcome Osama Bin Laden! It was his failure to do so, that has dragged out this war for almost nine years now!

This war may be abandoned at some point, but it is not the fault of Barack Obama, but rather George W. Bush and Dick Cheney!

Mr. President, take advantage of this moment of decision to make the ultimate commitment to stop sacrificing our young men and women to an impossible war that cannot be won! 🙁

The Internet, Cyber Security, And Presidential Power: A Dangerous Concept! :(

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Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut is promoting legislation that would provide the President the power to take over the internet in a moment of danger due to a cyber attack from overseas, such as from China!

There is no question of the concerns about cyber security, as we have become so dependent on the internet that we could easily be paralyzed by a foreign attack in cyberspace!

But the thought of the President being able to shut down or control access to the internet is an absolutely terrifying concept! 🙁

Even if one believes President Obama is a man who could be trusted, what about future Presidents who many would not feel comfortable with in gaining such absolute power?

Would we want a future Richard Nixon or George W. Bush having this authority? The answer clearly is NO! 🙁

Of course, one might argue that already the President possesses extreme and absolute power in many ways dealing with military and foreign policy matters.

But one is reluctant to authorize any additional power being granted, as unwise and worrisome! 🙁

However, probably in a realistic sense, this eventuality will come about, whether we like it or not! 🙁

Revelation: George W. Bush’s Daughter, Barbara Bush, Backs Obama Health Care Law!

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An interesting piece of news is that Barbara Bush, one of the twin daughters of President George W. Bush, has made public her support of the recently passed Obama Health Care legislation!

Despite the fact that the GOP resisted and fought against the Health Care law, Barbara Bush indicated her belief that it was good that the legislation passed, and that people who have lower income should have the same access to health care that rich people have!

Hooray for Barbara Bush, who is the leader of the Global Health Corps, a group that promotes global health equity! She is proving that she is a young woman of decency and good principles, and makes many in the Republican party look very hard hearted and selfish in their opposition to everyone being entitled to health care!

The Afghanistan War: A Cause That Cannot Be Won!

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The Afghanistan War has recently become the longest war in US history, surpassing the Vietnam War, and the news coming from the war front is not positive! 🙁

Just this week, on ABC’s THIS WEEK, which lists all those who have died, almost all of the names listed were of young men in their early to mid 20s, who had their lives snuffed out in an interminable war in which the Taliban seem to be getting stronger, and the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai seems more resistant to the influence of the NATO allies fighting there, amidst reports that Karzai and his brother, who has been involved in the cocaine trade, are looking toward an eventual deal with the enemy!

The Afghan government has never really been interested in the plight of the average Afghan civilian, and the corruption and scandal in that country is endemic, and makes one continue to wonder how we can continue to sustain a war that has already cost more than 1,000 lives, plus even more than that number severely wounded! 🙁

This war is costing more every month in lives and cost, and it seems as if the best opportunity to win, back in late 2001, botched by the Bush Administration, has now made the commitment of President Obama to win there seemingly a pipe dream!

And meanwhile, young Americans continue to die for a cause that is not just, by any means, when one examines the facts! 🙁