Bush presidency was test of resilience of democracy toward idiot at position of President. Democracy has failed.
The term Imperial Presidency is invented out of a naive concern that president of United States of America could grab too much power diminishing constitutional principles of checks and balances branches of government. Why such concern can be fairly described as naive? The reason is that there is nothing especially bad or dangerous in concentration of power if hands of on clever and sane human being. History gives us a gallery of Great Rulers who single handed move their peoples to jump big deal on the road of progress. Unfortunately the list of Great Failures is probably even longer. Sort of interesting that collective leadership like parliaments and juntas are not awarded by human memory thankful appreciation too.
It is save to say that Imperial Presidency is good or bad depend only on personality of occupier of Oval Office. He is better to be not idiot, has moral values, some honesty, interest of country in mind… Up to this point I believe nothing controversial was told.
Russian anecdote:
- Ivan, why do you want to be The Czar?
- I will czar out hundred rubles and skedaddle!
To not familiar with Russian mentality the kicking point of the joke is that in Russian language “char out” is sound emotionally like “to steal in crowd from a purse”. Funny controversial that ordinary man could think about major position in country only in terms of extraction very small profit for himself. Mark Twain in “The Prince and the Pauper” played out the situation of instant rise to power for the sort of random gay from crowd. That story is optimistically sunny like most of Mark Twain’s. But it could be strikingly differ by only a chance if the Pauper was bad man became the Big Evil on throne. What could prevent it?
Democracy.
Democracy is “Power to the People”. There is no commonly accepted definition of the democracy as soon nobody can make exact separation People from human beings. Startling paradox produces constitution of USA. In Preamble founding furthers named themselves “We the People of the United States” and then 39 people signed the document. That is rare case when were could know names of all People in democratic country. Sadly all people are dead for now.
One can claim that any country is the Democracy if we just define ruling class as People and all others as workers and consumers or both. In absolute monarchy there is only one Person all others are not. Too cynically? Athenian democratic society is a sort of poster example. Citizens use to have slaves. Population is never equal to People. People are elite of population and the real problem is the procedure of selection best of them.
Election versus Information.
Everybody has troubles to choose meal when attending restaurant first time. There are fancy names of meals, some ingredients are mentioned, you can talk with servant if know language… Finally quality and amount satisfaction from food are a pure luck, product of your intuition, social networking and deepness of valet.
Much puzzling decision average citizen has to do at Election Day. He needs to elect Highest Ruler of whole society, many thanks to Creator and Founding Fathers only for limited time. Average person is quite stupid. His IQ = 100 by definition that is not impressive at all. What even funnier, nobody has to pass any knowledge test about his choice. Presumption is that mass media produces so much buzz that everybody who bothers to show up at election booth is fully informed. Maybe yes, maybe not. Do you know exact number of planes crashed by McCain? It doesn’t matter for now. Sure, post-factum, it is not. There was a situation when system works. My hypothesis that it was direct result of previous very curious case of George W. Bush that raise awareness of information holders and distributors about importance their job to avoid very serious consequences for society.
The only excuse for democracy as system is that it is still best of existing constructions of human society. “Existing” here is a key word. I would like to outline what could be better but it is a subject for future article and most important will be product of natural evolution of spreading of relevant information via internet. Here we have vivid illustration what could happen if old system is abused in very brutal and cynical manner.
Catastrophe.
One could describe Bush’s Presidency as very successful test of democracy to be not fool proof. System spectacularly fails under ordinary idiot acted like Emperor. We know now for sure that it is not fool proof thanks to George. Professional historians will write books with lot of letters any maybe some few numbers in them. They will read books of each other and discuss them in close ring of holders of access to documents. Their conclusion is known in advance – mistakes were made but intentions were noble. Professional historians are paid for their job. Grant givers are rich people these are most possible are members of Republican Party. We the ordinary victims just disgust the gay.
No argue about mistakes except their definition are very subjective. What I am trying softly formulate here is that intentions of George W. Bush were criminal.
There were three major goals planed to achieve by George W. Bush as president of United States of America by any cost and any means. First is to be reelected for second term to show his father who is real looser. Second or first by emotional tense is to murder Saddam Hussein. Third is to pay back his giving friends in oil community.
There is nothing wrong to want two terms presidency if the desire does not prevents to make best solutions for country. Economy in 2001 was on the brink of serious recession. It had strong fundamentals with one extraordinary weakness – IT bubble bursting all around. Right solution was to explain public that investments into Internet stocks for most of players were gamble but we all of us got new toy. And move on from new low. Actually right move in economy for government in 2001 was to do nothing to mediate share market crash and concentrate on accommodation of army of IT-people laid off from good paid positions. To leave free market alone and retrain professionals. Politically it is not too glorious actions to brag about… What was actually done is bailing out investors by lowering interest rate to almost zip, cutting taxes to rich and deficit spending with unprecedented rate. Allegorically speaking laid off head of household instead of looking for new job abuses credit cards. Some time everybody without brain was happy. Average electorate has not too much of it. Bush was reelected. First mission was accomplished. Are you happy now?
Saddam Hussein personally insults George H. Bush by remaining a president after losing First Gulf War. Even more he installs a mosaic of US President First Bush on floor al-Rashid hotel in Baghdad forcing shoe to be in touch with his face. The only possible way to murder Saddam Hussein was a war. Wars were provoked, sold to public and executed by cheap. Saddam Hussein was hanged high. Were or not George masturbated online looking on the agony of personal enemy of his clan is most classified state secret. But it doesn’t matter at all. Collateral death of thousand innocent victims is matter some may think. Constitutional freedoms are pity to lose. Respect to law… What else?
Price of oil during first seven and half years of George W. Bush presidency consistently trended up. The claim was that market is free, word economy is booming, oil is on demand and plus it is limited resource close to completely exhaustion. Real reason for price of oil was skyrocketing were single-handed decision of George to buy oil into strategic petroleum reserve by any price available. A balance of offer and demand for oil on word market was artificially heat up in favor of demand. It was until May of 2008 when record prices of gas sink down consumers to politically unacceptable level of pain. Congress hit the brake suspending deliveries to the stockpile of reserves while the price of oil was too high. In two month trend was inverted to bearish and price of oil fall more than tree times. Record profits of oil companies are in past of criminal presidency. Amen?
Language and deeds.
He speaks about “culture of life” and murders innocent people at war. He talks about freedom and spy on everybody. He proclaims “ownership society” and bankrupts whole economy. He makes government looks like mafia.
He is asking sympathy to be forced to make difficult decisions. I feel nothing for him. I don’t believe that he deserves to be part of human society.
Initially submitted at Jan. 16, 2009; 17:32
Nothing is to add about Bush. The only natural instinct when mention name Bush is disgust. It was big mistake to remain about pushing forward poor Jeb.
Dec. 4, 2017; 09:36 EST