What has Bush done for the country?

[PhillyKev 0]

Leave out the war on terror and Iraq issues or anything to do with that whole topic. Has he accomplished ANYTHING else?

I'm legitimately interested if there are any issues that anyone feels he has done a good job with. I can think of several things he has done, but I don't agree with them politically. Wondering what people see as his accomplishments in 3 1/2 years that make him worthy of re-election.

[Zennie 0]

My buddy poses this same question to Bushies, and about all they can ever come up with is the war on terror(ism)... which has gone about as well as our war on drugs.

On a semi-related note... does the phrase "war on terror" sound as stupid to anyone else as it does to me? War on terror? What? I'm no longer allowed to watch Army of Darkness?

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[TheAnvil 0]

Let's see:

- got us out of the Clinton/Gore recession
- great first tax cut
- got rid of the atrocious executive order giving unionized companies unfair advantages in bidding for certain contracts
- told the Kyoto idiots to go fuck themselves
- modified draconian EPA standards so power plants could modernize sans bankruptcy

Among other things.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[PhillyKev 0]

Fair enough. I don't personally agree with any of them but at least there's one person out there who actually likes what the guy is doing and isn't just supporting him out of nationalistic fear.

[nigel99 144]

I have been researching the background to the Iraq war and what the possible motive's were. I have come up with the following information.

1) The USA & Allies funded an organisation (MAK) which was a terrorist organisation run by bin Laden and an Associate (bin Laden was not the prime contact but 2nd in command) to counter the Russian invasion of Afganistan - they funded this organisation to the value of US$200 million. MAK became Al Quada after the Russians pulled out. (early 80's)

2) The US had long held the view (prior to 9/11) that Islamic terrorists/extremists who were citizens of the USA but who were only supporting/commiting acts of terror that did not harm US interests should not be put under survellience or arrested.

3) Al Quada declared their intention to create Islamic middle eastern states with nuclear capabilities and that these states should then challenge/declare war on the US. (1994/1996)

The point of all that - I believe in hindsight that Bush wanted to create a middle eastern democracy and prevent the creation of middle eastern theocracies with Nuclear ambitions. What he and his team seem to have mis-judged is that most nations are proud of their herritage and would prefer rule by a dictator to foreign intervention.

It appears that the US is not going to achieve a "democracy" in the manner they intended and there is a significant chance of an extreme Islamic state being created. What would be extremely worrying is if it turns out the intelligence was manipulated by Islamic or Iranian interests to facilitate the downfall of Saddam (remember he ran a secular not islamic state).

Summary Bush has either aided Al Quada in their aims of Islamic middle eastern states or he has pre-empted their moves and possibly averted a serious problem in 10 to 20 years time - unfortunately only time will tell.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[TheAnvil 0]

Dude, in all serioiusness, do you really think that his base of support's primary common trait is some sort of nationalistic fear? I'd say loathing of Kerry gets him far more support than anything else.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[PhillyKev 0]

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Dude, in all serioiusness, do you really think that his base of support's primary common trait is some sort of nationalistic fear? I'd say loathing of Kerry gets him far more support than anything else.

Yes, outside of these political discussion we have on here from a group of intelligent people on both sides, there's a whole world of Bush supporters. Many of them profess hatred for Kerry, as you say, but not based on any knowledge about the man, but because they get tv sound bites and talking points from the Bush campaign. If you ask people why they support Bush, invariably the answer is because he is fighting terrorism or keeping us safe. Whether or not you think that's true, I'd venture to say that the vast majority of people who think that way didn't come to it through informed opinion. They support him because they rally around the pres during times of crisis and he's telling them that's what he's doing. That's not necessarily bad, but it is nationalistic and is done out of fear.

[TheAnvil 0]

I think the sort of Bush supporter you just described is more akin to what liberals wish were the common GWB supporter. They simply can't fathom that their views don't resonate with everyone and automatically assume everyone who disagrees with them has a greater probablility of being a mindless drone than someone who does agree with them.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[Zennie 0]

- got us out of the Clinton/Gore recession

He did? News to me.

- great first tax cut

Which was accompanied by increased military spending (due to an unnecessary war) and resulted in the biggest budget deficit in history

- got rid of the atrocious executive order giving unionized companies unfair advantages in bidding for certain contracts

And gave them instead to Halliburton?

