Bush's Accomplishment and failure
 

Hi everyone!

I really need your opinion on this matter. Can you guys be very vocal and let me know:

1. After serving as president now for over 5 years, what would be considered to be the most significant accomplishment and the most considerable failure of George W. Bush?

2. Is this the result of his leadership or by political forces outside of direct control?

I'm trying to write my paper regarding this matter from a personal point of view so I really need all the advice I can get. Tonchi told me that the topic sounds like something that we will really enjoy discussing here so let's see a show of hands?!

Thanks for all the help in advance !

:)

His greatest accomplishment is being the worst failure as a president in the history of the US as a nation.

1. His biggest accomplishment was getting elected. His greatest failure was convincing enough Americans that this was a good idea. This trend extends to major events of his presidency. Iraq: if he has a plan to accomplish something, a reason for our being there, then it is an accomplishment, but since he didn't bother to tell anybody what it actually was, it can only be a failure.

2. His leadership is of the divisive "51%" variety, but this was not so when he was Governer of Texas. He has different advisors now.

His resume
 

Past work experience:

--Ran for congress and lost.
--Produced a Hollywood slasher B movie.
--Bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas, company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
--Bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using tax-payer money. Biggest move: Traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago White Sox.
-With fathers help (and his name) was elected Governor of Texas.

Accomplishments:

--Changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state in the Union. Replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog ridden city in America. Cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money. Set record for most executions by any Governor in American history.

--Became president after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes, with the help of my fathers appointments to the Supreme Court.

Accomplishments as president:

--Attacked and took over two countries.
--Spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.
--Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.
--Set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period.
--Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.
--First president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.
--First president in US history to enter office with a criminal record.
--First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in US history.
--After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure in US history.
--Set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips than any other president in US history.
--In first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.
--Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in US history.
--Set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12 month period.
--Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in US history.
--Set the record for the least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent of television.
--Signed more laws and executive orders circumventing the Constitution than any president in US history.
--Presided over the biggest energy crises in US history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.
--Presided over the highest gasoline prices in US history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have.
--Cut healthcare benefits for war veterans.
--Set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind. (http://www.hyperreal.org/~dana/marches/)
--Dissolved more international treaties than any president in US history.
--Members of his cabinet are the richest of any administration in US history. (the 'poorest' multi-millionaire, Condoleezza Rice has an Chevron oil tanker named after her).
--Had more states to simultaneously go bankrupt than any president in the history of the United States.
--Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.
--Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.
--Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in US history.
--First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the human rights commission.
--First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the elections monitoring board.
--Withdrew from the World Court of Law.Refused to allow inspectors access to US prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.
--First president in US history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US elections).
--All-time US (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.
--biggest life-time campaign contributor presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).
--Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in US history.
--First president in US history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.
--First president to run and hide when the US came under attack (and then lied saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)
--First US president to establish a secret shadow government.
--Took the biggest world sympathy for the US after 911, and in less than a year made the US the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest diplomatic failure in US and world history).
--With a policy of 'dis-engagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.
--First US president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view his presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.
--First US president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the US than their immediate neighbor, North Korea.
--Changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
--Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated US law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.
--Failed to fulfill my pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive'.


Oh hell, just go here
(From a google and there are others like it.)

From a conservative point of view (I'm not a conservative) his biggest accomplishment was filling so freakin' many empty judge seats with conservative judges. His conservative legacy will be with this nation for decades, as judges have their appointments for life. He filled more vacancies in his first term than Clinton did during his two terms. Hundreds of them. It's amazing what you can do when you hold the White House and Congress both.

His greatest failure is turning the entire world against the USA. Taking the US from a position of one of the most respected and liked nations in the world to the most hated and feared.

You are probably right Glatt... that and running a war that the Dems are going to get the blame for raising the taxes for. That is going to sting.
Reps are classic at that little bait and switch game.

Status quo and typical MO.

George Jr brags about having made $600,000 for accomplishing that nothing. Read his book, if you can. Reading it is painful. It is also devoid of important details such as his National Guard service and school achievements. But he brags how he became friends with a boisterous heckler of the Texas Rangers, as if that was an accomplishment.

For him, a day of breathing without swallowing his tongue is an accomplishment.
Putting that in is perfectly valid.

Biggest accomplishment: managing to provide a conduit for the ideologically driven neo-cons to implement all their plans.

Biggest failure: managing to provide a conduit for the ideologically driven neo-cons to implement their plans :P

Seriously though, I think one of the really nasty side effects of this administration is the way it has damaged America's relations with so many countries. Ten years ago in Britain, politicians still used the phrase 'special relationship' to characterise UK and Usa relations. As politicians, they did this knowing it would be popular and well recieved by their electorate. This really doesn't happen now.

What's terribly sad to me, is that after 9/11, the British population grieved with America; we as a nation felt great sadness and anger at the attack on our friends. I am sure that feeling was echoed in many European nations, but I am equally sure that Britain felt it most keenly in Europe. The outpouring of goodwill, comradeship and willingness to stand by America's side, both in her grief and in her response to the attack, were heartfelt and apparent at pretty much every level of our society.

