not since Harding

teejay

In a recent magazine article, the author follows a long line of others by arriving at the same conclusion whenever the subject is breeched. He said that current U.S. President George Walker Bush was "the most manifestly ill-qualified candidate thrown up by a major party since Warren Harding."

While I must admit that I know little of President Harding, in my lifetime no president (or candidate) prior to GWBush was ever as under-qualified for the office. Take note: the above quote includes not just "presidents" but "presidential candidates." This is a stunning remark, but one that easily holds up under even casual scrutiny. Even as bland Gerald Ford was, at least he had been a respected member of Congress for years before becoming Nixon's vice-presidential running mate and eventually prez. How did Dubya gain the nomination of the World's highest political office with such exceedingly poor credentials? Search me, although I have my suspicions.

However it happened, he wasted no time calling on recycled, well known, well established fixtures of past Republican regimes, most notably Dick Cheney as running mate. A fellow Yale alumnus, Cheney has served in various capacities since the early seventies, including deputy assistant to President Ford and then Chief of Staff. During Bush #1's reign, Cheney held the office of Secretary of Defense. It's a position he swapped with Donald Rumsfeld (depending on who was in town) who himself has resurfaced in Dubya's cabinet as, well, whadda ya know... Secretary of Defense

I thought of all this as a report last night told of where low-profile Cheney has been since NYC... at Camp David, the report said, quote "running various important elements of the government." The report mentioned that the plan until Friday night had been to keep the Vice-President (the real power, imo) and Bush in separate locations... "just in case." Right.

While Bush flies here and there, putting in appearances with patriotic and emotionally charged sound bites, choking back tears, one has to wonder what Cheney has been doing, a Vice-President who wields more power than any other in his position since the position was first created. I can't escape the mental image of Bush being told what to do and going along, not unlike a second-grader being ordered to go sit in the corner and dutifully complying. Imo, Cheney needs to be kept very, very safe and secure.

All of this would be intriguing, if not downright amusing, if it were merely a screenplay for a spy movie and not actually taking place right in front of us in real life.
--------------------------------------------

Something else that I see happening, again, in American foreign affairs, alluded to by Okidok in a link offered in the Conspiracy theories are going wild? thread:

Are America leaders so stupid and unable to learn from history that they simply CAN'T learn from past blunders? Or is something else going on?

The U.S. seems to have, again, made the "mistake" of establishing a foreigner in a position of power and leadership -- a bin Laden, this time -- only to find themselves in the position a few years later of spending billions and risking potentially thousands of young lives, taking on the former "friend" militarily. As it happened with Noriega and several other former friends in the recent past, in the 80s the CIA supported bin Laden economically and with high levels of military expertise and training in it's conflict with the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The CIA connection is being given little airplay. Hmmm, I wonder why. Now, American patriotism is being flamed to blistering intensity over hill and dale. Even GenXers are expressing a heretofore absent fervor for God and country.

"Let's go get 'em" everyone foams at the mouth. Yes, let's go get the man we trained, financed and openly supported in our fight against the Evil Empire who, by the way, is now a friend, and the about-face of this former foe is not the only one in evidence. Even archenemy Cuba is reportedly rallying to America's side and against terrorism. Whuh? Cuba? You must be joking... but I'm not.

At least one reputable media outlet, The Christian Science Monitor, has taken note of the increasing friendliness between virtually every nation in the world, uniting a widely divergent set of nations into a cohesiveness seldom seen in our lifetime. The title of the article: "A New World Order?"http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0914/p1s1-uspo.html.

Satanus

TJ

Actually, in the big picture, a pattern emerges. Noreiga installed by the USA. Castro installed by USA. Shah of iran installed by USA. Russia, an ally of the USA in ww2 was built up by the lend lease program. Before that, the bolshevik revolution recieved several huge infusions of USA money and would not have succeeded without them. Hitlers germany also recieved much aide from USA corporations. China has also been opened up and basically had its booming economy built up by USA groups since henry kissenger and nixon. The pattern.... the USA produces its own enemies. Strange, very strange. Possibly hegel gives the reason. Read hegel.

