Another Bush legacy: irresponsible nominations

In our March 14 article, “Bush, always too late”. we have enumerated a discouraging series of mistakes made by the White House, in the last few years. We guess, they are still learning….at the expense of 300 million people.
Not only the tandem Cheney-Bush has been continuously late in responding to important events (forget the fact that, most of the time, they were not able to correct the situation), but, in addition, they have been the source of irresponsible and inappropriate nominations to vital functions in our country.
No use to mention the Supreme Court (H. Myers and two others who should not be there), the first tzar of our Intelligence, Michael Brown and Michael Chertoff at Homeland Security, the non-diplomat UN Ambassador, a cheater as our representative to the Capital of European Union, our Ambassadors to Canada, Venezuela, Nicaragua, etc. etc.
Now Cheney-Bush are fighting to keep the hypocrite attorney general Alberto Gonzales, against the will of a great majority of Americans, including Republicans, and important law makers.
But worse, Cheney-Bush have insisted, two years ago, to delegate Paul Wolfowitz, as World Bank President. Another insult to the real world. (See our articles: Bush, insults the Capital of European Union > April 9; How to insult 85 million people in one hour > November 21; Respect must be Earned > September 22.
Mr. Wolfowitz, under the guidance of Rumsfeld and Cheney, is one of the main artisans for the disastrous and irresponsible invasion of Iraq. He has no credibility, and has shown his incompetence and dishonesty.
Now, he is exporting the Cheney-Bush ethics and moral to the rest of the world, via his behaviour at the World Bank. Not surprising that most of the 23 other directors are asking for his resignation. Of course, Mr. Wolfowitz refuses. He even hired a lawyer to fight for his job.
What kind of message are we sending to the real world? An incompetent, irresponsible, with no moral, no ethics, and who, knowingly, have provided false information to our Congress and to the American people.
To show the world that we care about efficiency, good governance and values, the White House should recall Mr. Wolfowitz. Of course, we are dreaming. Cheney-Bush will once more try to fool 6 billion people. They did a good job for a few years with 300 million people living in a so-called democratic society, with the help of a spineless Congress and most of the media.
As Ross K. Baker, professor at Rutgers University, was writing: “We esteem courage in presidents, and a good test of a president’s courageousness, is his ability to draw his sword on subordinate who has become a liability. That courage is put to a more rigorous but necessary test when the subordinate is a friend.”
It seems there is a shortage of swords in the White House, probably because of the huge collection of bad nominations….which usually comes from poor leaders who have reached the Peter’s Principle, a few generations ago.

Karl Rove, the architect of numerous disasters, should have been fired, a long time ago. Unfortunately, Donald Trump is not taping his shows from Pennsylvania Ave.
Meanwhile, China has surpassed the United States as the world's second-largest exporter for the last six months of 2006, according to the World Trade Organization.
Export growth from China reached 27% last year, outpacing all other major trading nations. At current growth rates, China is projected to overtake Germany as the world's biggest exporter in 2008.
The present administration has done a heck of job in initiating the beginning of the decline for the American empire, supremacy, respect, credibility and influence. We have created more enemies, lost most of our allies, and installed two disastrous deficits (budget and trade).
As we mentioned in previous articles, we lost the war in Iraq the day we invaded it. It was not a war, it was an invasion. We have destroyed Iraq, and gave part of it to Iran. Not only we have wasted $700 billion (and counting), but the next generation will have a moral obligation to ease the suffering of those who paid the consequences of our stupidities.
Before insulting Syria (the trade-mark of the Bush-Cheney-Rice-Bolton-Negroponte), we should recognize that Syria and Jordan have accommodated more than two million citizens of Iraq, because of us. We owe Syria and Jordan. Unfortunately, our children will have to pay the consequences.
Not too many democratic countries would stand, that long, for such incompetent dictatorship. In Commonwealth countries including Canada, the Parliament is in a position to force the elected party to resign. Where is such a counter-balance in this country?
Or should we ask, where are the Braves?

If the Braves stay home, can we still be the land of the free?

"Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand....

Between their loved homes and the White House's desolation"

We, the people, must change this regime, it not, we will collapse with it. We must save our children. The enemy is within, not in the Middle East.

The Facilitator

Bush insults the Capital of Europe

In our Archive of November, we have an article "How to insult 85 million people in one hour", which describes the extremely lack of "savoir faire" of the President and Secretary of State. In one hour, both of them, with their usual arrogance, and ignorance, have insulted the people of Vietnam.

Last week, our Dear President used again the Senate recess to appoint Sam Fox as ambassador to Belgium. Bush resorted to the same cunningly attitude for nominating the non-diplomat, and non-qualified, John Bolton to the United Nations.

As we all know, Sam Fox is one of the main vile actor of the Swift-Boat Veterans for Truth, a series of lies and vicious ads against John Kerry. Unfortunately, 52% of the American people did not bother to search for the real facts. Most media were not better.

Our deranged, and deceitful president is sending an irresponsible cheater to represent us in Belgium. What kind of message are we sending to the 11 million Belgians? Either, they do not deserve more respect... or simply that we are a bunch of degrading people.

