Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Silver Lining Department

You know things are bad when someone like me returns from the gym over lunch hour to their desk and the first thing I do is NOT eat my lunch but check the stock market. Good thing there wasn't food in my mouth when I looked at that ticker yesterday.

One thing I'm wondering: Is there any way to really stick it to the big investors who got us into this mess in the first place without taking down ordinary prudent personal investors like myself? No? I didn't think so, but I thought I'd ask.

But all is not lost! Really! There is good news in this! It is this: We have been handed ANOTHER bad thing we can blame on George Bush. Let's see how that list is shaping up:
1 major terrorist attack
2 unsuccessful wars
1 badly responded to hurricane
1 nasty Department of Justice scandal
1 democracy undermined
Civil rights eroded
Failed banks? Stay tuned—still counting!
Jobs lost? Families without health insurance? Homes in foreclosure? Too many to count, and just too many.
Do you feel safer than you did eight years ago? More financially secure? Prouder to be an American? REALLY? What I'm saying is THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE.

Do I really think these things are all his fault? YES, I DO. They are all the results of his administration's policies. He's reminded us repeatedly that he's the leader. And so he is.

But not for much longer!

<

So here's to the more nails in the coffin of Bush's legacy. Sometimes it's important not to be gracious. He has nearly ruined this country and everything it stands for. But if we can learn and change, we can go forward.

Are you coming?

22 comments:

Kate said...

Didn't watch the video clip yet - but had to take a second to add my "Hell Yeah!!"

Purple Flowers said...

EXCELLENT COMMENTARY!!! His list of failures are too long. I can't wait till he's OUT.
Thanks for including the You Tube; I laughed through the entire track.

katiemo07 said...

You really think Bush was responsible for the terrorist attacks??? I'm sure Clinton had absolutely no responsibility for that....

Cindy said...

katiemo07: Directly responsible, of course not. Bearing considerable responsibility, yeah. I think he's responsible for the engendering the amount of hatred people feel for us. The planes hit the buildings during his presidency, not Clinton's. And I don't think it's because they didn't have the planes ready in time.

Jenn said...

Amen!

Anonymous said...

Go Obama!!

Anonymous said...

I don't want to get on your bad side but here goes...

I agree with Katiemo7. Bush was not responsible for the terrorist attack. The responsible ones were all the American people (government or not) who refused and still refuse to acknowledge that there are other countries out there besides the US. It was just a matter of time for the attacks and Bush happened to be Pres. The hatred for the Americans was there long before Clinton my dear. Step out of your country for a while and you will see.

BTW, your list should say 'invasion' and not 'war'. The US invaded.

As for the economical situation we are in now, it's not one I would entirely blame on Bush by no means.

Thanks.

Deb said...

You're right Cindy! Thank you for your candor.

Hey, I put you on my blogroll today! Now I'll be sure to read you everyday. :)

Missed reading you!

Carla said...

Considering what's up these days, I'm not sure I'd wish the next presidency on anyone. It's gonna be a really tough job. One of my customers yesterday was a grandmother...her husband,late 50s or early 60s in age, is being deployed to Iraq this week for his first tour over there. This is the age group that already served in Vietnam, and now they gotta go again. We gotta get some stuff straightened out.

Desperately Midwestern said...

He hasn't been great, that's for sure. The Katrina response was a disaster an all his, but I'm not sure you can blame the rest on him.

He certainly didn't plan the terrorist attacks and it is hard to believe that he was part of some vast consipracy to see them carried out.

I think you need to check your facts on the current economic situation. He actually introduced legislation in 2003 that would have increased regulatory oversight of Fannie/Freddie, including an increase in their capital reseve requirements. The democrats...including Barney Frank...said there was no reason for this increase in oversight or capital reserve requirements because Fannie and Freddie were just fine.

The current crisis began in 1992 when Clinton adjusted the Community Reinvestment act to direct Fannie and Freddie to lower underwriting standards in an effort to increase low-income and minority home ownership.

I think that people need to realize that banks didn't just wake up one day and decide to change underwriting guidelines. They were forced into it. Of course, they did add to the fire by creating a whole bunch of risky new products that even Fannie and Freddie wouldn't touch, but it was the Clinton administration that got this ball rolling.

