Posted on 01/19/2009 11:00:59 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Editorial writers around the world have been taking their final printed whacks at George W. Bush, accusing the president of tarnishing America's standing with what many saw as arrogant and incompetent leadership. Some newspaper editorials, for all their criticism, suggested historians might just be kinder later on than those now writing first drafts of history. A success often cited by those seeking a silver lining was the United States' freedom from further homeland attacks following September 11.
Bush's successor, Barack Obama, will be sworn in as the 44th U.S. president on Tuesday.
"A weak leader, Bush was just overwhelmed in the job," said Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung under a headline: "The Failure." "He confused stubbornness with principles. America has become intolerant and it will take a long time to repair that damage."
Editorials hit out at Bush for two unfinished wars, for plunging the economy into recession, turning a budget surplus into a pile of debt, for his environment policies and tarnishing America's reputation with the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
Bush was given credit in some editorials for defending the United States against terror attacks after September 11, 2001.
Israel was most complimentary, of his intentions if not necessarily of his achievements.
"Of all the U.S. presidents over the past 60 years, it is hard to think of a better friend to Israel than George W. Bush," the Jerusalem Post daily wrote during Bush's final visit.
Last week columnist Caroline Glick wrote Bush "recognizes Israel and the U.S. share the same enemies and they seek to destroy us because we represent the same thing: freedom. But Bush never learned how to translate personal views into policy."
Canada's Toronto Star was categorical in its condemnation.
"Goodbye to the worst president ever," it declared.
(Excerpt) Read more at 960werc.com ...
“Editorial writers around the world have been taking their final printed whacks at George W. Bush,....”
What nonsense. Editorial writers will be taking whacks at Bush until “H” freezes over.
The change in Washington as sent the sales of kneepads to reporters, journalists and cookie cutter news anchors skyrocketing.
Don’t fool yourself. It will be far from the last.
We have at least 4 years of bad stuff to look forward to, and every last bit of it will be blamed on Bush.
The Euroweenies bashed Bush from the beginning along with their leftist buddies in America. Bash all you want...in the end the Supreme Court of the Universe will likely have a more favorable conclusion on GWB.
Last? Alas, I think not...
The press and the historians piled on Herbert Hoover for at least 50 years after he left office. If this economic disaster is as bad as I think it is, the same will happen to Bush.
And he will be at least partly to blame. No, he didn’t cause it, but he presided over some of the biggest government spending in history, and he did very little to rein in the financial abuses that brought us to this position. He also continued the opening to China begun by clinton, and presided over enormous and ever growing trade deficits.
Finally, he put people like Greenspan and Paulson in charge of the Fed and the Treasury. Possibly the worst appointment he ever made was Paulson, who was more responsible than anyone else for getting Obama elected—which will seal the certainty that this will be a Great Depression, perhaps the Greatest Depression.
By the time this is all over, crow could be an endangered species.
The kids voting today can’t remember that far back, so it’s not part of their perception. They get their news and facts from MTV.
That is true.
But Bush will be looked upon more *MUCH MORE* favorably when we are attacked again on our homeland soil.
Then they will realize that his policies at the very least kept us safe.
So they are saying George Bush plunged the economy into recession? How did he do that? The deficits? Obama seems driven to double the deficits.
No, it’s not as bad as the Carter years NOW. Certainly not. But I think we’ve only seen the start of a major mess. I hope I’m wrong.
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