Reuters: Four years on, war costs Bush at home and abroad

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN1643763620070317

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four years after he began the Iraq war, a diminished President George W. Bush has sacrificed much of his domestic agenda and eroded U.S. credibility abroad in pursuit of the sort of nation-building he once scorned, analysts say.

The president's job approval ratings have fallen from 90 percent shortly after the September 11 attacks to just over 30 percent.

<snip>

Concern over Bush's policies began to mount after his invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003. His declaration that major combat operations had ended six weeks later under a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" was considered hasty.

Inspectors failed to turn up weapons of mass destruction, Bush's justification for the war, and Americans were slow to stop looting, restore electrical power and revive oil production. The Iraq enterprise began to look like a rushed job with little justification and no postwar planning.

<snip>

"The impact has been devastating," Eichenberg said. "American standing abroad is by all measures at its lowest point in history. This is true in Europe, this is true in other parts of the world. Whether this can be reversed in a new administration, Republican or Democrat, we will have to see."

...more at link...

[gratuitous]

1. "American standing is . . . at its lowest point in history"

Thanks a lot, O wise men of Washington. Today in the Oregonian, in anticipation of tomorrow's anti-war rally, they had a front page article on how people who still support the war are feeling more and more isolated. I nearly cried my little heart out.

These poor folks are feeling all bad because public opinion has turned against this excellent foreign imperial adventure. It's just soooo sad for the three or four people mentioned in the article. And I remember all the coverage the Oregonian gave to the thousands of anti-war protesters on the eve of the invasion. Their sympathetic, bathetic coverage, sensitive to all kinds of nuance, and really making an effort to convey all the facets of the argument against invading Iraq.

Wait, no I don't remember that at all.

What I do remember, from the Oregonian and just about every other major media outlet, was condescension, smug pronouncements of the rightness of the invasion, and active reportage to minimize, ridicule and misunderstand the anti-war people. The Oregonian editorialized that some of the thousands of protesters marching in the street were naive to think that Iraq's oil could have anything to do with the real casus for this belli, and they even hired aerial photographers to dispute the numbers of people marching, and undercount the numbers.

This fucking war and its delusional supporters, who still (make no mistake about it) hold the decisive power in this country make me want to puke.

[ovidsen]

4. Seriously, the next time I go overseas, I'm Canadian

I have no family ties to your wonderful country, which I have been to dozens of times. Hey, I once spent a weekend in Winnipeg in February. And LIKED it!

But while I have no intentions of giving up my US passport, from now on my luggage and outerwear is going to bear the Maple Leaf.... that is, if it carries any symbol or logo at all.

Bush and his evil cohorts have not only made the US the laughingstock and pariah of the world (no easy feat), it's also made us all targets. Wearing a shirt or jacket with Old Glory, or even a piece of clothing that says "I love Milwaukee"... or whatever... just puts you in a precarious position. Canadians are loved (or at least tolerated) around the world. I would respectfully like to borrow your great nation as protection.

I know I could never get away with being a REAL Canadian (even though I lived in Buffalo for 2 years!) but at the right restaurant or watering hole with open minded people surrounding me in France or Jordan or wherever, I'll be happy to discuss my citizenship, what it means to me, and my disgust with the people who run my country.

I hope no Canadians who read these boards take offense. If you do, feel free to express your thoughts. I'm not THAT hard-headed, and there's always the flag of Austalia! <g> Thanks.

[KansDem]

8. "...just about every other major media outlet, was condescension,..."

This cannot be shouted enough times. Now that the corporate media are acknowledging, to various degrees, that Bush's oil grab was, maybe, not a very good idea, they "forget" to mention that they, themselves, cheerleaded Bush and his gang and thugs and cutthroats from Day One, when Bush declared his candidacy for POTUS in 1998. They are just as culpable as the Bushistas in this insane adventure.

And their involvement in the Plame outing makes them traitors...

[MasonJar]

2. "proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" was somewhat hasty"? Now

there is a textbook example of understatement.

[Xipe Totec]

3. War cost Bush?!! What are we, hamburger hill? n/t

[acmavm]

5. That's what; one of the biggest problems is, a lack of paying attention

to the real casualties of this war. The only view you hear is the political one. Never anything from the point of view of the real casualties of this 'war', the dead and wounded. Both American, Iraqi, British or whomever.

[Solly Mack]

6. Is he dead? injured? maimed? his house get blown up?

got all his arms and legs? children dead? spouse dead? family dead? was he tortured? illegally detained? held in a secret prison? suffering from PTSD? did the sound of the phone ringing freeze him with fear? did he want to hide every time the door bell rang? did he die inside a little each day, sick with worry that his spouse would be killed at any moment?

then it cost him nothing and he hasn't sacrificed anything

and fuck anyone thinking it did

how dare people speak in terms of Bush having sacrificed anything

fuck that lie

[bobthedrummer]

7. .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x269378