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[Makonero]

Bush...sounding reasonable?

"I would tell the person who's out of work, hopefully there's enough aid there to help you transition," Bush said at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. "But, you know, the idea of turning our back on a pandemic that would've wiped out an entire generation of people, I don't think is in the spirit of the United States."

"When you have an entire generation of people being wiped out and the free world turns its back, it provides a convenient opportunity for people to spread extremism," he said.
"I believe in this case that it's in our national security interests as well as in our moral interest to continue funding this program," Bush added.
Bush was particularly praised for his work with the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). He has traveled to Africa since his presidency to continue his work combating AIDS.
"I think the most meaningful moment for me was going to a maternity ward in Namibia," he said. "Seeing a roomful of ladies, most of whom — if not all — had the AIDS virus, and every one of their babies was born without AIDS. Mother-to-child transmission efforts of PEPFAR have been unbelievably successful."

He also discussed immigration reform:

"I laid out what I thought was a comprehensive plan that would work in an Oval Office address when I was the President," he said. "I still think that's going to be the plan that ends up being adopted at some point in time."
"There needs to be a way for somebody to be able to get in line to become a citizen so long as they met certain criteria," Bush added.

More here

 

[Ushojax]

You know the world has gone mad when George Bush and Tony Blair start to seem appealing again.

 

[talisayNon]

he did good work in Africa while he was in office, always seems to be overlooked though

 

[SRG01]

he did good work in Africa while he was in office, always seems to be overlooked though

IIRC, didn't his administration contribute more to African foreign aid than any other US president?

 

[Skellig Gra]

Bush always came off as a decent dude. Just wasn't very smart and let bad people make decisions for him on a couple crucial things.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

he did good work in Africa while he was in office, always seems to be overlooked though

6 days after 9/11 Bush went to a mosque and condemned harrasment of Muslims and that people should respect Islam.

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

IIRC, didn't his administration contribute more to African foreign aid than any other US president?

And it makes sense too.

US Foreign Aid is instrumental in keeping the world safer, less radicalized.

 

[Vestal]

You know the world has gone mad when George Bush and Tony Blair start to seem appealing again.

While he did adopt some bullshit policies and was never the brightest bulb in a city, he did have folksy and compassionate charisma. Look he sucked at his job, but he has a humane side to him that people find appealing. He tried to do some good things regarding emigration and the some healthcare expansions (although didn't include a way to pay for it).

 

[BoogieWoogie]

So when Trump's presidency ends, I wonder what monster the GOP will create that will make us miss HIS term.

 

[AJLma]

Pretty words from a warmongering liar.

 

[Ogodei]

Bush always came off as a decent dude. Just wasn't very smart and let bad people make decisions for him on a couple crucial things.

I think the most that can be said about him was that he wasn't racist and is not an asshole in person, which is asking for a lot with the current administration but used to be a low bar to clear.

 

[Skellig Gra]

I think the most that can be said about him was that he wasn't racist and is not an asshole in person, which is asking for a lot with the current administration but used to be a low bar to clear.

Right, it also puts him way ahead of 99% of current day Republicans.

 

[cackhyena]

So when Trump's presidency ends, I wonder what monster the GOP will create that will make us miss HIS term.

You wouldn't live through such a monster coming to the fore.

 

[JadedWriter]

So when Trump's presidency ends, I wonder what monster the GOP will create that will make us miss HIS term.

GOP gonna put up Eldritch abomination 2020:

 

[jurgen]

IIRC, didn't his administration contribute more to African foreign aid than any other US president?

Yeah, his efforts with AIDS and Malaria in Africa were huge. He increased foreign assistance to Africa 640% over Clinton's contributions.

 

[guek]

Bush...sounding reasonable?

Trump makes Bush look like Lincoln in comparison

 

[shadow_shogun]

he did good work in Africa while he was in office, always seems to be overlooked though

Yup, this certainly is the case but for all it's worth many Nigerians always appreciated what he did for the country and parts of Africa.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

6 days after 9/11 Bush went to a mosque and condemned harrasment of Muslims and that people should respect Islam.

This was one of the best things bush ever did. He fucked up everything else but he did a few respectable things here and there.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Crazy how Trump speaks like a kindergartener compared to G.W. Bush.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

Pretty words from a warmongering liar.

.

 

[adamantypants]

Me in 2002: "God we have a pathological lying idiot child in office"
Me in 2017: "Man, 15 years ago my president was so eloquent and respectable"

I have some thinking to do

 

[Gentleman Jack]

6 days after 9/11 Bush went to a mosque and condemned harrasment of Muslims and that people should respect Islam.

And if Dubya ran again with that message he'd get bounced out early in the primaries. That's the world we live in today

 

[liquidtmd]

And if Dubya ran again with that message he'd get bounced out early in the primaries. That's the world we live in today

So true and so bitterly sad

 

[Randolph Freelander]

The stupid thing is foreign aid shouldn't even be a point of contention. It's a drop in the bucket in the federal budget. Unfortunately, most Americans don't realize that. They think if we cut foreign aid, suddenly our problems are solved.

