In Defense of Bush

Salvete.

George W. Bush was no superstar. He was not the savior of the world, and his policies weren't that good, either. Of course, everyone knows this by now, and he has been mercilessly mocked, ridiculed, and shamed for his policies and, more emphatically, his accent. While the Bush's reputation is all but destroyed in the eyes of the left, the right has managed to view Bush in a slightly-positive light until recent years. I think it is time to recognize that, while Bush was no hero, he certainly was no villain.

I think the source of the hatred of Bush derives from the Iraq War and the accompanying invasions of personal freedom. No one assaults Bush's economic policies because, quite frankly, no one cares. Ergo, for the purpose of keeping this post relatively short, I will address the Bush's behavior in Iraq.

Probably the largest catalyst of the Iraq War was the 9/11 bombing. America was dazed and confused, and she wanted heads to roll because of this. To my memory, the only tragedy to come close to having the devastation and horror that accompanied 9/11 was the Pearl Harbor bombing. What happened after Pearl Harbor? We went to war; heads simply needed to roll. We put aside the failed economic policies of Roosevelt and even the fact that America was still in recession to weaponize the American people and fight the Axis juggernaut. What happened after 9/11? We went to war; heads simply needed to roll. That said, whereas World War II was fully supported by the American people and gave America glory and victory, the Iraq War was mediocrely supported by the American people and gave America a victory that she couldn't sink her teeth into. Whereas people were fine sacrificing their belongings and luxuries to beat the Nazi threat, no one needed to sacrifice anything to beat the Iraqi threat, but compliance was a good start. Thus was born the Department of Homeland Security and the endless bureaucracy that ensued.

Was it Bush's fault? Perhaps, just as it was Wilson's fault for allowing America to march herself into World War I before fully embracing American propaganda. It's not indefensible, and we surely should cut the ex-president some slack. It's not everyday that someone is in the tight situation that he was in. And it's not like he emboldened our enemies, overthrew two stable governments, and had our ambassador shot. Yes, Obama, we are still angry about Ambassador Stevens.