Bad Day For President Bush
*Iran has enriched uranium.
*U.S. crude futures rose 24 cents to $68.98 a barrel, bringing prices within striking distance of the all-time high $70.85 hit last August after Hurricane Katrina leveled U.S. oil platforms and refineries.
*Italian elections may strip the president of another Iraq war ally in Silvio Berlusconi (who is calling for a recount), with staunch US partner Tony Blair barely holding on in Britain.
*The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 38 percent of the public approve of the job Bush is doing, down three percentage points in the past month and his worst showing in Post-ABC polling since he became president. Sixty percent disapprove of his performance.
*A loud mixture of cheers and boos greeted Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday as he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals baseball game.
posted by John | 6:24 PM
6 Comments:
to be honest, i read things like this with mixed emotion.
because i really hate old GW.
for a while, i would get really excited when his approval points would go down, or yet another nation would have the balls to disagree with the US.
but, now?
things are starting to look bad.
and as much as I want the world--including the US--to acknowledge the terrible wrongness of most of the things that have been going on, i also have a bit of a self-preservation instinct that starts to kick in when i think of the logical end to all these matters...
ok, i just stumblled across this blog and left a humble little comment.
then, i scrolled down and read the full-blown comment wars that go on here.
so, i just want to apologize for sticking my comment in.
i would take it back, if i could.
please don't yell at me.
It's all good Tiffany. We love to go at it sometimes, but it is all in the spirit of free debate. One of the reasons that I love to come to this blog is that you can certainly find multiple opinions at just about any time on just about every topic.
Tiffany said:
"to be honest, i read things like this with mixed emotion."
I understand, madame. Don't worry. The only people I have a real problem with are the hard-core Bush-haters.
"because i really hate old GW."
Excuse me?
"for a while, i would get really excited when his approval points would go down, or yet another nation would have the balls to disagree with the US."
Uh-huh. Right. Now see here, you...no, no, nevermind. Please. Continue.
"but, now?"
Yes. And understand, Tiffany, that the *real* problems I've always been most concerned with--as an American citizen-- are not fellow citizen's prerogatives to follow their own personal likes and dislikes about characters or policies, but the demonstrable fact that many citizens who have a personal antipathy for Bush (for many reasons ranging from his privileged background to his Evangelical faith to the way he walks and talks to the fact that he decimated liberalism and has now forced them to triangulate even further to the right) have let that antipathy cloud the big picture of American interests in a very competetive world that would love to see the U.S. knocked off of its high horse no matter what administration is in power.
"things are starting to look bad."
Yes. And they're not all George Bush's fault. He is not blameless as to the cause of every negative issue, to be sure, but he has America's best interests in mind in a world that is changing quickly and dramatically and poses many challenges in the endeavor to not only keep us at the vanguard of progress, but to maintain our excellent standard of living, the integrity of our ideals, and our sovereignty to boot, all of which are constantly and insidiously undermined by global competition, fluctuating, economic variables, the Culture War, and stuff like illegal immigration (along with, of course, the rising tide of Jihadism the world over).
Those are the realities every single culturte that is not isolated had to deal with throughout history since the beginning of civilization.
At the same time, we have to remain true to our ideals, our liberal openness, our embracing of the melting pot society, our good ol' American hospitality, and avoid the natural urge to recoil into xenophobic isolationism when Order begins to resemble Chaos.
Americans in general have learned to take much for granted and have gotten spoiled, I'm afraid, and think that the status quo is best preserved by not rocking the boat.
But the boat must be rocked from time to time in tune with the waves, or it will rock--and sink-- on its own in choppy shark-infested waters not of its making.
Anything that cannot adapt to changing circumstances is doomed.
Anyway, when you say "Things are starting to look bad," you're not referring to the present adminstration, because, based on your words, they looked bad to you long ago.
You are recognizing the nature of the world, and that America cannot be complacent.
The irony is that the veterans in the administration knew that long ago, and have been trying to do something about it before it is too late.
They're not "incompetent." They're very smart men and seasoned pros in world affairs having lived through--and overcoming--other great obstacles of American history.
This is a very noisy period, though, and it's difficult to get the message out because of the ruthless garbling by the political opposition.
"and as much as I want the world--including the US--to acknowledge the terrible wrongness of most of the things that have been going on, i also have a bit of a self-preservation instinct that starts to kick in when i think of the logical end to all these matters..."
I'm glad.
"ok, i just stumblled across this blog and left a humble little comment.
then, i scrolled down and read the full-blown comment wars that go on here.
so, i just want to apologize for sticking my comment in.
i would take it back, if i could.
please don't yell at me."
Why YOU...!!!
Phelonius said:
"It's all good Tiffany. We love to go at it sometimes, but it is all in the spirit of free debate. One of the reasons that I love to come to this blog is that you can certainly find multiple opinions at just about any time on just about every topic."
Yeah. What James (i.e. Phelonius) said. ;)
Tiff,
Don't run off just yet; most of the lefty righty battles here are all in good fun. There are a few of us lefty's who take on old republicus from time to time.
Just don't take any of it personally, opinions are like aholes; everyone's got one.
Don't let righties scare you away, thats what they want, they figure if they shout you down and question your patriotism that they've won. If you keep quite, they do win; just shout back at em and we might be able to send them packing for once.
Yeah, thanks a lot, Sanjay.
Post a Comment
<< Home