This is my last post about the Bergdahl scandal, unless something crazy comes out, because I believe that this scandal is merely a ridiculous distraction. In reading some internet comments, good lord I am stupid for doing so, I read somebody say that if President Bush did this we on the left would have wanted him impeached. That is completely idiotic. Why am I taking the time to respond to one random idiotic internet comment? It’s because I believe that is what some of the hoopleheads on the right actually believe in theory. That we simply hated Bush, and everything he did, because he was President Bush.
When Bush came to power I was hoping for the best. I remember thinking he had a reputation as a moderate. It wasn’t until he sent thousands unnecessarily to their deaths in Iraq that I hated him. He took a country that had the entire world’s sympathy after 911 and threw that all away. I traveled a great deal during his presidency and even in allied countries like Britain they were appalled by U.S. actions. Then came even further deregulations which eventually led up to our financial crisis. (And yes I am well aware that President Clinton played a large part in setting the stage for them as well.) Then there was his disgraceful handling of Hurricane Katrina. And all of these things went down while there was sort of a shallow patriotism being thrown around where the only thing you had to do to be a patriot was to keep shopping. Those were just some of the many things that Bush did that I didn’t like. But that is my point; that Bush did actual things that I didn’t like and that I didn’t just dislike him because he had an R in front of his name.
But when Bush did something good, and honestly I can’t remember much that he did that was good other than giving aid to Africa, I was honest enough with myself to admit that it was good. It’s kind of like the pope. I am not a religious person and most of my life I felt The Pope to have been a hindrance to progress around the world. Pope Ratzinger was never well liked in these parts. However, and I admit to not knowing enough to make a final decision, Pope Francis has said a lot of things that I believe might lead the world to possibly being a better more progressive place. I understand the traditionally conservative nature of his position and that he can’t do everything at once, and that he may even be more conservative than I realize. However, I don’t like or dislike a pope because they are the pope, but because of what they do. I don’t like or dislike someone because they are a Republican politician, but because of what they are actually doing or not doing.
Also The President, any President, makes decisions that can affect millions of lives. No one in that position can do a perfect job. This decision is not one of the bigger ones he has made. If you want to get angry with Obama, as I said last night, get angry at him for our drone policy or the fact that his Justice Department has not done a good job of policing our markets. But in this case one human is alive that may not have been if he hadn’t made the decision that he did, and that is a good thing, no matter who that human is.
Windup Wire 