George Bush is going to be remembered as the guy who charged into the anti-Islamist battle bravely…but ultimately half-heartedly. If Iraq results in a stable quasi-democratic country, Bush’s ploy will be seen as a bold move and the messy, costly manner in which it was achieved will be forgiven if not outright forgotten.
Bush’s legacy on the domestic front will be considerably less burnished. His ‘big government conservatism’ (oxymoron that) will be seen as the beginning of another period of ostrasizism for the GOP, following eight years of fiscal irresponsibility that was previously their only differentiator from the left. If America wants big government–and we certainly seem to on evidence–then why go with the cheap immitation?
As somebody above said in a different way, those who dislike America and American policy all have their own messes to clean up. Moreover, anybody who believes that other countries don’t act selfishly in their best interests is a fool. Bush got part of the one big thing right: he took the war to the enemy. Everything else is important but nonetheless secondary.
