Comments on: Bush And Democracy: Talk But Little Action

Weekly Standard: President's Words About Promoting Democracy Haven't Been Backed By Deeds

[katg21]

ubrew12,

You're a "glass is half empty" kind of person, huh? Geez!

[katg21]

Kat: I'm glad you can laugh about government sponsored torture. It probably is funny to you and your kind. --
Posted by marcodele at 11:49 AM : Jun 15, 2007

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...still laughing!!!
Posted by katg21 at 02:26 PM : Jun 15, 2007

They chop our heads off, we play loud music and dress them in womens clothes... who's torturing who? I'm going to have to use one of the libs favorite digs here...LAY OFF THE KOOLAID!

[ubrew12]

"In the real world the economy is doing just fine. " Posted by katg21 at 02:39 PM : Jun 15, 2007

I wouldn't say fine, look at the housing slump. Public debt is $10 trillion, household debt is $10 trillion, unemployment would double if they counted it the same way as the Europeans do. Stock Market looks good, but much of its earnings growth is overseas, and thanks to the falling dollar, those earnings go up in 'dollars' even if they don't go up in value.

I still think that the Prez used tax cuts to place a bet on private enterprise with public funds, thinking that the bet would pay off in increased tax revenues that would make the resultant public debt disappear. It didn't work for Reagan, why would it work for Bush? Since the debt is still there, Bush's economic 'recovery' is a house of cards. One bad economic wind and it'll scatter. Just find someone who will actually talk about addressing the debt, and this inflated economy will go to pieces.

[katg21]

Clinton has been gone for 6 years and you act lke nothing is bush's fault. Even the republican candidates are all taking turns trashing him.

Posted by ainttaken at 01:59 PM : Jun 15, 2007

Unfortunately, when you're president everything is your fault. Whether you want to believe it or not Clinton is just as responsible for 9/11 and our current problems as Bush. That's probably why he made Sandy Berger steal classified documents, related to Alqaeda, and destroy them. It is hypocritical for you to call Bush crooked and then defend the likes of Hill and Bill. However, it is your right as it is mine to support whomever we wish.

[katg21]

What about all the fed hiking of interest rates over the past 6.5 years? Mortgage rates are higher, too. You must be a golden child living high off the hog to think the economy is GREAT.
Posted by beanerman4 at 12:09 PM : Jun 15, 2007

What planet are you living on? In my world 5.75% is a *** good interest rate, that's what I locked into and you're a fool if you didn't. Can't blaim anyone but yourself for that though. Doubt you are old enough to remember but under Carter interest rates were 18-20%, now that's high. 4.5% unemployment ain't bad and job creation is way ABOVE forecast..again I ask what planet you're living on? In the real world the economy is doing just fine.

[katg21]

Kat: I'm glad you can laugh about government sponsored torture. It probably is funny to you and your kind. --
Posted by marcodele at 11:49 AM : Jun 15, 2007

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...still laughing!!!

[sparks224]

Bush And Democracy: Some Things Just Don't Go Together

[middleman8]

What a sick, stupid, propaganda laced article. Don't try to cover the madmans policy's with a comfort blanket of lies and twisted words. Sence the Bush's iligal wars most countries want nothing to do with U S type democracy. Their opinion now is GO ON HOME YANKIE BIRD, WE DON'T WANT YOUR G-D ***.

[lastdance2]

"My Goverment"
Pres. Bush (06-13-07)

Quoting - "Hitler" - again ! ! !

Lastdance

[ubrew12]

"Iraq, [Kanan Makiya] said, is the "sword of Damocles" hanging over democracy promotion."

I think its more correct to use the word 'war' in place of 'democracy' in the phrase above. Democracy isn't promoted by war, it can't be, since its the 'consent of the governed', and its hard to imagine the 'governed' voting to have themselves bombed by foreigners. Moreover, aggressive foreign action to promote democracy falls to hubris: its simply impossible to make good governing decisions in a place whose outcome simply doesn't affect you. As long as remote 'others' must pay the price for your bad decisions, you are unlikely to make good ones. Democracy, being an expression of freedom, must come from within, not from without.

