Why Bush is the Hated Scapegoat

Off Topic Politics and World Issues
21

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
I get where you’re going with this, and it’s not a bad critique of democracy, or modern mass democracy anyway. But using it to exonerate Bush is pretty stupid. Guy’s a two-term president, had his own party in Congress for six years, ton of political capital in the wake of 9/11. And what do we get? A military disaster, worse discretionary spending than LBJ, politics trumping policy, and the possible slide of the GOP into being a long-term minority policy (watch)…We’re talking about the worst president since Carter at the very least, and possibly the worst ever. Find a better target.[/quote]

Touche!

22

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
My point is that Bush or anyone else has very little peogative when it comes down to it; not because of any conspiracy but because of how the system is designed.

How would you get rid of the Department of Education? How would you reform Social Security? Answer: you can’t. Every item has a pressure group behind it. Do anything, and you’ve got opposing Congressmen and lawsuits staring at you.

Basically, our government is like the Three Stooges, trapped in a room with a machine gone berzerk while they push every button. Do we blame the stooge who’s at the helm when the machine explodes? Ludicrous.

You guys are thinking of the government as if it were a small business where the CEO has real input.[/quote]

On certain things. On certain things. People who have little understanding of how government works have unfairly criticized Bush on certain areas and economic issues the President has very little power and control over. He’s made some disastrous and horrendous foreign policy decisions, an area the President has near plenary power over. He’s made horrible budget and financial decisions, an area the president has signficant control over. He’s also opposed some solid initiatives of others and some his own proposed iniatives have often been abismal. He really can’t be faulted for something like Social Security. He hasn’t come up with a way to solve the issue, but no one else has either. and it’s questionalb whether a good solution exists. People do blame Bush for things he really can’t be blamed for. But he has also simply been a bad president and made many bad choices in many areas.

23

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
My point is that Bush or anyone else has very little peogative when it comes down to it; not because of any conspiracy but because of how the system is designed.

How would you get rid of the Department of Education? How would you reform Social Security? Answer: you can’t. Every item has a pressure group behind it. Do anything, and you’ve got opposing Congressmen and lawsuits staring at you.

Basically, our government is like the Three Stooges, trapped in a room with a machine gone berzerk while they push every button. Do we blame the stooge who’s at the helm when the machine explodes? Ludicrous.

You guys are thinking of the government as if it were a small business where the CEO has real input.

I get where you’re going with this, and it’s not a bad critique of democracy, or modern mass democracy anyway. But using it to exonerate Bush is pretty stupid. Guy’s a two-term president, had his own party in Congress for six years, ton of political capital in the wake of 9/11. And what do we get? A military disaster, worse discretionary spending than LBJ, politics trumping policy, and the possible slide of the GOP into being a long-term minority policy (watch)…We’re talking about the worst president since Carter at the very least, and possibly the worst ever. Find a better target.[/quote]

Bush doesn’t seem to have any qualities that make for a true leader, yet (1) he beat the Dem candidate twice (2) the American people chose him.

And that’s my point. Who do we blame when a bewildered non-entity gets in such a position? He didn’t wave a magic wand and become POTUS. We, the American people, are to blame, not just for him but for the whole rotten system.

Now, we are on the verge of electing a guy who promises to imbue MORE government in our lives. And we’re ENTHUSIASTIC about it!

We are scapegoatting our own idiocy upon non-entities. And don’t say how ‘I voted for Gore/Kerry!’. If they were more suitable than Bush, the American people should have voted for them, BUT DIDN’T. They are just as much non-entities as Bush.

24

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
GDollars37 wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
My point is that Bush or anyone else has very little peogative when it comes down to it; not because of any conspiracy but because of how the system is designed.

How would you get rid of the Department of Education? How would you reform Social Security? Answer: you can’t. Every item has a pressure group behind it. Do anything, and you’ve got opposing Congressmen and lawsuits staring at you.

Basically, our government is like the Three Stooges, trapped in a room with a machine gone berzerk while they push every button. Do we blame the stooge who’s at the helm when the machine explodes? Ludicrous.

You guys are thinking of the government as if it were a small business where the CEO has real input.

I get where you’re going with this, and it’s not a bad critique of democracy, or modern mass democracy anyway. But using it to exonerate Bush is pretty stupid. Guy’s a two-term president, had his own party in Congress for six years, ton of political capital in the wake of 9/11.

And what do we get? A military disaster, worse discretionary spending than LBJ, politics trumping policy, and the possible slide of the GOP into being a long-term minority policy (watch)…We’re talking about the worst president since Carter at the very least, and possibly the worst ever. Find a better target.

Bush doesn’t seem to have any qualities that make for a true leader, yet (1) he beat the Dem candidate twice (2) the American people chose him.

And that’s my point. Who do we blame when a bewildered non-entity gets in such a position? He didn’t wave a magic wand and become POTUS. We, the American people, are to blame, not just for him but for the whole rotten system.

Now, we are on the verge of electing a guy who promises to imbue MORE government in our lives. And we’re ENTHUSIASTIC about it!

We are scapegoatting our own idiocy upon non-entities. And don’t say how ‘I voted for Gore/Kerry!’. If they were more suitable than Bush, the American people should have voted for them, BUT DIDN’T. They are just as much non-entities as Bush.
[/quote]

Putting aside the controversy about the winner of the 2001 election, the candidates of the last several elections have been between Shit and Suck. If Americans elect Suck over Shit that doesn’t mean Suck is actually a good leader or ‘sucks’ any less.

The fact that people are stupid and buy into spin and campaign promises and vote based on rhetoric regarding issues that don’t really matter also doesn’t mean that Suck hasn’t been a bad president. Your argument is a non-argument.

A president who makes bad choices is a bad president whether or not the other candidate was just as bad or worse and whether or not the people people should’ve voted for the other guy.

25

[quote]Headhunter wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
More moronic vitriol. Bush enacts the will of Congress. Ok. That’s why does his damndest to veto any bills that Congress comes up with that are actually good. Bush doesn’t enact the will of Congress OR the people. He’s no scapegoat. He’s a piece of shit. And he’s set the Republican party and this country back light years.

Bush has been less fically conservatve than the most wasteful, Congressman promoting the most ridiculous pork-laden bills. Larry Hunter, who I actually respect, said it best: the Republican party under George Bush’s leadship is a rotting carcass stumbling around like zombies in a horror version of Weekend at Bernies.

I know its much easier to blame someone (esp someone else) but the American people elect these guys. They (the politicians) are told to reduce spending yet provide things like drugs for seniors. They are told to reduce taxes yet defend the country. They are told to protect the environment but lower the price of oil.

How would YOU fare trying to ride herd on this muck of contradictions? Not very well.

Blaming the Republicans or even the Dems is wrong. They are like trained monkeys holding on for dear life to the back of a rodeo bull that has gone crazy. Our system is craxy.

When it collapses, what a day that will be!
[/quote]

Here’s your answer pal.