- told the Kyoto idiots to go fuck themselves

Kyoto? Hell this administration has told the whole WORLD to go fuck themselves.

- modified draconian EPA standards so power plants could modernize sans bankruptcy

OK this one I agree with.

OK, that's ONE marginally good thing in 4 years.

Stellar record there.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[wmw999 2,146]

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They simply can't fathom that their views don't resonate with everyone and automatically assume everyone who disagrees with them has a greater probablility of being a mindless drone than someone who does agree with them.

Pot -- kettle -- pot

I hear the same thing from the conservative side about liberals, too. Frankly, I hear it stated that way more often (but then I'm liberal).

The more we work on points instead of ideologies, the more likely we are to find things in common with each other.

Yes, even you Anvil

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[PhillyKev 0]

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I think the sort of Bush supporter you just described is more akin to what liberals wish were the common GWB supporter. They simply can't fathom that their views don't resonate with everyone and automatically assume everyone who disagrees with them has a greater probablility of being a mindless drone than someone who does agree with them.

Not true at all. You posted your list of things you like that he has done. You're also the only one who has. And like Zennie said, if you ask Bush supporters this question, you rarely get an answer. It usually comes back to war on terror and 9/11.

Try an experiment. Go to a local blue collar bar. And strike up conversation. Find out who supports Bush and ask them the question. You'll see what I mean.

I'm not talking about the people who research info, disucss politics, and stay up with current events. They are the vast minority, you can't dispute that. I'm talking about the rest of society. They vote too, and it's interesting, and alarming to me that many of them pick Bush based on nothing more than why many people will pick Kerry based on F911. Sound bites, talking points, and fear.

[kallend 1,644]

He has given us a record deficit that will last beyond the farthest predictions of the OMB.

But he saved some money by cutting expenditures on veterans' care.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Zennie 0]

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But he saved some money by cutting expenditures on veterans' care.

And I'm sure we also saved a truckload by not giving our troops something so trivial as body armor.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[Luv2Fall 0]

I support President Bush out of Nationalistic fear.

[storm1977 0]

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- got us out of the Clinton/Gore recession

He did? News to me.

Well, let me be the first to tell you... The recession is over! Has been for a while now!


Anyone... What was the longest recession in US history? Am I wrong in saying a recssion has never lasted more than 13 months or something like that?

Chris

-----------------------------------------------------
Sometimes it is more important to protect LIFE than Liberty

[TheAnvil 0]

You're not a JACKASS.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[kelpdiver 2]

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[
Well, let me be the first to tell you... The recession is over! Has been for a while now!

Anyone... What was the longest recession in US history? Am I wrong in saying a recssion has never lasted more than 13 months or something like that?

Comforting words to anyone out of work (or overseas) of course. Employment traditionally is a trailing indicator for the economy, and it still appears to be trailing. Academic definitions of 'recession' are somewhat less important.

Back on topic - I think removing the top tax brackets implemented in the 90s was a welcome step, but sadly it was not coupled with reduced spending and in fact quite the opposite.

[TheAnvil 0]

I'd agree with you that the average voter is extremely naive with respect to the majority of issues facing the nation, yet still disagree.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[pajarito 0]

This......is a jackass!

[PhillyKev 0]

So Far, Economic Recovery Tilts
To Highest-Income Americans

WSJ Online...need to sign up.

Quote

Weekly earnings for production workers and nonsupervisors at service companies, adjusted for inflation, were down 2.6% in June from a year earlier. This slip might be transitory, and it wasn't anywhere near the drops of 5% to 7.5% registered in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Still, it was the largest decline since 1991, and it is a shift from the late 1990s and even the 2001 recession, when real wages were increasing.

[TheAnvil 0]

That's one of my 23rd cousins or something. We don't claim him.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[PhillyKev 0]

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This......is a jackass!

No kidding!! Always bugs me when people wear sunglasses on their head instead of over their eyes. Jackasses!!!

[TheAnvil 0]

That's a personal attack! I NEVER wear my sunglasses over my eyes like that!

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[PhillyKev 0]

It's ok, that's not the only criteria, you still qualify.

That ^^^^ is a personal attack

[pajarito 0]

That's one of my favorites. That guy was on a PSYOP team co-located with us at my team's safehouse in Afghanistan. He was a real goofball but we liked him.