What elements of Bush administration policies do you agree with or approve of?

[financeguy]

Given that the majority of regulars on this forum are not fans of the Bush administration, I thought it might be interesting to consider what elements of their policies you agree with (if any).

For me a number spring to mind:

(1) As I have said before on here I generally approve of the Bush administration stance with regards to Northern lreland. They have made clear to the paramilitaries that it is up to them to verifiably disarm and then come forward to the negotating table - not the other way around. I agree with the thrust of this policy. Bill and Hils were too fond of photo-opportunities with Sinn Fein for my liking.

(2) Colombia. The Bush adminstration supports the elected government against the rebel groups/paramilitaries. While neither side is perfect in this conflict, I think they are right on this stance.

(3) After Enron collapsed the Bush adminstration put through legislation to reduce the likelihood of such a large scale corporate collapse recurring. Most if not all of these corporate scandals that emerged during the Bush adminstration - the reality is they were brewing under the Clinton administraton. I think that tightening up the legislation in relation to white collar wrongdoing was the right way to go and the Bush adminstration bit the bullet and put through the legislation (Sarbanes-Oxley etc)

(4) John Roberts seems to be a man of integrity and I think he was a pretty good appointee to the Supreme Court.

 

[blueyedpoet]

There was this one time where Bush......um......threw a baseball and I was like, that wasn't bad.
Edit:
Damn, I can't stand to just write that. Honestly, I find it very hard to approve of anything the Bush administration has done. I am grateful Bush has increased smart Aid to Africa and has dropped some of African's debt; I am grateful more Africans are on antirovial (or however you spell that word...if he ever mispronounces that word, I'm totally cutting him slack); and, I'm grateful he doesn't want to round up all illegal immigrants and send them to their respective countries.
With that said, I don't think the steps he's taken to helping Africa are nearly enough. I know dropping the debt is important, but we still attach so much unfair trade agreements to the debt drop.
I can't stand the way Bush's policies and stances hurt minorities. I think he is racist. Does he say, "I hate n*ggers!"? Probably not. HOwever, like most Americans, his racism exists in subtle and yet still harmful ways. His lack of sympathy or empathy for the victims of Hurricane Katrina was astounding. Do you remember how after the Florida hurricanes, right before the elections, he was there in that state helping immediately?
I actually think Bush, Cheney, Rummy, Paul W. should all be tried as war criminals.

 

[financeguy]

^ I kind of expected a few responses on those lines.

 

[blueyedpoet]

^ I kind of expected a few responses on those lines.

sorry...i added cause i felt like you might want something more

 

[financeguy]

sorry...i added cause i felt like you might want something more

Thanks.

 

[anitram]

First, I find the man repulsive on every level. Just in case there was confusion.

The one thing I do agree with him on is that at least he's not joining the ultra right wingnuts and their utter xenophobic behaviour when it comes to the immigration issue. I don't for a moment think he's being altruistic (there are businesses who benefit from illegal immigrants who happen to need their asses licked by W), but at least he's coming across as somebody less obsessive and offensive on the matter.

That's about it.

 

[blueyedpoet]

Thanks.

no prob. Immediately after i posted my original comment, i hit the edit button. In your shoes, I would've been a little upset.
Of course, I still did think Bush tossed a fairly good first pitch the other day.

 

[martha]

I can't think of a thing. But I'll keep trying.

 

[financeguy]

The one thing I do agree with him on is that at least he's not joining the ultra right wingnuts and their utter xenophobic behaviour when it comes to the immigration issue. I don't for a moment think he's being altruistic (there are businesses who benefit from illegal immigrants who happen to need their asses licked by W), but at least he's coming across as somebody less obsessive and offensive on the matter.

Yes I would agree with you here. Given that he is now well into his second term, he could probably increase his poll rating by trying to appeal to the hard line anti-immigrant vote but refrains from doing so (thus far, at least). I never thought the Bush family were racists. I would criticise them for a lot of things but not that. Bush senior is on record as saying that he was tempted to appeal to the anti-immigrant vote at one time during his career but refrained from doing so as it woudn't sit well with his conscience.

 

[Irvine511]

First, I find the man repulsive on every level. Just in case there was confusion.

The one thing I do agree with him on is that at least he's not joining the ultra right wingnuts and their utter xenophobic behaviour when it comes to the immigration issue. I don't for a moment think he's being altruistic (there are businesses who benefit from illegal immigrants who happen to need their asses licked by W), but at least he's coming across as somebody less obsessive and offensive on the matter.

