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THE CASE FOR
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GEORGE W. BUSH
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by Carl Baydala
. George W. Bush
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The President of the United States of America
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It would be a difficult assignment for many people to put a case together in support of President George Bush. But, I believe that all men in leadership positions and who have a track record deserve to have those records defended.
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I would begin my defence of Mr. Bush by noting that he is a man of seemingly average intelligence and of limited speaking abilities. But, these characteristics have not impeded him from achieving political successes. Not all men or woman become governors of states or presidents of countries. George Bush has accomplished both feats and we simply have to give credit where it is due - he is going to be part of the history books. He won a presidential election in the year 2000 and again in 2004. Many people did not think he could win these contests, but he did. If you are a racetrack enthusiast like myself you will know that any horse in the race can win and that the longshots can upset people's plans by winning. And, sometimes there are enquiries as to the conduct of a race and that the judges decisions are final in these cases. That is the best way to understand Mr. Bush's win in 2000 - he won a controversial race. But, the controversy surrounding his successes are not the issue here, the fact of the matter is that the man has electoral wins under his belt. Successes come in all forms and we must accept them no matter what their origins.
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Our President started a war that many people think was wrong and dangerous as well. But, Mr. Bush persisted and invaded a sovereign country. In the process he sacrificed American troops and caused the deaths of many innocent civilians. He was able to invade the country on rather flimsy evidence about Saddam Hussein and of his intentions. Saddam was a brutal dictator and was a threat to Middle East stability and to anyone in the free world. And, George Bush convinced fellow politicians and leaders of other countries to follow him into Iraq to unseat a dictator and to bring democracy to a Middle Eastern state - these were the stated objectives at the time. Vindication for Mr. Bush comes in the form of the hanging of Saddam Hussein by his own people. Surely this incident must be scored as a success for Mr. Bush - delivering the man to the people so as they may judge him in his entirety.
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The Middle East is indeed an unstable place and the president made many new enemies for the United States and its people. But, he continued on with his resolve and convinced opposing newly elected Democrats that a new surge in Iraq should be adopted in order to bring stability to the war-ravaged country. Clearly, this is Mr. Bush's strong point: the ability to convince others that tenacity and resolve can bring peace and security to a country like Iraq. You do not have to agree with the man and his policies and practices, but you simply have to give him credit for maintaining the status quo under his terms. The status quo meaning the continuation of the War in Iraq and the engagement of the United States in that conflict. In short, he is doing something right if he is getting people to follow him, or at the very least, to not work against him.
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George Bush's successes are rooted, I believe, in his ability to wage war. It is the state of war that works in his favor and allows the Executive Branch to become stronger at the expense of the other two branches of power. The unfortunate event of September 11, 2001 allowed him to pursue his war ambitions - to fight the new terrorists. Many would take issue with this policy of fighting phantom terrorists, but not President Bush and his fellow neocons. These terrorists are as real as they say they are and their war policy revolves around this threat to the nation. They have made political capital with the terrorist threat and have neutralized any real opposition from their political opponents or from the general population. Nobody wants harm to come to the men and women who are in uniform as it would be unpatriotic to do so. So, these are key things which we can link to George Bush's successes. He was able to start a war and to keep it going in spite of a great deal of opposition from certain segments of the population. Again, we must give credit where it is due; he is keeping the anti-war people at bay - they are in fact ineffective as a voice and as a movement. During the Vietnam era there was a great deal of anti-war sentiment among the colleges, but not today. Not a peep it would seem; no student demonstrations of any consequence and no large scale outcry from the academic classes - nothing is presented to us in the media. Surely we have to respect a man who has no real opposition to his war agenda. He must be doing something right if he is able to keep his adversaries at bay and to not foil his plans in the Middle East.
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You might venture to say that the man is aided by a press and a media that does not go out of its way to condemn him, and you might be right. Yet again, only indications of his success as a politician and as a wartime president. The mainstream media seem to act merely as cheerleaders for his economic policies and of his methods in fighting terrorism. They would most likely agree that the liberties Americans once enjoyed need to be altered in the ongoing war on terrorism. Perhaps the argument would be that limiting freedoms is a small price to pay for the protection of the citizens from alien threats.
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Not only is Mr. Bush successful at war, but also in advancing the status of the business classes. Through lower taxation he has advanced the position of the wealthy in society. Lower taxation of course means theoretically, that there will be more investment and more jobs for the population. Once again, his policies are successful. The wealthy corporate owners are gaining handsomely in an expanding stock market and through globalization of their industries. After the calamity of the 9/11 attacks and of the collapse of the dot.com bubble interest rates were decreased dramatically and much liquidity entered the market place, both domestically and abroad. Bubbles were created in the stock markets world- wide as well as in the domestic housing market. Once again we must view these events as successes for Mr. Bush even though the monetary policies would have been perpetrated by the Federal Reserve Bank, or the country's central bank. The dark clouds have turned into silver linings it would seem, the country has survived the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and is moving forward. Many people made large profits in the stock market, while others were able to capitalize on the fresh and expanding money supply. If one is invested in the stock market and is selling at the right time then he is making money. And, similarly with housing. Timing is everything when it comes to investments and success comes to those who are able to capitalize on opportunities presented to them.
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Likewise with the sub-prime mortgage problem. It did not start out as a problem of course, but rather as an opportunity for those who were able to see it as such. As in all financial bubbles and in the upward spiral of things people devise ingenious ways to make money. It is the American way is it not? The packaging and selling of sub-prime mortgages is one such thing. It is simple ingenuity under the watchful eye of our President that many low income earners could become home owners in spite of their precarious financial position. So, once again we must add this unfolding crisis to one of his successes. And, yes I shall restate if for you - a success. Although the Federal Reserve, an entity which we mentioned above, would more likely be more responsible for the current financial distress through their regulation of financial markets, it is the President who is taking a lead role in support of the beleagured homeowner. He is proving himself once again; his leadership skills are taking over; he is assuming command and control, even though he has no control of course. But, he will turn the debacle into yet another success. And, it will be a success even if it does not appear like it at the moment. That success will occur in convincing the people that their government is there to help them - to become home owners when they really should not be. This truly will be the President's greatest selling success. He must perpetuate the myth that the American dream is alive and well.
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This is the President that can cause wars and convince the people to support that war. Opposition notwithstanding he is winning; he is winning in the Middle East and now on the domestic front his true colors show. The President has started his latest political success by promising to aid the citizens in their home ownership ambitions. They do not need to know that they cannot afford these things; his job is to convince the population that his government is there to save them just as it does by promoting a war against terrorists. He will not spend anytime detailing to the population the real reason for their demise because that will not be necessary and will be counterproductive. Instead, he will offer a helping hand for there is no stated enemy who can be blamed for the current financial crisis.
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For your viewing pleasure, I recommend the movie
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