Why does George W. Bush continue to justify the occupation of Iraq, a country that posed no threat whatsoever to the security of the US, as a success? Is it that he wants to congratulate himself for leading the US into a bloody disaster at the cost of human lives? And what about the operations in Afghanistan, no comments from his side on that... The missile system, - the "new old idea", will that really protect the US? Isn't a better relation with Russia more important?
The second issue is, why the silence about China regarding its harsh oppression of Tibet? Is it that the US economic interests override human lives? Surely, we have seen that in Iraq, which was invaded for oil, and which was the former good friend who had protected the Gulf from Iran, became the dictator who had to be eliminated when he got too greedy.
The USA is going through hard times due to economical recession and the huge spending on the military. We ask, what did the Bush era bring to US citizens? I would claim nothing but ruins, death, fear and poverty... Hopefully the next president and his government will do a better job, by concentrating on internal issues such as the educational system, the terrible health service system and the economic recession.
On the international scene, the US would be better off having better relations with the so-called "Axis of Evil". To win the hearts of others is the best way, as former talks with North Korea in 1998 go to show. North Korea was cooperating well with the UN and the US. I think the American people would profit greatly if their government maintained good relations with Iran and North-Korea, and a more active role in the Middle East by not blindly backing the Israeli side. Talk, persuasion, and backing are the best ways of solving sensitive issues, not military invasion and threat. Hopefully, the next US government will have learnt from past mistakes, but only time can tell...
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March 20, 2008
Gunnar Schmidt, AEG, Silver Contributor (60)
The US is doing a lot in Afghanistan both militarily and with reconstruction, but the Europeans are not helping much. And the Muslim world is hardly doing anything to support the poor Afghans. All I hear is constant criticism. How many girls schools and hospitals have been financed by Saudi Arabia for instance? Why do they only send Qurans?
I disagree completely with your statement: "To win the hearts of others is the best way. As seen from former talks with North Korea in 1998. North Korea was cooperating well with UN and US."
The US has not won any hearts and minds in North Korea. This is impossible with that regime. Besides, the US policy under Clinton was not successful, because North Korea build the nuclear bomb during that time. Since Clinton failed in North Korea and in Iraq, Bush wanted to do things differently, and failed as well. He wanted to learn from the US' past mistake, just as you want the next president to learn from Bush's mistakes.
Please remember that under Clinton, there were severe UN sanctions against Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children died because of malnutrition, or so we were told from the Arab media and some leftist Western newspapers. That was the price for containment of Iraq, who invaded an Arab neighbor.
Of course, the Bush policy was a failure and made matters in the Middle East worse.