A major problem: Brussels is the capital of 495 million people, harbouring the headquarters of European Union. In addition, NATO, and Inbev the largest brewery in the world, are also located in Belgium. How can we forget the best chocolate Godiva and Neuhaus. How about the Belgian waffles? They really don't have any taste in the Bush-Cheney families?

"What a great nomination, Mr. Bush! You still did not learn the functions of an Ambassador?"

We will give you, for free, a very short lesson: one main function of an Ambassador is to represent the people of his (her) country.

So, in your great genius, you are sending a pervert degrading human being, to represent us.

It seems that Mr. Bush has a huge problem with his nominations, failures after failures. Perhaps, someone in the White House, or in the Republican Party, could ask him to read our article "Our Foreign Policy: the latest, latest faux pas", in our November Archive.

Again, we are asking the questions: Who is working in our Foreign Policy? Are they qualified for that important function? Is the Congress willing to do something? How about the Presidential candidates? Anyone of them can stand up?

The next generation will remember who was who, because our children will have to pay a heavy price for our silence, and inaction.

The Facilitator.

Pelosi, wiser than Bush

Nancy Pelosi is doing the job that Bush can't do: talk, while making sense. By visiting Syria, our House Speaker is doing the job that any decent President should have done, a few years ago. It is not that Bush does not want to, but simply, he can not do: negotiate, analyse the opposition, and come with a sound judgment.

Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rice, Negroponte, Bolton, all of them did not, and will never, learn the art of negotiations, the wisdom of listening, the "savoir faire" of diplomacy, and the ability of understanding the other side.

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer". Too much to ask to the sycophants in Washington. The present White House staff even denigrate their ex-collaborators (Matthew Dowd). We assume that 23% of the American population (52% of last election votes versus 29% now) are also "too emotional", with of course, the previously 48% who were unpatriotic.

By the way, what is the use in having those daily press conferences, and see Tony Snow and other President spoke persons, insulting the intelligence of the people. Media representatives should have a little more respect for their profession, and boycott those useless responses, which are mostly justifications for incompetence, and irresponsibility.

In the recent Iran-Britain crisis, the White House has shown, once more, our childish approach to Foreign Policy. Bush took a tough stand against Iran, and John Bolton, insulted the Brits, with his "pathetic" comment. Bolton, a non diplomat ambassador, and another disastrous nomination, does not even know who was President Lincoln, at his deplorable behaviour, a few weeks ago, at the Jon Stewart Daily Show.

Surprising that Lou Dobbs believe that he did a great job at UN, and invite him to discuss foreign affairs. CNN viewers should not expect any constructive information from Bolton who is not only uninformed about the real world, but also ignorant about his own country.

As we have seen, as soon as Bush and Bolton started to talk, Iran took a tougher position. The mistake of Blair was to call for an international boycott, right at the beginning. When London decided to depart from a "cowboy" confrontation, and concentrate on private meetings, Iran softened its position. Again, too hard for Cheney via Bush to understand.

Both Iran and Britain have gained respect in the imbroglio. Once more, we lost face.

As we have said before, Congress should cut all funds to the White House staff for travelling abroad. Every time, Bush, Cheney, Rice, say something, they create more enemies, and more people are laughing at us.

It is also the duty of the Congress, and each elected member, on behalf of the American people and the future of our children, to force a return to our founders' policy: the minimum, minimum interference in the affairs of other nations.

When the so-called ambassador Bolton does not know who was President Lincoln;

when our (?) President does not know the responsibility and duty of a commander-in-chief;

when a Vice President manipulates the White House;

when a Congress has been acting like the three monkeys, and did not hear, see and talk about the alarming two deficits (budget and trade);

when a US president is not respected anymore in the real world;

when our ex-allies are not listening to us (because we did not listen to them, in the first place);

when we have shown our incompetence in finding the real culprits of 9/11;

when we dare to promote democracy abroad, but tolerate a dictator at home;

when we show the world that our so-called most powerful army can not control a city;

when we show the world our ignorance and arrogance;

when we continue in accumulating a series of faux pas in our Foreign Policy;

when Chavez, Castro, and others become more popular than our President;

when we stimulate the cloning of a series of Bin Laden;

when we encourage other nations and leaders to become more powerful against our own interests (because of our boycotts, embargoes, insults, ultimatums, threats);

when we could enumerate so many more failures;

it is more than time, an urgent time, to come home, stay home, and solve our numerous problems: healthcare service; better education system; borders' control; elderly; security in cities and schools; two alarming deficits; competing business at the international level; better quality of life for the middle-class.

The Americans are working longer hours than twenty years ago, and, still, they are less secure with less savings, assuming they did not lose their houses.

Congress, it is time to go to work. You have been elected. It is your duty. The next generation, including your own children, will not be as naive and complacent. They will hold you accountable. Time to repair your passivity of the last six years. Time for action, NOW. No manana.

The Facilitator

P.S. Nancy Pelosi is an important asset to our 110th Congress, and also to the future of our country. She should tour the world, and present a refreshing face of America, the New America, relegating the fiasco and discomfiture of the present administration.