Former president George w. Bush isn't plagued with regrets over his bungled years in the White House. On the 10th anniversary of his spectacular failed war in Iraq and with Afghanistan heading in the same direction, Bushie says, "I'm comfortable with what I did."
Breaking a silence that he maintained through the costly war's 10th
anniversary, Mr Bush said it was ''easy to forget what life was like
when the decision was made'' to invade.
Shrugging off sharp criticism of his legacy from his
successor, Barack Obama, Mr Bush also urged Republicans to return to
''the principles that guided me'' to recapture the White House.
Despite his party's shift to the right, he stood by the
so-called ''compassionate conservatism'' of his tenure. ''These are
principles that need to be articulated and defended as time goes on,''
he said.
Mr Bush left office in January 2009 with a public approval
rating of just 22 per cent - the lowest for a departing
commander-in-chief in the 70-year history of the Gallup poll.
''People are surprised'' to discover his new pastime [painting], said the former
president, who was frequently mocked for his garbled syntax. ''Of
course, some people are surprised I can even read.''
It is indescribably sad that a human, directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of other humans, does not express doubts or remorse for his actions.
ReplyDeleteIt is even more sad to consider that, under the right circumstances, anyone of us would have made the same decisions.
We should place ourselves on the endangered species list.
It is sad indeed. Bear in mind that this is also a guy who felt he was doing God's will. He said just that to Paul Martin.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that we all would have made those same decisions under the "right circumstances." What circumstances? If the circumstances are significantly different how could that have resulted in the "same decision"?
I meant that humans are capable of any action, under the right conditions. In other words, I think humans are capable of doing things that we can not imagine ourselves ever doing. That's just the one of the characteristics of the animal that we are.
ReplyDeleteAn examination of the history of any war should make this point evident.
Those who claim they are guided by "God's will" don't admit mistakes.
ReplyDeleteGod wouldn't. Why should they?
Anon, aren't many of the best moments in mankind's history those in which people do the right thing despite the temptations or compulsions of circumstances? In some cases they wind up martyred for it and yet they take the consequences willingly.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Mound. The things we can not imagine ourselves doing could be good things or bad things. Frequently they are bad things. but sometimes they are good things. I doubt that Gandhi imagined his future actions while studying law at an English university.
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