The Bush Legacy - An American Horror Story

Let’s put all the cards on the table and call things as they are. It appears that George Bush has inadvertantly made his family, friends and eventually himself much wealthier than before he became president. He began the Iraq war for reasons known only to himself and his vice president, Richard Cheney. Whatever his reasons were, he has so far successfully kept them a secret, falling back on bogus security explanations that have many times been debunked. The facts appear to shed a light on reasons that are far more ominous than most people care to admit. One thing known, however, is that most of Bush’s actions since he waged war against Iraq have included no-bid contracts to his former employer (Halliburton and its subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root – these two finally broke apart in April, 2007) and to his friends (Blackwater Security); and these contracts have made these companies a huge profit windfall in the billions of dollars. Such behavior use to be frowned upon and would never have been allowed by the oversight committees in Congress. How has George gotten away with it? Much of that answer remains cloaked in the secrecy surrounding the workings of the president’s administration that stems from George’s complete inability to confront the problems brought upon the country by the 9/11 attacks.

Rather than making the responsibility of defending the country from future terrorist attacks a shared effort between the varied branches of government and our military, Bush has chosen to go it alone with his only counsel coming from equally inept and like minded members of his cabinet and advisory boards. They keep their plans a secret to keep them from public scrutiny; claiming the actions are warranted by unexplained and unidentified threats coming from Iran, Al Qaeda or the Taliban. George has branded members of Congress who do not sing from his songbook as being un-American, soft on fighting terrorism and in some cases, traitors. He has once again tricked these same members of Congress to vote on a proposition declaring that the Iranian army is a terrorist organization. Many Congress persons on both sides of the aisle were afraid, again, not to vote with George and his Secret Police; the most notable of these was Hillary Clinton. These Congress men and women were duped once again by the greatest game player in the history of the occupants of the Oval Office. Forced by accusations that they would be soft on terrorism if they did not side with George, they were fearful of challenging his supposition. If they had challenged him, they would have discovered from people familiar with Iran and its workings that the Iranian army is not at all fully behind their president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, another mad man like George W., and that the army has kept Mr. Ahmadinejad in check from acting more violently than his rhetoric suggests. If only our army could have the same affect on George Bush and his imperial actions against the nation of Iraq.

George W. has shown over again that he is unqualified to be president but has managed to hang on to his office because of his shrewdness and trickery that he enjoins against both houses of Congress. He would not have been re-elected had there not been such a polarized climate that existed in Washington and our country. That polarization was nurished by Bush and Karl Rove, the man who W. called “the Architect.” And what an architect he was, too. Mr. Rove’s ideas and rhetoric were accused of destroying many a political adversary’s good name and credibility with innuendo, lies and half truths. He has officially left his advisory position with the Bush administration but one can be sure that he remains just a phone call away.

What a hell ride the Bushkies have taken our government and nation on during these last nearly seven years. He has declared an unprovoked war that our country will remain embroiled in long after he has left office. He has been a chief provocateur responsible for raised oil prices and resulting gasoline prices to unprecedented highs and made his friends, family and eventually himself much richer than when he became president. And he has rewarded his friends and former employers with no-bid contracts that have made them unprecedented profits that will last for years to come. It certainly appears that he has been a good provider for his family and friends. Too bad he didn’t take at least token care of his country and fellow citizens. But then charity, kindness and compassion do not stand out as his strong suits do they?

I can only hope that someday he will be held accountable for his actions in a court of law and, if found guilty, be punished for what appear to be crimes against humanity. His blatant “in your face” style of leadership must not be passed on to future presidents. America could not stand another George W. Bush.