“Ah, was he really all that bad?” “Yes, he was.”

[Miles Archer]

George W Bush’s support for Jeb is a reminder of his disastrous legacy
Owen Jones



http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/16/george-w-bush-elections-jeb-campaign-reminder-disastrous-legacy

As a fan of the zombie genre, perhaps I should welcome the resurrection of George W Bush. The former president has been largely discreet and absent since his calamitous reign ended more than seven years ago: perhaps hoping that, if temporarily forgotten, we would all forget his misdeeds, and history would eventually look at his presidency more kindly. But as he takes to the stump in an effort to re-energise his brother’s flagging presidential campaign, there is little doubt that Jeb Bush is a victim of the political polarisation his elder sibling helped unleash.

Not that it’s as simple as to say we live in the world Dubya built. A US foreign policy that, all too often, engaged in disastrous wars and backed dictatorships and terror groups predates his reign: so does the stagnation of living standards for millions of Americans. US power – after its temporary post-Soviet boost – was already in relative decline. And faced with the ranting demagoguery of Donald Trump, a certain nostalgia for Bush’s refutation of anti-Muslim bigotry is almost understandable.

But if history ever does one of those “Ah, was he really all that bad?” revisions, the answer has to be: “Yes, he was.”

Bush proclaimed a “war on terror” in 2001 with the mission of eradicating terrorism: more than 14 years later, terrorist and fundamentalist extremist groups are more powerful than they have ever been. The incalculable reputational damage suffered by the United States because of his policies – Guantánamo has still not closed, the use of torture and the illegal invasion of Iraq - has not dissipated. He bequeathed his successor the most disastrous economic situation since the 1930s, and we still remain in the aftermath.

[roscoeroscoe]

1. Too true

Alas

[tularetom]

2. If you miss him, you'll love Hillary n/t

[Dragonfli]

4. They certainly have always seen eye to eye on foreign policy. /nt

[ghostsinthemachine]

3. Created the world's largest bureaucracy (Homeland security)

and bailed out the banks after the complete collapse of the economy. Even if he tried (and a LOT of people are not so sure he didn't) to ruin this country, he could not have come closer to accomplishing that. Ken Lay, started 2 unwinnable wars, gas crisis, energy crisis.....

[Atman]

5. Why do they look NOTHING alike?

I mean...my brother and I are different people, but it's obvious we share the same genes. Look at these two; nose, forhead, mouth, ears, even height...nothing about them is similar.

Bar got it on with one of the CIA security guards.

[mhatrw]

7. Dubya is half-goat? nt

[wordpix]

8. lol, was thinking same

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. The thing is, we're all imagining in the back of our minds how awful a President Trump could be...

....and such a hypothetical nightmare scenario perhaps lessens in some minds the historical reality of how awful President George W. Bush was.

But yeah, he was truly awful.