Bush inherited peacetime. He sought out war.
He inherited budget surpluses. He sought out deficits.
He inherited a promise of a cure to numerous diseases. He threw away the cure, and chose the disease.
He inherited a relatively secure and stable Social Security trust fund. He proposed to "fix it" by risking it all in the stock market and bankrupt it.
He inherited an environment that was remarkably cleaner of water and air pollution as a result of clean air and water laws. He chose more pollution and fewer forests.
He inherited the goodwill of the world's people. He sought out their hatred.
He inherited a loosely organized and weak terrorist organization named Al Queda. He made them stronger and more organized.
Indeed, he inherited civil servants like Richard Clarke, who were hell bent on defending this nation from Al Queda, and a national security apparatus forged by Clinton that successfully thwarted planned terrorist attacks on the Millennium. His administration did not hold a counter terrorism meeting for nine months. He was clearing brush.
He received specific warnings before September 11th about Bin Laden's intent to strike at America. He tossed the report aside and cleared brush.
If you look at this President's legacy, a pattern emerges. No matter the problem or crisis, this President has always pursued policies and made decisions that universally made the problems we faced worse.
The uninsured, underinsured and our elderly at the mercy of for-profit insurance companies, pharmeucitical companies and HMOs? He solves the problem with a prescription drug bill that places the aforementioned even more at the mercy.
Yet, like a blind squirrel finding an acorn, he was given a huge chance to secure his legacy. Once again, after September 11th, 2001, the world was behind us, and the American people were behind him. Bush was given a mulligan. He had the chance to do right. He had the chance to solve many problems internationally. He could have led a worldwide coalition against terrorism. He could have pursued a true and lasting peace in Israel and Palestine. He could have taken the thunder and the motivation out of Bin Laden's sails.
The fairway was laid out in front of him.
Bush lined up the ball.... and swung for the trees.
We invade Afghanistan to destroy the Taliban and capture Bin Laden. But then we let Bin Laden go at Tora Bora.
With the job not nearly half complete in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we turn our attention to Iraq.
And look at the chaos that has brought.
And last week, we learned that the chaos we created would in turn bring more chaos to the world and most assuredly to America.
All Spin Zone:
In the slow blink of a blind eye, we are now being told that al Qaeda has fully reconstituted itself to a level similar to that before 9/11.
Five years and ten months after 9/11, the terrorist organization that attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon is as strong as ever. The same cannot be said of the United States.
Bush's solution?
Atrios describes it perfectly:
I'm probably not the only person who has played a game of Risk with someone who, when losing, decided the best course of action was to just give the board a good whack and scatter the pieces.
Yes, the solution to the chaos they created is more chaos, which of course, they will create. A war with Iran. When first confronted with Al Queda, Bush chose to fight Iraq. He is now confronted with Al Queda again, and he will choose to fight Iran.
It all fits the pattern of his presidency. He always chooses to make whatever problem he faces worse. He always chooses the path of most resistance. Of most peril. So the question is why? Chaos is a convenient distraction for typically, if a whole bunch of bad shit is goin' down in front of you, you are not paying attention to what is going on behind you. I have long been convinced that Bush and Cheney and their cabal have sought to use their time in the White House to plunder everything. Their plan is simply to cash in America's chips, and pocket what's left for themselves. But you just cannot figure out why, for normally the human instinct is to leave a better world for your children and grandchildren. Their intended and purposeful actions have made the world worse, by far.
We may never figure out why, but we do know one thing. On September 11th, as I said, Bush was given a mulligan. "No one could have foreseen" was an excuse given believable credibility even though it was untrue.
There will be no excuses next time.
So Mr. Chertoff better hope his gut feeling is gas. Because if it is not, he and his boss will be responsible for any American who dies at Bin Laden's hands.
Comments are closed on this story.