One thing I think would help the peaceful promotion of democracy: economic security. When people are starving, or working 15hrs/day just to put food on the table, they aren't going to be arguing the subtleties of the First Amendment anytime soon. The U.S. could do much to ensure foreign peoples have a full belly, aren't overworked and underpaid, and live in societies that offer them enough economic security that they don't feel the need to pop out 15 kids to ensure a secure retirement. Once these conditions prevail, once economic fairness is felt (no, not through communism, but control of the worst excesses of capitalism), people will argue for political freedom.

[roger_inkart]

Gee, could it be he didn't mean a word of it but was actually only interested in promoting an agenda of empowering the GOP, further enriching the powerful industrialists he represents while repressing anyone who isn't rich, white and Christian?

Sadly, the moderates and indepedents fell for it - all the the massive detriment to the nation and the world.

[brianp55]

As with the immigration issue, as long as he just talks about it, we should consider ourselves fortunate.

[bombadil4]

Oh please, this article attempting to make some sort of coherent sense out of Bush ignorance, arroagance, and incompetence fails miserably although I guess its sheer length was meant to impress us. We are finally left with the "comfort" that his royal presence is somehow of grand importance to the world while outside, armed police gas the demonstrators. Perhaps as he shook hands with the dignitaries at Prague, he looked into their souls and will let us know who's OK and who's not. Maybe he'll do better than he did with Putin. Unfortunately the press has become too "imbedded" with our corrupt and incompetent government to know (or admit) what a disaster the last 8 years have been

[sjc_1]

Our DEBT however, at more than $9 trillion, is approaching our GDP and just the interest on that debt is more than $400 billion per year...that is just the interest. The debt under Clinton was $5.6 trillion.

They had to raise the debt ceiling yet again, because if they did not borrow more money, they could not make the debt payments. That is not just me saying this, but also Republican Senator Charles Grasley.

Bush Jr. has accumulated more than THREE TRILLION dollars in debt in the last 6 years and Clinton ran $100 billion dollar SURPLUSES in his last two years.

These are facts, no one can dispute this. Now see if you can spin some happy land conclusion on this!

[beanerman4]

Anyway the deficit is a small percentage of our gross national product. You never hear about how our deficit has been reduced significantly and in a record amount of time, not to mention our great economy and low interest rates in spite of 9/11, wars in Iraq and afgan., Katrina, etc.. I'd love to have seen how Clinton would have handled it.
Posted by katg21 at 10:54 AM : Jun 15, 2007

Whoa!!! Sort of, by the way, ANYWAY, the deficit is a small percentage of WHAT? And it's been reduced SIGNIFICANTLY in RECORD TIME? Our GREAT ECONOMY and LOW INTEREST RATES?

What about all the fed hiking of interest rates over the past 6.5 years? Mortgage rates are higher, too. You must be a golden child living high off the hog to think the economy is GREAT.

Iran, Afgan and Katrina were all handled disastrously, not in spite of, but thanks to The Decider.

The King George and Court supporters think all you have to do is go way back in time, to a kindler, gentler place and time far, far away and bash Clinton for all our troubles here today.

Just think of how many years, decades even milliniums people are going to be bashing Mr. 20% after he leaves office in disgrace.

[retiredinmex]

Is anyone as mad as me? What the hell is Bush doing still in office?

He has illegally, immorally and unilaterally invaded a country that originally had no ties to terrorism. Now, yes, there are many terrorism threats as Iraq is an international terrorist congregation point.

I served in Iraq and spoke with hundreds of US and "Coalition" military members. I guarantee you there was no one who agreed with our/their presence in Iraq.

When was the last time you heard the media refer to "the Coalition?"

Who are the terrorists in Iraq? What the hell has Bush gotten us into? Where's the plan to get out of this quagmire?

Is there a poll of parents of the dead, injured or missing as to their support for this war?

[marcodele]

Bush 'installing' democracy! That's really funny, considering he probably couldn't install a battery into a flashlight without calling for the butler.

[thee0racle]

The media has catered to this power grabbing, oil hungry madman for 6 years. Now they're coming to the inevitable conclusions that the 'nut cases' have been pointing out all along.

[marcodele]

Kat: I'm glad you can laugh about government sponsored torture. It probably is funny to you and your kind. --

[jimfinster]

Given his horrible performance thus far, talk without action is a good thing.