Bush: U.S. Had Hand in European Divisions

AP ^ | Jennifer Loven

[federal]

I love this President Bush putting the blame for the USSR's occupation of eastern Europe squarely where it belongs, On the shoulders of FDR.

[cornelis]

The only natural conclusion, of course, is that Bush's speechwriter and advisors are following my posts (where I posted a picture of the Yalta trio as the appropriate response to Putin's latest nostalgia).

[mainepatsfan]

That'll tick off the Dems!

[ClaireSolt]

He's socking it to them, and I love it. It wasn't all FDR but also Truman, although you can chalk it up to FRD running for a 4th term when he was so sick.
Here's a succint statement of the new Bush doctrine:
"We will not repeat the mistakes of other generations _ appeasing or excusing tyranny, and sacrificing freedom in the vain pursuit of stability." ...The idea of countries helping others become free _ I would hope that would be viewed as not revolutionary, but rational foreign policy and decent foreign policy and humane foreign policy," Bush said. "I think countries ought to feel comfortable with having democracies on their borders."

[federal]

Hey the facts always tick the dems off, don't they?

[kitkat]

At last, a president with real courage, instead of well-phrased cover ups.

[Wiseghy]

The Dems picking FDR as their hero is a both a mistake a prime example of the problems with radical democratic leadership.

Supposedly social justice minded FDR imprisoned thousands of Japanese in 1942, in probably the worst example of American abuse of power in history.

FDR lied big time to the nation during his third election, professing adamantly, passionately and repeatedly his desire for neutrality, while concealing that he desperately wanted the US to be involved in WWII. Talk about lying about War!!!

FDR lied about his serious health problems in the '44 election. He placed the country in danger by negotiating the end of WWII in a seriously diminished capacity, while keeping Truman totally out of the loop. This resulted in the enslavement of millions for over 60 years behind the iron curtain.

Historians and economists now agree FDR's socialist policies did absolutely nothing to lower unemployment during the depression, which actually got worse under the New Deal. It is possible to argue that he gave hope to the country and prevented revolution, but that is an intangible that is very hard to measure in retrospect.

[eno_]

Bush said the agreement in 1945 at Yalta among President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill "followed in the unjust tradition of Munich and the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact."

Let's see if THAT quote makes my daughter's high school textbooks.

Not holding my breath.

[cornelis]

Yes.

Bush statement that "the Soviet domination of central and eastern Europe after World War II will be remembered as "one of the greatest wrongs of history" is a direct response to Putin who recently described the collapse of the Soviet Union as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century.

[cornelis]

And it's rhetoric of course, but a remarkably frank counterpoint. It's a viewpoint perfectly absent from the textbook captions, as eno_ noted.

[hermgem]

Very clear and precise language by Bush.
Poland will be grateful for Bush standing up in view of Putin just praising Polish incorporation into Stalin's sphere.
In view of Germany's Schroeder's love fest with Putin, Poland does not want to be left dangling by their European neighbor Germany and turn into a price of Schroeder gaining favoritism with Putin.
Should these European Airbus owners really express surprise when Poland's order for military and now civilian airliners went to U.S. manufacturers, as such purchases assure long term relationships?

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

Bump. Great to have a President who tells the truth about this tragedy.

[Chi-townChief]

The 40s version of Vietnam.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Good, about time FDR was 8itch slapped for his commie loving ways.

I remember his stupidity of saying, "he trusted his friend "Uncle Joe" and the one about, "there is nothing to fear from communists, some of my best friends are communists"

FDR was a puke.

[Tai_Chung]

... and let's not forget who "lost China".

[mthom]

FDR,Stalin, and Churchill. Well at least the west had one representative at Yalta.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

"FDR lied big time to the nation during his third election, professing adamantly, passionately and repeatedly his desire for neutrality, while concealing that he desperately wanted the US to be involved in WWII. Talk about lying about War!!!

Bingo!! The US helped defeat a murderous thug's evil system by FDR's policy of befriending and assisting an even greater evil murderous thug's hell and genocide behind his iron curtain.