Watching the crowds around Washington these last couple of days I am struck by and marveling at the ebullient joy and pride of Americans for this historic moment. I cannot watch this on TV or listen to the voices on the radio both here in America and around the world without getting very emotional. A very large part of this is the election of an African-American to the Presidency, there is no doubt about that, but another large part of this is a sendoff to the current administration and an almost total repudiation of the policy and destruction that has been borne by the world over the last eight years.
Since the election, there has been lots of talk about George Bush’s legacy and what his administration has accomplished. Normally, one would expect a long list of accomplishment. That is not the case and even the conservative pundits have difficulty with this. They have to reach far and what they come up with is that Bush tripled the support for AIDS treatment in Africa. Not what you might have expected from a Bush presidency eight years ago. The litany of destructive policy and actions is everywhere and I will only observe is that every policy of this administration has enriched someone greatly at the expense of the rest of us. In their “defending Freedom, Democracy and America” George Bush and Dick Cheney have embraced the very ideals and tactics of the most extreme regimes in history, not to mention the regime they sought to depose. Their actions are so extreme that there are calls for War Crimes Tribunals internationally and commissions, investigations and trials, if warranted, here at home.
Torture, Rendition, Secret prisons, un-secret prisons, illegal wiretapping and everywhere you turn the deprivation of Liberty and Freedom with no recourse to Justice. This is the very antithesis of what America stands for. It is why our enemies hate us and is what this administration’s legacy will be. In opposing our enemies they have empowered and emboldened them while at the same time tearing down the very towers of Freedom, Liberty, Justice and Opportunity that America represents to the world. That is what George Bush’s legacy will be. The promise of America taking back the high road and her rightful position in the world as leader and as the shining example of what individuals can accomplish and enjoy in a life of freedom and assured human rights is what the election of Barack Hussein Obama means to the rest of humanity.
What I will say is that in a small way, I feel sorry for George Bush. Not very sorry, but sorry still. Can you imagine what it must feel like to see a huge majority of your fellow countrymen and most of the world simply ecstatic at seeing your backside riding out of town? I don’t care what kind of face he tries to put on, even George Bush must be gnawed at by this total and complete rejection of his presidency as well as him personally.
But, the late-night comics are sorry to see him go, the past eight years has been a cakewalk for them. This link is from the Letterman show last night.
