January 27, 2005
Why I don't like George W. Bush
By Nathan Nance
Byron wrote a post after Inauguration Day about Bush's speaking ability to speak in public. Most, if not all, of us not only can't stand the content, but the way he speaks. He's just a horrible speaker.
It's taken 4 years and countless blunders by the administration, but it finally clicked for me why I don't like him.
I was driving down the road listening to a song on the radio and I remembered how he referred to Sept. 11th; as a day of fire. At the heart of that lies this belief that it was a day that God called him to greatness. The rhetoric that he uses makes it seem like a grandiose event; he's using eloquent words to describe a day of indescribable brutality. I think that somehow belies the reality of the situation, that thousands died by an act of cowardice by small, petty men.
That rhetoric lifted what was an act of cowardice into some epic struggle of good vs. evil. I think I see some measure of selfishness and ego in that, and it lifts these small men into giants. That gives them a bullhorn to shout their stupidity at the rest of the world.
Sept. 11th was real, it was brutal. People died, bodies were mangled beyond recognition and buildings were felled. It was ugly. We don't need Bush using soaring rhetoric to describe it, we need him to talk about what happened, the reality of it. We were there, we experienced it; we can take it.
And the thought that maybe he's using this event because he thought it was his shot at greatness in an otherwise unremarkable presidency, or as political cover for his other failed policies makes me not like him.
Nate can be reached at nate_nance@yahoo.com.
Posted by Nathan Nance at January 27, 2005 03:09 PM
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Caught the "bullhorn" connection, trying to encourage the firefighters and rescuers on September 14th is "soaring rhetoric"? Egotistical? I think not, and I believe many of our fellow citizens think not, even more than the 62 million who voted for him.
By your statement President Clinton's Presidency was an "otherwise unremarkable" Presidency.
I doubt you will agree with me on that point!
Peter - it seems difficult to imagine than many of the 62 million who voted for Bush did so because of his inspiring rhetoric. Of course he is immensely egotistical. Bush struck fear in our hearts to justify the war in Irag and did so again to win election. But even now, Americans are clearly demonstrating "buyer's remorse". This will be a very lame "lame duck" term, simply because most of us disagree with virtually every major legislative and policy priority of the Bush administration...just stay tuned.
And he is trying to use fear to get Congress to change the Social Security System.
I too have felt like President Bush took Sept. 11 too personally, as though the terrorists cared who was president at the time. I am surprised that more Americans don't feel the president is overemphasizing Sept. 11. Yes, it was a terrible tradegy that should serve as a wake up call but basing our entire foreign policy around a military response to terrorism is a mistake.
Stopping terrorism will take slow boring policework, not flashy military invasions. Whether or not invading Iraq was justified a lot of Iraqis have died. Right or wrong, they are still dead, that is simply a fact. Violence begets violence, that's just human nature. Just ask the British in Norhtern Ireland whether killing terrorists is the answer. That's in Europe for crying out loud and STILL they haven't achieved peace.
Oops, i disgressed pretty far there. Anyway, i disagree with Nate about Pres. Bush "using" Sept. 11 to push his agenda. I think he's sincere about democracy and liberty etc., I just don't think his plan is going to work. If you fail your motives are pretty irrelevant. I imagine the captain of the Titantic had good intentions as well, but the boat still sank like a stone.