This is from a recent survey, consistent with many others over many decades, and it highlights just how far off most Americans are. The right answer is highlighted, foreign aid constitutes roughly 1% of the budget. The average answer of what people think it is is 31%.

 

[Flux]

Me in 2002: "God we have a pathological lying idiot child in office"
Me in 2017: "Man, 15 years ago my president was so eloquent and respectable"

I have some thinking to do

It's a whole new paradigm and new lows with Trump. I was checking out old daily show clips and Bush's worst moments and political moves are not nearly as bad. Maybe it's a but retrospective.

 

[Aikidoka]

I may be pretty ignorant and put too much stock in the whole "freedom bombs" thing but

"When you have an entire generation of people being wiped out and the free world turns its back, it provides a convenient opportunity for people to spread extremism," he said.

this quote just seems too ironic.

 

[Megalosaro]

I think Bush isn't a terrible persn, but he was a terrible prwsident. He was completely out of his depth and manipulated by a war profiteer

 

[jeremy1456]

Trump makes Bush look like Lincoln in comparison

Lincoln is a terrible bar to hold anyone to.

For example: read the first draft of the emancipation proclamation. He had some pretty screwed up ideas that aren't mentioned often because people still want to view him as a hero.

 

[Blader]

Bush always came off as a decent dude. Just wasn't very smart and let bad people make decisions for him on a couple crucial things.

This revisionism is getting really tired. He's not some hapless doofus that was blindly led along by Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. He is much smarter than many realize and he alone is responsible for the decisions he made. He prided himself on being "the decider."

He wasn't fed bad ideas that he rubber stamped without a second thought. He had bad ideas all his own and executed them badly, which ultimately sent thousands of people to their deaths and ran our economy into its worst disaster in nearly a century. Fuck this "decent dude" nonsense.

 

[geomon]

Good ol' Dubya would know a thing a two about turning your back on people in need:

 

[titiklabingapat]

W Bush always had these ideals. He spearheaded the largest AIDS related foreign aid expansion of the USA that has saved thousands if not hundreds of thousands of lives and one of his better legacies. Trump is targeting it so I'm not surprised he is speaking up.

 

[SRG01]

I think Bush isn't a terrible persn, but he was a terrible prwsident. He was completely out of his depth and manipulated by a war profiteer

This narrative's been pushed a lot with respect to Cheney/Bush, but it's something that wasn't really true -- especially in Bush's second term. There was an extensive NYT article/interview posted here several months ago that detailed his relationship with Cheney... and by the end of it, Bush leaned on Rice a lot more than Cheney.

This revisionism is getting really tired. He's not some hapless doofus that was blindly led along by Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. He is much smarter than many realize and he alone is responsible for the decisions he made. He prided himself on being "the decider."

He wasn't fed bad ideas that he rubber stamped without a second thought. He had bad ideas all his own and executed them badly, which ultimately sent thousands of people to their deaths and ran our economy into its worst disaster in nearly a century. Fuck this "decent dude" nonsense.

TBF, wasn't Shock and Awe mostly Rumsfeld's idea, as well as dismantling the Iraqi army apparatus?

 

[Tain]

Pretty words from a warmongering liar.

yup

 

[geomon]

TBF, wasn't Shock and Awe mostly Rumsfeld's idea, as well as dismantling the Iraqi army apparatus?

Shock and Awe came from the warped, fucked up mind of Harlan K. Ullman, a fucking war lobbyist and former customer of the DC Madam.

 

[Fury451]

Bush always came off as a decent dude. Just wasn't very smart and let bad people make decisions for him on a couple crucial things.

I would agree. Crucial is an understatement though.

But he was very pro humanitarian, and I strongly believe he would be pro refugee also, but that would go against his party.

His work in Africa was outstanding, but like all good lasting things his new admin seems to want to destroy it

Good ol' Dubya would know a thing a two about turning your back on people in need:

Not disagreeing or downplaying, but strip away all the "heh heh" likable demeanor, and he seems like a dude that's haunted by some of his decisions, the war and Katrina especially.

 

[aorange999]

The world was a different place when he became president it's since changed so much it's ridiculous. I still think that he truly believed in his 'compassionate conservatism' schtick that he campaigned on and got thrown into war by bad advisors pushing neocon rhetoric.

 

[Skellig Gra]

This revisionism is getting really tired. He's not some hapless doofus that was blindly led along by Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. He is much smarter than many realize and he alone is responsible for the decisions he made. He prided himself on being "the decider."

He wasn't fed bad ideas that he rubber stamped without a second thought. He had bad ideas all his own and executed them badly, which ultimately sent thousands of people to their deaths and ran our economy into its worst disaster in nearly a century. Fuck this "decent dude" nonsense.

He obviously is ultimately responsible. It comes with the job.

 

[geomon]

Not disagreeing or downplaying, but strip away all the "heh heh" likable demeanor, and he seems like a dude that's haunted by some of his decisions, the war and Katrina especially.