To me, one of the worst things Bush did was squander that goodwill and friendship by leading us, not after America's attacker, but on a stupid, unnecessary and bloody adventure in Iraq.

Oh, and there is the whole walking with no strings thing, that is a big one!

Shortly after 9/11, most Americans would be very angry with you for typing those words. That's how blind with rage we were as a nation. Now I seriously doubt anyone here will contradict you.

"Shortly after 9/11, most Americans" didn't want us to go "after America's attacker" ???

I don't understand your question.

Americans wanted revenge. We went into Afghanistan for revenge. Iraq was also offered up to an angry nation and we took the bait. Now most regret it.

We wanted to go after the attacker: Osama Bin Laden, who Bush promised dead or alive. Hussein was offered up and, like glatt points out, we took the bait.

We did? Gung ho on Afghanistan, for sure. But Iraq?
I didn't see that, hell yeah, get 'em boys attitude, coming from the great unwashed.

A lot of people were convinced the government (Bush/State Dept/Pentagon/CIA), knows more than we do, so if they say we must, we must. Then of course there's the old saw.... even if you don't like the war, you're a scum sucking dog if you don't support our troops. That's a backhanded way of coercing people into not being vocal or demonstrating against the war.:(

From Without Precedent by Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton: Deja vue Vietnam. Nixon, for whom lying was typical and was justified to kill so many American soldiers, also insisted he had a “secret plan to end the war". Some politicians are so often liars that anyone agreeing with lying politicians (without posting reams of supporting facts) were accurately accused of also lying. Good thing so many whistle blowers and leakers (also known as patriotic Americans) are telling the press the truth. And still, some are so foolish as to blindly believe George Jr only because “he must know more”.

First indication that he must be lying. "I believe god has choosen me to be president".

George Jr's greatest accomplishment: lie to American religious extremists - and they believed he was one of them. Lie without providing supporting facts and numbers and we will believe he must know more. Reality and history says otherwise when the politician has a history of lying. As Kean noted, he already knew those facts from the newspapers. But a lying politiician needs us to believe a myth about secrets.

W
 

W took oratory to another level. As the first CEO President, he leveraged his unique intellectual capital to add value to the political discourse that shapes our Democracy. He gave 110% and really stepped up to the presidential plate. In retrospect, his approach was a no-brainer, a slam dunk; but at the time only W and his cronies knew that. We can now look at his past and ongoing legacy as a streak of white light that cut and continues to cut through the history and future of American politics and governance, illuminating all the great things that America is and will continue to be.

Excuse me, but was the preceding intended as sarcasm? Because if it wasn't, you're beginning to scare me.:worried:

George W. Bush's most significant accomplishment was getting re-elected. This was due to political forces outside of direct control rather than leadership. It demonstrated to Americans that most of them can be fooled most of the time.

George W. Bush's most considerable failure was causing his political party to lose control of the Congress during his second term. This was due to a failure in leadership rather than political forces outside of direct control. It demonstrated to Americans that just because they put someone in a leadership position doesn't mean the person will live up to it.

See the newpaper entitled Move Over, Hoover in this post.

Scary
 

Completely sarcastic. But pretty good, don't cha think? Almost sounded real. You see, that's the key, to "sound" authentic and like you mean it.

That's the power of corporate- (CEO) speak. Black becomes white and eyes glaze over. And America drops trou and takes it up the arse. Just words. Amazing.

You're a regular Stephen Colbert.:thumb:

Truthiness
 

Now THAT is a compliment. He's a true American (cue screaching eagle).

Thanks Mr. Levy.

NoBoxes, you were almost right. You'd've been all the way right had you named the correct President: Clinton demonstrated most of the electorate can be fooled often enough. But what he and his were selling, I wasn't buying -- I was smart enough never to vote for that man.

if by "outside of direct control" you mean "democrats failed to put forth a viable candidate", then yes you are correct. if the D's had run a candidate that was different from Bush in any positive, meaningful way he'd have run away with the race. instead americans were faced with an evil we know vs. evil we don't know race.

Maybe thats why the "3rd" parties are growing so much in popularity. Too many people are disgusted with the far left and the far right without and "real" candidates to choose from. Perhaps if both parties were truly more interested in leading our country than stuffing their pockets, we'd have some tough decisions to make - like "Which of these is the better candidate?" I much prefer that to "Which one will eff up less?" I've been so disheartened by both the Republican and Democratic parties and their lapdogs that simply spew BS about how great or more idyllic their party is and how awful the other. Ours is by far the best nation on this planet (or any other) and it sickens me to know that those we entrust to lead it repeatedly disappoint and abuse the power we entrust them with.

hang on....just for clarification, do you consider the Dems to be 'far left'?

No, Dana they are the right wing -

then who is the 'far left' that people are sick of?

The Republicans - of course. But as smart as you are, I know you could have figured that out by process of elimination.

You've got it backwards, yesman. Dems/liberals are left, Reps/conservatives are right.

