George W. Bush

I chose George W. Bush, because he was the first President that I remember and all I've ever heard about him is how stupid and incompetent he was. However, I had never heard any real reasons behind why people had this opinion of him, and I believe that any man that is capable of becoming President of the United States for two terms has to have done something right. My goal in writing this paper was to understand why ex-President Bush made the decisions he did and how they impacted both the United States of America and the world for the better. When the name George W. Bush is mentioned, it immediately sparks outrage and general disgust from most people. Even internationally, he is seen as a dumb Texan that wears cowboy boots and can not pronounce the word “nuclear,” rather then the President of the United States. However, I believe many members of the public are overlooking all that he has done in major areas such as foreign policy and domestic policy. George W. Bush is seen in today’s society as one of the worst Presidents to ever take office, though I do agree he was not the best President, I do believe he made some differences for the better that most people overlook.

9/11/01 was a defining in the history of the United States it sparked a trail of events that ended up with the United States fighting two wars in the Middle East. Critics say the morning of 9/11 was not properly handled by George W. Bush, because instead of immediately jumping into it he finished reading a book to grade school children, as to not alarm them. In my opinion, that reaction demonstrated a cool head and a conscious leader, because by staying he was able to process what was going on and responsibly take action, rather then jump to conclusions. His statements and speeches the day of demonstrated his strong leadership skills and were able to unite the American people. Along with uniting the people it also pushed the Bush administration to boost security from airport security to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. As ex-President Bush promised in his post 9/11 speech,

“I have directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them,”

the war on terror began in late 2001/early 2002, United States military had entered Afghanistan to combat Al Qaeda and capture Osama Bin Laden for his crucial role in planning and implementing the events of 9/11. Until the past few years the United States had control of most of Afghanistan and Bush was told by top military and intelligence that we only had to focus on rebuilding, because we had eradicated Al Qaeda. However, in 2007 we realized that much of Al Qaeda’s leadership had retreated into Pakistan and recruited all around the world and have now become bigger and stronger, which is why President Obama has decided to send more troops to Afghanistan. Luckily, thanks to ex-President Bush we have developed a solid base amount of troops and have also gotten several members of NATO involved in Afghanistan. Afghanistan was our first venture into the Middle East, but in 2003 the United States and United Kingdom invaded Iraq, due to the fear of weapons of mass destruction in the possession of Saddam Hussein. Though those weapons of mass destruction have not been found, some believe that they were moved to a neighboring country or are still hidden somewhere in Iraq. On the other hand, the removal of Saddam Hussein freed the oppressed people of Iraq, which now allows the people of Iraq to enjoy the benefits of democracy. Critics say that President Bush lied to the American people and wasted money in Iraq, however many don’t realize how staying in Iraq is helping the United States win the war on terror in the Middle east. The Middle East has become a stronghold for Islamic extremists and other terrorist organizations, however if a successful democracy takes hold in Iraq and the different sects of Islam (Shiites, Sunnis, etc.) work together, as they are now, to create a united country other countries would follow suit. Most people in the Middle East want peace, and are sick of the years of violence and war they’ve had to endure, and one success could lead to a world of change, allowing for a more peaceful tomorrow. The final point I’d like to make about the wars is that President Bush left office with the image of blood on his hands from the death of soldiers, but I’d like to make the point that those soldiers were not drafted, they signed up for the military voluntarily, and with war comes death, and we shouldn’t let those who have died to protect this great country die in vain. The final part of foreign policy I researched that ex-President Bush inacted was HIV/AIDS relief, something I had no knowledge of. He started his quest to eradicate HIV/AIDS with his pledge to allocate money to HIV/AIDS relief in his 2003 State of the Union when he said,

“This comprehensive plan will prevent 7 million new AIDS infections, treat at least 2 million people with life-extending drugs and provide humane care for millions of people suffering from AIDS and for children orphaned by AIDS. I ask the Congress to commit $15 billion over the next five years, including nearly $10 billion in new money, to turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean.”

In May of 2003, Bush and congress passed the "United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003" a $15 billion dollar expenditure to combat AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Before leaving office, Bush also proposed another $48 billion dollars towards combating the diseases stated above, over the next 5 years, and $17.4 billion was approved for AIDS relief. George W. Bush had goals for foreign policy and fought an image of stupidity to accomplish goals that clearly were not as ‘stupid” as they seemed.

Ex-President Bush also impacted domestic policy for the better, however many people don’t even realize this, because they focus on the small things instead of looking at the big picture. The first area he influenced was reforms to the Medicare system, with the Medicare Act of 2003, which did things like assist with the costs of prescription drugs for the elderly and poor. The bill had an estimated cost of cost of approximately $400 billion dollars for the first 10 years, and Bush was quoted as saying the bill would give the elderly, “better choices and more control over their health care.” Mr. Bush also helped the economy during his two terms through multiple tax cuts, which are seen as only for rich, when in reality also helped single parents, the elderly, small business owner, and married couples. Though some of the rich may have paid fewer taxes, they are also the ones that invested in the stock market and businesses. On the other hand he is also blamed for economy, but fact is we are capitalists, and the government can not be responsible for running it, because it is based off of supply and demand. Lastly, Bush is also seen for the reason the U.S is in trillions of dollars of debt, however President Obama in his first hundred days has set forward bills that will cost the government billions. The final piece of domestic policy that George W. Bush enacted was the No Child Left Behind Act, which helps the government allocate funding for public schools and tries to ensure equal school systems. Though a lot of criticism of the bill is directed at Bush people don’t realize that it was accomplished through much bi-partisanship in Congress. Most people don’t realize how important this funding and testing is to children in bad school systems, because they can’t think past their own kids or school systems. For example in Westborough we have one of the best public school systems, so everyone thinks MCAS is unnecessary, however those same MCAS benefit children in worse off school systems, such as those in inner city Worcester or Boston. The majority of the complaints are because of a cut in the arts and other elective classes, when it is more important that everyone in the system be able to read, write, and do basic math then it is for them to be able to draw or sculpt. So though this act might limit some choices, overall it benefits thousands of kids that can now get a better education and have a better chance of succeeding in the future.

Through domestic and foreign policy ex-President Bush made a difference, he fought terrorism and oppression in the Middle East, funded HIV/AIDS relief, reformed our Medicare system, boosted the economy with tax cuts, and improved education across the country. George W. Bush was seen as one of the worst Presidents in American History, but was in fact a President that made a positive difference both home and abroad. As we talked about in class, there are by- standers and there are people that attempt to change, though Mr. George W. Bush was seen as a man that started stupid wars and wasted money, clearly he was brave enough to attempt, and that is all we can ask of the President of the United States of America.