Legacies are tricky things. A lot depends on what happens down the road with successors to the presidency as well as continuing results. A lot of presidents were despised while they were in office but are celebrated and feted as examples of courage once history has vindicated their plans of action.
Iraq has stabilized in dramatic fashion though there is a lot of work that can be undone. If in the next few years and continuing decades down the road if Iraq does indeed come out as a functioning full fledged democracy in the middle east with views friendly to the West, Bush is going to be hailed up there in at least Harry S. Truman category.
If we allow Iraq to collapse with Iran muscling in and taking over with killing fields reminiscent of post Vietnam that would be sure to follow, history will certainly be a lot less kind.
It's an interesting quandry I think for those who despise Pres. Bush.
Do you want Iraq to fall apart which will vindicate hated of Bush or do you hope the country continues to pull it together despite knowing Bush is going to be hailed as the architect of a newly fledged democracy in a region of the world where naysayers said it couldn't possibly be done?
Me...I'm going to root for the country where men and women proudly held up ink stained fingers despite serious and credible threats on their life in order to VOTE.
(and yes, I'm making this extremely simplistic. I know things are much more complicated than that. And no, I'm really not GWB's #1 supporter. I'm just an armchair historian with a penchant for Presidential biographies. :))
__ As for Oliver Stones movie...phbttt. It's a dumb idea, but Hollywood isn't really known for their brains either. I think half the time they make movies strictly for the awards shows and to impress their equally vapid friends.
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momijizukamori
Warning! Political and historical throught to follow!
Date: 2008-08-02 09:49 am (UTC)Iraq has stabilized in dramatic fashion though there is a lot of work that can be undone. If in the next few years and continuing decades down the road if Iraq does indeed come out as a functioning full fledged democracy in the middle east with views friendly to the West, Bush is going to be hailed up there in at least Harry S. Truman category.
If we allow Iraq to collapse with Iran muscling in and taking over with killing fields reminiscent of post Vietnam that would be sure to follow, history will certainly be a lot less kind.
It's an interesting quandry I think for those who despise Pres. Bush.
Do you want Iraq to fall apart which will vindicate hated of Bush or do you hope the country continues to pull it together despite knowing Bush is going to be hailed as the architect of a newly fledged democracy in a region of the world where naysayers said it couldn't possibly be done?
Me...I'm going to root for the country where men and women proudly held up ink stained fingers despite serious and credible threats on their life in order to VOTE.
(and yes, I'm making this extremely simplistic. I know things are much more complicated than that. And no, I'm really not GWB's #1 supporter. I'm just an armchair historian with a penchant for Presidential biographies. :))
__
As for Oliver Stones movie...phbttt. It's a dumb idea, but Hollywood isn't really known for their brains either. I think half the time they make movies strictly for the awards shows and to impress their equally vapid friends.