Gee really??? And I thought Dana was serious - I was only joking. We all know which extreme is which and that most of us fall somewhere in between.

My point yesman, is not which side is which; but rather, which ones are the extreme left? I have yet to see any evidence of 'far left' politics in the current or recent mainstream political scene.

And hopefully you won't...far right either. :worried:

Amazing how they have us arguing over a mythical political rope - hanging at both ends like a centenary. Myth puts highest points at an extreme left and extreme right. No wonder these extremists want gerrymandering.

Reality: a rope is hanging from a Ceiling where independents are at the top and where extremist Democrats and Republicans reside at the bottom end. Frayed rope at bottom contains the various ‘least intelligent’ politicians.

George Jr is nominated for the worst president ever (see Move Over, Hoover). This made obvious because a political agenda ("Americans don't do nation building", Saddam was involved in 11 Sept, anti-ballistic missile need, nuclear bunker busting bomb, war-time president, world wide terrorism, ‘god chose me as president’, Reagan proved that deficits don't matter, ‘god told me to attack Iraq’, etc) is more important that intelligent thought.

Rope hangs highest where intelligence resides - where decisions are made after first learning facts. The rope hangs low where intelligent thought would only confuse the brown shirts. Notice, to be intelligent, one must first do the work – learn facts – be educated – learn science – learn Military Science 101, etc. Low intelligence is a characteristic of extremist politicians who don’t even have sufficient brain power to climb that rope. To find intelligence, then find independents.

What did intelligent people recognize on 7 Nov 2006? That the president is wrong, a liar, and his war was lost years ago. Only intelligent people - those highest on the rope - could see that.

Who actually makes Congress work? Those who meet in that center aisle with their intelligent peers from the other party. Moderates mean higher intelligence - decisions based on facts and not based on political rhetoric.

The rope is not a centenary. Rope hangs from the roof where independents are up; political extremists are at the bottom.

Where on that rope do we find patriots? Obviously at the top because working for America is more important than working for the party. What are extremists doing - and deny? Extremists work first and foremost for the party (just like another party - communism); America be damned. To be a patriot, one must climb that rope.

We have a benchmark for where you exist on that rope. How long ago did you see “Mission Accomplished” was lost? How many times did you ask, “when are we going after bin Laden”.

Blue Vomit
 

OK. Let me start by saying that I already know that I'm an arrogant SOB. Really, I know that. But after what I saw the other night I must post.

I never liked the category "World Music." What the fuck music is not of this world? Why don't they call it what they really mean, which is "Non-Western Music?" I ask this because the other night I took a heaping, sticky-sweet and self-induced dose of Billboard Magazine's top World Music group: Celtic Women.

http://www.wildfreshness.com/brian/a...elticwoman.jpg

Jesus H. Christ! What a load of ersatz-mystical-New-Age bullshit. You gotta give the guy who put it together, David Downes, credit for hitting the schmaltzy nail on the head. He also worked on that Riverdance spectacle that never seemed to go away. You see, this is why a lot of people hate me; what they really like and think is "brilliant" and "inspiring" I find nearly intolerable. How can that many people like this crap?

The entire performance was like a bad "Mystical Moods of Ireland" calendar you might see in the discount bin after Christmas. It got really painful when they trotted out the Irish pipe player to add "authenticity" to the machine-generated misty veil of Irish fog that wafted over the fake heath. Oh my goodness. You should have seen the audience in awe of the spectacle, all smiling and mouthing the words to songs so incessantly positive and "uplifting" that I nearly puked. Why did I keep watching? I must be a masochist.

But I conclude, that like a whole bunch of this "World Music" shite, it's not really Non-Western at all. In fact, with all the theatrics, bombast, and overproduction, it was quintessentially Western, a product of a shrewd business plan that tapped into the sentimental and historically myopic minds of the great middlemass (think Yanni). It was held on the grounds of an Irish castle for Chrissakes! "Times must have been so great in the Dark Ages" I said to myself. "Everything was so blue, so beautiful, and so electrically amplified back then."

And all this in spite of the fact that they didn't have bad voices.

It's gonna be on PBS a whole bunch, so be forewarned.

For once I agree with you :P

What's wrong with creating something appealing to the masses from ancient cultures?

Surely some education is better than none?

As immoderate as tw is, we now see clearly where his "intelligence" keeps him: below those he lauds.

I like Celtic music and I caught a few minutes of that while channel surfing. I saw these women in white robes gliding through fog in front of a castle while making inarticulate harmonies. After hanging around for a few minutes waiting for them to bring out the human sacrifice, I decided that this was as exciting as it would get and moved on.


BTW, what's the Celtic word for 'schmaltz'?

larry bird

I was referring to the general disdain - not of anything specifically current, but I fully expect it to start soon after the inaugurations.

What bothers me is its just one more genre falling to the "you have to be really attractive to make music" game. Country started it.

Just...Yuck...that's all I can say.

Did it really - I thought it was classical - Beethoven was a hottie I hear :P