Good, he should be haunted. He should be in fucking jail as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Goon]

Didn't dubya push abstinence based birth control programs in Africa? That wasn't too great

 

[Blader]

He obviously is ultimately responsible. It comes with the job.

It's more than him just being responsible because that's his job. I'm disputing the notion that bad shit that happened under his watch were decisions or ideas fed to him by others that he had no input on and blindly signed away on. Bush's second term was even more problematic than his first, and that's when he began distancing himself more from Cheney (though not Rumsfeld, who he continued to stand by until he resigned).

Bad decisions weren't made for him, he made them himself.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

It's more than him just being responsible because that's his job. I'm disputing the notion that bad shit that happened under his watch were decisions or ideas fed to him by others that he had no input on and blindly signed away on. Bush's second term was even more problematic than his first, and that's when he began distancing himself more from Cheney (though not Rumsfeld, who he continued to stand by until he resigned).

Bad decisions weren't made for him, he made them himself.

I agree he made shit decisions, but to put focus on one person, whoever it might be, takes away from all the pieces of shit surrounding Bush that certainly fed the shit machine.

 

[Madness]

IIRC, didn't his administration contribute more to African foreign aid than any other US president?

Yep. Did more than any President before or after him. Gets overlooked. He was also instrumental in forging alliances with Poland, India etc.

 

[geomon]

Bush's second term was even more problematic than his first, and that's when he began distancing himself more from Cheney (though not Rumsfeld, who he continued to stand by until he resigned).

Bad decisions weren't made for him, he made them himself.

People seem to forget just how much of a rotten shit heel Dubya was not in only in his first but also his second term ("cause I've got a mandate now"). He didn't distance himself from Cheney because he suddenly realized Cheney was an evil fuck. Cheney was getting into scandal after scandal after scandal. The Dick Cheney Energy Task Force headed by fucking Enron executives. The outing of Valarie Plame as a CIA operative came out of his fucking office and his Chief of Staff went to jail over it (Bush commuted his sentence). Oh and let's not forget, he shot a guy in the fucking face.

All of that shit would eventually cost them both chambers of congress in 08. Dubya was so disgraced by that time, McCain didn't want to be anywhere near him on the campaign trail.

 

[Michael F. Assbender]

Pretty words from a warmongering liar.

What is "a sentiment that could be said about nearly every President since the start of the 20th century," Alex?

 

[Sephzilla]

Bush wasn't a good president but he struck me as a pretty okay guy overall.

Compared to Trump he seems like a saint

 

[jurgen]

What is "a sentiment that could be said about nearly every President since the start of the 20th century," Alex?

Yeah, also literally everyone since Hitler has been "literally Hitler."

Didn't dubya push abstinence based birth control programs in Africa? That wasn't too great

Up to 20% of the initial funds for PEPFAR (his main program) was initially designated for abstinence-based prevention but that was scaled back within the first year or two.

The other 80% was still gigantic compared to what came before it though.

 

[Fuchsdh]

If Bush hadn't been evil/stupid/some combination of both in pushing for the war in Iraq, I have to imagine he'd be looked on pretty fondly now, especially in this hyper-partisan era. But like Johnson, nothing like dragging American into an unwinnable war to sink your legacy.

Foreign aid was one of the strong points of his administration, so it's not hypocritical for him to comment on it.

 

[Tain]

What is "a sentiment that could be said about nearly every President since the start of the 20th century," Alex?

all the more reason to voice it

 

[geomon]

Foreign aid was one of the strong points of his administration, so it's not hypocritical for him to comment on it.

When you're directly linked to being part of the problem, it kind of is.

A senior United Nations official has accused President George Bush of "doing damage to Africa" by cutting funding for condoms, a move which may jeopardise the successful fight against HIV/Aids in Uganda.
Stephen Lewis, the UN secretary general's special envoy for HIV/Aids in Africa, said US cuts in funding for condoms and an emphasis on promoting abstinence had contributed to a shortage of condoms in Uganda, one of the few African countries which has succeeded in reducing its infection rate.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the condom crisis in Uganda is being driven by [US policies]," Mr Lewis said yesterday. "To impose a dogma-driven policy that is fundamentally flawed is doing damage to Africa."

The condom shortage has developed because both the Ugandan government and the US, which is the main donor for HIV/Aids prevention, have allowed supplies to dwindle, according to an American pressure group, the Centre for Health and Gender Equity (Change).

In 2003, President Bush declared he would spend $15bn on his emergency plan for Aids relief, but receiving aid under the programme has moral strings attached.

Recipient countries have to emphasise abstinence over condoms, and - under a congressional amendment - they must condemn prostitution.

Brazil announced last month that it would refuse to accept $40m (£22m) in American aid rather than stigmatise prostitutes who Brazilian health workers said were essential to their anti-Aids strategy. Senegal was also cut off from US aid because prostitution is legal there.

 

[Michael F. Assbender]

Yeah, also literally everyone since Hitler has been "literally Hitler."

If you insist.

all the more reason to voice it

Certainly. For all the good it does, there's nothing wrong with voicing an opinion.