How Much Do You Hate Bush?

[12th Doctor]

Com'on Dems, this is your thread.  I want you all to vent about how much you hate our commander-in- chief.  Don't worry, death threats or sincere wishes of the President's assassination won't be reported by anyone here.

[Nym90]

Com'on Dems, this is your thread.  I want you all to vent about how much you hate our commander-in- chief.  Don't worry, death threats or sincere wishes of the President's assassination won't be reported by anyone here.

I don't hate him on a personal level.

I do hate the fact that he stands for big business at every opportunity and against the economic interests of the middle class and the poor. I've yet to find one issue on which Bush and big business disagree with one another.

I also strongly dislike his support for social intolerance.

I support the basic tenet of neocon foreign policy (bringing democracy to everyone in the world) but feel that the costs of the United States taking the initative to do this on our own, both in terms of lives and dollars,  are not worth the benefits to us. That's why it's crucial to get more allies to contribute; I don't know if Kerry will succeed or not, but we have to at least try, and we should be making the moral argument that democracy is good and dictatorship is bad; appeal to the good side of people rather than to their greed.

In addition, we don't have a consistent pro-democracy foreign policy, and thus any moral authority we have in foreign policy is lost if the creation of democracy is indeed our goal. This ties in with my first point; our foreign policy is based on what's best for business.

I realize that both parties are guilty on this last point, so it's not a condemnation of Bush specifically (Clinton's support of MFN for China being a good example), but I do feel that the Republicans tend to be a lot worse.

I feel that he has a pretty poor understanding of the way the "real" world works, but this is forgiveable, given his upbringing.

[Wakie]

Hate him?  No.  Disagree with him?  Yes.  On a personal level I pity him (the untreated alcoholism and all).

I do sincerely dislike the methods his handlers have used to get him into office (the lies about McCain, the pandering to bigots, etc).

I also worry about his intellectual ability to handle the job of President of the United States.  I think that, to date, Dick Cheney has covered Bush's butt on several occassions.  If Cheney gets slammed with the big heart attack I don't think Bush could cut it alone.  I mean heck, he couldn't even testify to the 9/11 commission alone.

[elcorazon]

I hate him THIS much.

[MODU]

I hate him THIS much.

Shouldn't that be:

"I hate him THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS much."

hehehe

[elcorazon]

how about this ^^^^ much?

better?

[MODU]

HAHAHA . ..  that's perfect, elcorazon!

Hey, did you ever see the movie "Dave?"  I always like the part when Kevin Klein is at the factory with the robotic assemply arms saying "I once caught a fish THIS BIG" and the robotic arms stretch out about 30 feet wide.  hehehe . . . always cracked me up.

[qwerty]

I feel that he has a pretty poor understanding of the way the "real" world works, but this is forgiveable, given his upbringing.

And John Kerry was raised a poor farm boy, where his family would go days without eating because they couldn't afford it.

[Nym90]

I feel that he has a pretty poor understanding of the way the "real" world works, but this is forgiveable, given his upbringing.

And John Kerry was raised a poor farm boy, where his family would go days without eating because they couldn't afford it.

I realize Kerry has the same problem. The topic here was Bush.

Kerry, however, did at least volunteer for Vietnam, when he easily could have used his connections to avoid doing so. Say whatever else you want about his activites there and after, but the inescapable fact is that he chose to go fight in a war that he didn't necessarily support because he felt a patriotic duty to his country do so, whereas Bush was unwilling to fight in a war that he otherwise supported, which seem to be to be a bit hypocritical.

[Tory]

I feel that he has a pretty poor understanding of the way the "real" world works, but this is forgiveable, given his upbringing.

And John Kerry was raised a poor farm boy, where his family would go days without eating because they couldn't afford it.

Classic

[Tory]

I feel that he has a pretty poor understanding of the way the "real" world works, but this is forgiveable, given his upbringing.

And John Kerry was raised a poor farm boy, where his family would go days without eating because they couldn't afford it.

I realize Kerry has the same problem. The topic here was Bush.

Kerry, however, did at least volunteer for Vietnam, when he easily could have used his connections to avoid doing so. Say whatever else you want about his activites there and after, but the inescapable fact is that he chose to go fight in a war that he didn't necessarily support because he felt a patriotic duty to his country do so, whereas Bush was unwilling to fight in a war that he otherwise supported, which seem to be to be a bit hypocritical.

Actually Kerry asked for several deferments from the draft board so that he could study in Paris. When denied, he decided it was better to volunteer than get drafted or weasel his way out(which would have been bad for the political career which he had obviously already planned for).

