"Action will remove the doubt that theory cannot solve."
- Tehyi Hsieh, Chinese educator, writer, diplomat
Andrew Sullivan, in his Time Magazine article, "George W. Bush: Radical Gambler," discusses the paradoxical behavior of the man who is our president:
"He campaigned as a bipartisan conciliatory; yet under his presidency, the U.S. has become even more culturally and politically bifurcated. He promised a foreign poloicy based on humility and contempt for nation building; but his Administration has embarked on the most ambitious nation-building project since World War II. He pledged centrist, inclusive conservatism, and yet he has supported a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and has courted the religious right. He was touted as a fiscal conservative, but he has hugely expanded government."
And how have we reacted to these inconsistencies?
"For all this, he is both loved and reviled. He is loved for his undeniable charm, good humor and geniality. He is reviled for excessive rigidity, indifference to those outside his political orbit and lack of reflection and curiosity."
Sullivan goes on to praise our president for the manner in which he led our country immediately following 9/11, citing his speeches, which calmed and rallied us, and his military response against the regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq that were supporting terrorism with funding, training and safe havens.
Mr. Sullivan believes that history will judge Bush based primarily on his success or failure in the Middle East:
"The war will be the prism through which he will be judged. If successful, his battle against terrorism and campaign for democratization in the Middle East will be viewed as a hinge of history...But if deemed a failure, the war will stamp his legacy as having created a more bitterly divided country and a more chaotic, fractured world."
All in all, Sullivan has presented an insightful, concisely written overview of our 43rd president and how he thinks history will judge him. It's worth a read, and while you're at it check out Sullivan's weblog, The Daily Dish. There's some good stuff there. I especially enjoy the Essay section on the left sidebar.
1 comment:
I am a retired 68 year old former Clinical Lab director and for a 2nd career 25 years as a high tech procurement manager for international companies and believe I have both my philosophical and political feet on the ground. We read the great writings of all these pundits on G. Bush and wonder where they get their underpinnings. We see a figure, a functionary of the far, far right trying to even the score for a failed father. Very sad. He utilized the good tools of the nation: its treasury, its invaluable youth. Where did this guy ever get the right to lie to the nation, leading us into a molasses mess that we will never, ever shed?
On top of this he has turned the world against us. My wife & I just returned from a trip to Europe, visiting France, Germany and her families country, Norway. We spoke to many people about where America is going. To a person they all said they thought we had made a serious, long lasting mistake and the it will come back to haunt both us and the world. When asked about their misgivings they fault G. Bush and his fascist cronies. They do not fault the American people. After much pondering on their viewpoint, I finally decided they are right and we must make a change on November 2. I urge all of you who read this to search your soul and ask some hard questions of yourselves.
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