Commentary by Jay Scott Kanes

“Eight years is enough. Eight weeks was enough…. My God, I truly thought it would never end,” said Michael Moore, an Academy Award winning film-maker from Michigan. “Now we have a chance to redeem our country, to prove we’re better than what Bush has made of us.”

Led by President Bush, a Republican of modest intelligence and limited ability, the U.S. fumbled on one issue after another – everything from terrorism, wars, chasing Osama bin Laden and torturous interrogations at Guantanamo Bay to climate change, Hurricane Katrina, soaring budget deficits and the economy.

Bush’s unpopularity circles the globe. He’s “soon to depart, not widely lamented”, said Chris Patten, a former British governor of Hong Kong. While touring Asia to tout a new book, Patten chided the Bush administration for violating human rights, not protecting them.

“The West should talk more about human rights,” Patten said. “Other countries should talk more about them too. The trouble is that when the West talked about human rights in the last few years, people replied by comparing to Guantanamo Bay and to that demeaning debate in the White House about if it’s acceptable to torture people.”

Bush’s blunders resurfaced as Patten discussed the world economic crisis. “What’s gone wrong is due to bad macroeconomic policy by national governments that allowed borrowing and debt to reach unprecedented levels,” Patten said.

In Barack Obama, Patten anticipates “an American president who is concerned about mankind’s opinions, rather than ignoring them or saying they’ll be considered only if vetted by Karl Rove or Dick Cheney”.

Considering how Bush mishandled nearly everything, the White House doors may slam shut, bashing him on the behind as he leaves. Farewell to George! What an improvement once he’s gone.




Years of incompetence by Bush leave
his successor with a huge burden.
(SARAsen Cartoon)



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