NEWS: Staying the Course to Disaster

POLITICS: Staying the Course to Disaster

George W. Bush's handlers relish the image that they've created for him; a folksy, regular guy who sticks to his convictions and guides America through troubled waters with a steady hand. "Stay the course" has become a mantra with Iraq war supporters in Congress and especially the White House, as Democrats and critics beg and plead for something, anything to change to try and imrprove the situation there. But it's not just in Iraq where this refusal to change direction has surfaced. Issues like tax cuts and an energy policy that refuses to endorse conservation are just a few examples where Bush has made up his mind and that's the end of the disucssion. This obstinate approach, when applied to foreign policy, is beginning to draw criticism from traditional Republican supporters though, as tensions smolder between Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas and North Korea taunts the world with its shiny new nuclear arsenal.

So Republicans are trying to capitalize on a foreign policy disaster that the Bush administration allowed to happen on its watch (the stalled six party talks to try and address North Korea having gone nowhere, with Kim Jong-Il now returning to the table with his own, tested nukes) by blaming it on the Clinton administration and doing more of the same. Having branded North Korea as part of his controversial "axis of evil" and then gone on to do nothing about the country, preferring instead to focus on Iraq, which was not developing nuclear weapons.



But if Bush continues on the same path that he has already laid out for the country, he's not like to be remembered in the same breath as his favorite icon, Ronald Reagan.

Even Reagan was smart enough to realize that the silent treatment has its place, but there is a time when things need to change and direct diplomacy is the answer. As did Clinton, and even Nixon when he established diplomatic relations with China.



Bush may enjoy the feeling that he is pursuing his vision at the helm of government, with grand delusions that future generations will laud him for his prescience. But at this rate they'll more likely be railing against his stubborn, dimwitted outlook on the world as they continue to clean up the mess he left them.

I can't wait until next month's elections are over with, so I don't have to watch all of this shit on TV...It's getting bad. I've never seen so many smear campains.

Both sides suck, and they know it. So, they're just trying to make the other party look even worse (which is a little (lot) easier for the Dems).

I read it another thread...someone brought up a good point...

(Taken from 'Another GOP Domino Falls)

Wars are stopped by politics. i.e., talking to your enemies. almost a nonsequitur but not quite: bush is a malthusian who wants the rich to inherit the earth.

David, I couldn't agree with you more. The Republicans play their followers the same way that the Democrats play theirs - they get them to only identify what's wrong with the "other side" to where they're too blind to see the corruption and shortcomings of their own party.

I really wish we'd do away with this outdated two party system and elect politicans who will actually work on issues instead of simply working against the "opposition." I check the voting records on Senate.gov from time to time and was disgusted by a vote where a bill that would give more money to schools to educate teens against pregnancy was shot down because (I believe) every Republican voted "Nay" and every Democrat voted "Yes." I don't believe for one second that EVERY Republican thought that was a bad bill - I believe that they *had* to vote in the same direction as the rest of the party. The Democrats do the same thing. Neither side is innocent of playing games. I just wish it would stop. Or at least.....being to stop.