S

bigboi

Tj:

Ths US is probably the most widespread and influential power since Rome. Rome too was drawn into many conflicts with countries that they had once supported. Some country would come to Rome for assistance, if Rome could get some sort of advantage then they would help. Eventually the country Rome supported would win out and it would grow weary of the influence Rome now held over them in return for that assistance. Next thing you know said country and Rome were at war. Rome would kick their ass, then resettle and rebuild em. It is eerily similar in the U.S.

I think that similarity comes from somethings we have in common with Rome. We are an economically strong and diverse. We have great military strength. We are situated ideally geopraphically ad have huge food reserves. Rome held all these same advantages, especially before the death of the Republic. The position we occupy in the world is a complex one. Someone always seems to want something from us. We are of course interested if it will help advance our own interests. In this way we will always be drawn into conflicts. This may very well prove to be our undoing though.

ONE....

bigboi

"life's a bitch a with a g-string and a twelve pack of Busch."

teejay

SaintSatan,

Actually, in the big picture, a pattern emerges...

My point. Since we know the pattern, was might be the final garment?

tj

Satanus

TJ

Do you mean what will be the end result. The end result is always the same. Bigboi shows the obvious similarity that the USA has to the roman empire. It came, it saw, it conquored, it broke up. Everything that rises, falls. How much time before the fall is the question. I apologise ahead of time to patriots.

S

larc

bigboi,

I thought your post was most interesting. I hadn't thought of the comparison between ourselves and the Romans in this partcular regard. From what you write, it appears that the whole process is expected and perhaps the unwanted, negative long term consequence (of short term aid that is initially mutually beneficial) are inevitable.

I am impressed with this thread and one other that you did on an historical subject. I have to say that history is one of my weaker areas, though I enjoy learning in this area.

bigboi

had to turn off the email feature

"life's a bitch a with a g-string and a twelve pack of Busch."

sf

"How did Dubya gain the nomination of the World's highest political office with such exceedingly poor credentials? Search me,..."

Yes, "search me" says all search engines on this "subject". The results are endless. Thus, we can never ever completely put this "Puzzle" to-gether.

A "Puzzle" by Design.

sKally, WWW Klass

teejay

... just a thought...

Has anyone else considered the timing of the airing of HBO's $120 series Band of Brothers, the rousing, pariotism-inducing homage to a collection of intrepid WWII American soldiers that will run, one episode per week, over the next ten weeks?

I know it's nothing more than coincidental, but how its airing now must surely move young men and women, thus far deprived of the opportunity to "do their duty," to search out any and all available induction centers and sign up, without delay.

tj

bigboi

Larc:

I too think it is to be expected. We simply are too attractive an ally to countries all around the world.

Take for instance Saddam Hussein. I think we supported him to lessen the power if Iran. He probably thought he would be allowed a free hand in the Middle East for his labors. Of course we couldn't allow that. That would have been too much power for him to have and would put our own intersts at home and abroad in jeopardy. He didn't agree with that and didn't think the U.S. would want to fight anyway. So he takes Kuwait. We of course take him totally by surprise with a more sophisticated air attack and a ground offense from behind instead of the anticipated amphibious assault from the sea. We leave him in though to sustain the balance of power in the region. If we had taken him out, then ol Iran (who was still and enemy at the time) would be a problem with no buffer. That would have put us back in square one all over again.

However, it's now created a whole new situation. Islamic extremists are upset at the treatment of their fellows. Osama bin Laden and his cronies have decided that the only way o get rid of U.S. influence in the area is to frcibly kick us out or create so much strife at home that our government has to get out. And the world turns.

ONE....

bigboi

"life's a bitch a with a g-string and a twelve pack of Busch."

not since Harding

Share this