History will not be kind to George W. Bush. He's taken us into a war unnecessarily which we now have no chance of winning. But not content just to fail miserably at foreign policy, he has singlehandedly destroyed the GOP.
It was Bush who gave power to the neoconservatives, allowing them to run his foreign policy and taking us into the war with Iraq. Just why still remains a mystery, but whatever the reason, the outcome has destroyed America's standing in the world, cost us untold amounts of capital, in the loss and maiming of our soldiers, but also our future national security. We have yet to begin to pay the price for the stupidity of allowing the hubris of neoconservative ideologues who wanted to use America's military might to rule the globe unfettered.
It was Bush who made secrecy the hallmark of his presidency. He was the Decider, and not accountable to either Congress or the American people. Is it any wonder that his Republican congress thought the same? They, too, operated in secret, with no input from their Democrat counterparts. Legislation was created in the night, with only hours for Democrats to decide how to vote. And even after those votes, Republicans used the power of conference committees to make changes that had never seen the light of day.
It was Bush who insisted at the outset of the Afghanistan war that there should be no checks or balances, that he could spend our money with no accountability. He used that money, illegally btw, to pave the way for the war in Iraq. And insisted on the same lack of accountability in Iraq. Is it any wonder that his Republican congress thought the same, that there should be no accountability for spending our money for little more than benefitting their friends?
It was Bush who gave power and voice to religious fundamentalists. We're not talking about the average evangelical, but people who want the ability to dictate their theocratic values on their fellow Americans.
It was Bush who, even in the face of the failure in Iraq, insisted on a policy of `stay the course'. Not just for Iraq, but for Rumsfeld. Imagine if he'd listened to his critics, even within his own party, of bowing to the public perception that Rumsfeld must go, and fired him months, or even weeks ago.
When historians look at George W Bush, they will see a total failure. And a man who singlehandedly destroyed his party.
And darn near destroyed his country.