Broady said...

Let me start by saying: love you, love your blog, love the whole thing. That being said, I deeply disagree with either the statement or rationale of your list of Bush's shortcomings. And that is not to say that he has none.

But I have to take issue w/ placing blame on George Bush for the 9/11 attacks. First, as the 9/11 commission discovered after their investigation, the attacks were conceptualized in 1996, and the actual planning began around 1998 or 1999, which as we all know places us squarely in Clinton land.

But I do not blame Clinton for the attacks, either-- even though he dropped the ball and did not pursue Bin Laden even *after* he was found responsible for the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.

You know who is to blame for the 9/11 attacks? A group of radical fundamentalists who feel that brutally murdering innocent people is an appropriate way to make a political statement.

Timothy McVeigh was making a point, too, when he murdered those people in Oklahoma City. And while some would say his political discontent was not unfounded, nobody has ever blamed U.S. government policy for precipitating that act of terrorism.

The mantle of dishonor does not belong to any US president, instead, it hangs heavily around the necks of those who planned, plotted, and executed the attacks. I don't care how much one hates another country or is pissed off at foreign policy that feel adversely affects their country. There is no excuse for blowing innocent men, women and children out of the sky.

Now I've said my piece, and am back to being a big fan of Figs.

Anonymous said...

You forgot:

Diminished our standing in the international community.

Kate said...

Well, I have to side on this one with Broady, although you know I am more than happy to attribute the rest of the list directly to George Bush. The man is a canker.

Preppy Pink Crocodile said...

Amen! I'm not sure what is better- reading your great post or reading people get themselves into a dizzy after reading said post.

KathleenKMM said...

I'm pretty glad you made this post. Also, Bush can't introduce legislation directly - a member of Congress has to do it.

I'm Five Tomatoes and I endorsed this message.

Unknown said...

Wow you opened a can of worms. But I love that in the following you said you are happy with all the responses regardless of their views. War and invasion, that is like splitting hairs, we are in another country killing innocent people ( including our own young men and women) because of Bush's vendetta against (direct quote) "they tried to kill my dad". Thank god he is out and I hope to hell that Bush 2.o (McCain) doesn't follow because it will be more of the same! Best, Becs

Jen Yu said...

Uh... I'm not really sure where some of these folks get their information, but there is a lot of history to what has gone awry in our country and people are pointing fingers in all the wrong directions. Funny that some should claim you get your facts straight when they don't have theirs straight.

gwendomama said...

Umm....I am going to try not to say DUMBASS here at all.
First of all, you have some DUMBASS commenters here who don't have their facts straight...and run on that very accusation....
Hello, pot, kettle much?
(oops, I said dumbass.)
I think what the illustrious Cindy was implying was that AHEM, Bush absolutely refused to admit - for years - that the reality was that he ignored and refused to share - with the general public, which was THE MEMO, dumbass, the MEMO suggesting imminent OR MAYBE JUST POSSIBLE BUT REALLY SOON DUDES *attack* on these united states.....but let's ALSO not forget the private jet in which Ashcroft got to ride BEGINNING JULY 2001 and for the remainder of his term because of 'suspected threats'.
Should I go on??????
Oops. Did I say dumbass again???
I apologize to all the dumbasses.

Tickled Pink And Green said...

Gwendomama,

Do you mean the memo that said "Bin Laden determined to attack the U.S.?

Oh yeah, because no one could have EVER thought that, right?! I mean, what a shocker!

Now who is the dumbass?! Lol.

Tickled Pink And Green said...

The whole reason terrorism is not high on the list of people's "concerns" is precisely because this administration HAS done such a good job. No attacks on US soil in 7 years? An absolute f-ing miracle.

And he deserves the credit.

And as far as our international standing - I lived abroad years and years ago and let me tell you - we haven't been liked for a long, long time. I think it's called "defending our interests" that pisses people off. And that's too damn bad.

There, I feel better. ;-)

Tickled Pink And Green said...

Sorry for my rant Cindy - I'm not usually like this.

It's a very passionate election, n'est-ce pas?! Lol.

Kate said...

Whew! It is nice to see a little debate but - WOW! Well you know my thoughts on the subject - I just popped back over to see the comments;)