Bush also didn't have to go into the National Guard, but he did. He would certainly not have been drafted. Maybe he didn't go to Vietnam and try to blow himself up to get medals, but he still did way more than was required from a congressman's son.

[A18]

I feel that he has a pretty poor understanding of the way the "real" world works, but this is forgiveable, given his upbringing.

And John Kerry was raised a poor farm boy, where his family would go days without eating because they couldn't afford it.

I realize Kerry has the same problem. The topic here was Bush.

Kerry, however, did at least volunteer for Vietnam, when he easily could have used his connections to avoid doing so. Say whatever else you want about his activites there and after, but the inescapable fact is that he chose to go fight in a war that he didn't necessarily support because he felt a patriotic duty to his country do so, whereas Bush was unwilling to fight in a war that he otherwise supported, which seem to be to be a bit hypocritical.

He's on record as being against the war BEFORE he fought in it.

What sense does it make to volunteer to fight a war you're against? One idea: political future.

[qwerty]

He's on record as being against the war BEFORE he fought in it.

What sense does it make to volunteer to fight a war you're against? One idea: political future.

Exactly. If I were against the Vietnam War (which I am not), I would have proudly served if drafted, but would not have volunteered.

[Defarge]

I don't hate him personally, nor will my dislike of his policies ever translate into a hatred.  I know that Bush honestly wants to help the country, and that is admirable.  But, regardless of his intentions, it does not help that I disagreed with almost every major policy decision he's made since last march. 

Do I dislike his policies? Yes.  Do I hate the man? No.

[Nym90]

I feel that he has a pretty poor understanding of the way the "real" world works, but this is forgiveable, given his upbringing.

And John Kerry was raised a poor farm boy, where his family would go days without eating because they couldn't afford it.

I realize Kerry has the same problem. The topic here was Bush.

Kerry, however, did at least volunteer for Vietnam, when he easily could have used his connections to avoid doing so. Say whatever else you want about his activites there and after, but the inescapable fact is that he chose to go fight in a war that he didn't necessarily support because he felt a patriotic duty to his country do so, whereas Bush was unwilling to fight in a war that he otherwise supported, which seem to be to be a bit hypocritical.

He's on record as being against the war BEFORE he fought in it.

What sense does it make to volunteer to fight a war you're against? One idea: political future.

One idea: patriotic loyalty to your country.

What sense does it make to not be willing to fight in a war that you support?

[Gabu]

I don't hate Bush.  I think he's honestly doing what he thinks is best for America, and I can respect that much.  I disagree with anyone who's trying to make it out as if he's the anti-Christ or as if this is 100% true (although it is very amusing).  He's not, and it's not.  He's a patriotic American doing his best to be president.

However, that said, I don't like him as a president, even though I have nothing personally against him.  There's a difference between being resolute and being mind-bogglingly stubborn.  Tony Blair admitted that, given that massive amount of hate mail he gets over the Iraq War, he does sometimes have doubts regarding its merits.  Bush does not.  Bush has openly said he has never had and still doesn't have any doubts whatsoever.  Bush has no doubts whatsoever regarding anything.  He has openly said that he doesn't "do nuance" and that once he makes a decision he never, ever changes his mind.  I personally think it does not make a good leader for someone to be so extremely stubborn and unflinching that you openly and consciously try not to ever change your mind on an issue no matter what new evidence comes to light.

I also don't agree with many of his policies, but that has mostly been covered by other people.

[A18]

That's right. People in Iraq are dying for this war, and they don't need nuance answers.

How do you ask someone to die for the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time that Bush should have started sooner but really should have started later?

[J. J.]

Let me try to follow this:

1.  Kerry votes against the Gulf War in 1991.

2.  Kerry votes to "give the president the authority" to invade Iraq in 2003, but didn't want him to use it.  Does that mean he's for or against the war?

3.  Kerry says that it is "the wrong war at the wrong time."  He says it was a good idea to get rid of Saddam Hussein.

4.  Kerry says that under his "plan," he'll bring the troops home, starting in 6 months.  Rumsfeld says that starting in January, the troops will come home.

5.  After Kerry brings the troops home he plans to increase the size of the Army by two divisions (about 24,000-25,000 troops).

6.  After Kerry brings the troops home, he plans to use the Army Reserve and National Guard for homeland security.  (I'm trying to figure out how a tank parked in Indepence Mall will help, but I'll assume it does.) 

7.  Kerry wants the Reserves/Guard out of Iraq because it creates too much strain on them to be serving; he wants them to serve here.

Could someone please explain this to me?  I'm entirely serious.

[J. J.]

Appearently nobody can.  I was looking at a the DNC to see this, and the debates.

I am serious.

[RN]

I am serious also J.J.  I dont have a clue.  Someone should be able to answer this.