That's about it.

took the words -- every last one of them -- right out of my mouth.

 

[BonosSaint]

1. I had no problem with us going into Afghanistan.
2. I'm not unhappy with Justice Roberts so far.

 

[verte76]

I supported him in Afghanistan against the Taliban, his policy in Africa is reasonably good, and he's handled the immigration issue well. I'm against everything else he's done.

 

[Bono's shades]

1. I think going into Afghanistan was the right thing to do, but in hindsight I think the troops should have been sent in sooner than early October. If they had gone sooner, maybe Osama wouldn't have gotten away.

2. I'm in favor of the African policies, except the part about the insistence on the AIDS funding only being allowed for education programs that are "abstinence only" That pisses me off.

3. I haven't studied Bush's guest worker proposal in much detail, but at least it seems to be a better idea than the other immigration reform proposals by the GOP.

4. I'm not sure this counts as a policy, but immediately after 9/11 he encouraged schoolchildren and others to donate to a special relief fund for Afghanistan.

As far as everything else, however, I've got just one thing to say -

 

[Kieran McConville]

No offence, financeguy, but why should the US president's (be he bush, clinton or freaking reagan) position on northern Ireland be of any interest to anyone? Yes there is an Irish community in the states but I'd say it's pretty diffuse as it is in Australia... imagine the Australian PM having a public statement to make about Nth Irish Troubles(!)

 

[Se7en]

i liked when he said the most important thing for us to do after 9/11 was go to the mall and spend our money like usual. i also like multi-billion dollar trade deficits with china. that's all i can think of at this time.

 

[financeguy]

i liked when he said the most important thing for us to do after 9/11 was go to the mall and spend our money like usual. i also like multi-billion dollar trade deficits with china. that's all i can think of at this time.

On the basis, presumably, of Marxist theory regarding periodic crises of capitalism, and the argument that eventually a major crisis would lead to its demise?

 

[financeguy]

No offence, financeguy, but why should the US president's (be he bush, clinton or freaking reagan) position on northern Ireland be of any interest to anyone? Yes there is an Irish community in the states but I'd say it's pretty diffuse as it is in Australia... imagine the Australian PM having a public statement to make about Nth Irish Troubles(!)

Yes, the Irish-American community is diffuse but elements of it are politicised, have influential lobby groups, etc.

Also, the US is the weathiest and most influential country in the world, so the policy of the US Presidency (not President) in relation to how it chooses to interact with other countries are indeed of interest.

 

[melon]

I think the Bush Administration has been a failure all around, actually.

Melon

 

[Se7en]

On the basis, presumably, of Marxist theory regarding periodic crises of capitalism, and the argument that eventually a major crisis would lead to its demise?

actually i'm just being an asshole.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Ok my personal opinion is that the Bush administration has no particular agenda beyond enriching the people who helped elect them. No wild conspiracies, just returning a favour. There are the 'New American Century' set of course, but I think Iraq was their moment to be mugged by reality.

Also I think any judgement on the Bush administration should be kept fairly separate from the personage of George W. Bush, as I see no evidence that he plays more than a figurehead role anyway. George Bush may well think that Bono is 'right on' with his goals for Africa, but I'm more interested in what the Congress agrees to sign off on.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Yes, the Irish-American community is diffuse but elements of it are politicised, have influential lobby groups, etc.

Also, the US is the weathiest and most influential country in the world, so the policy of the US Presidency (not President) in relation to how it chooses to interact with other countries are indeed of interest.

Again, no offence, but are you comfortable with that? I don't truly think the US presidency has a decisive influence on domestic affairs in Northern Ireland, but if it did... that's not actually necessarily such a great thing is it? The US presidency does not have to live in Northern Ireland. Furthermore its power and influence is a historical phenomenon that will pass into the ether just as surely as the mighty British Empire is now beyond living memory.

 

[AchtungBono]

Thank you very much for this thread.

I totally support President Bush on everything he is doing to fight the war on terror.

 

[Kieran McConville]

yeah guys, lets get down with the war on terror. Do let's.

 

[Anu]

I agree with education reform: school choice, homeschooling, charter schools, magnet schools (not No Child Left Behind generally, though). I am not anti public school per se, either.

Bush signed a small act that extends the late night light later into the Fall and brings it earlier into the Spring.

Living in the eastern part of the Central Time Zone, this is important. In the winter, it gets dark at like 4 or 5pm for us. By February, it was getting light in the morning by 5am.

Good idea for a thread. That took a lot for me to think of something. I generally dislike Bush more than a terminal disease.

Anu