George W Bush has been a bad President. A bad, bad President. Exactly how bad is clearly enunciated in this lengthy editorial by "The Editors" of the New Yorker magazine, the mere existence of which, let alone its content, indicates how seriously we should all be taking this moment in history. (Once again, it seems clear to me that it should be everyone who doesn't live in America who should be choosing the American President.)
Leaving aside domestic issues (although some of those are also relevant to the rest of us: witness the fallout from the Wall Street financial crisis, a crisis that happened purely and simply because it was allowed to happen), here is my little list of what was wrong with the Bush Jr Years.
Iraq. Someone flies aeroplanes into landmark US buildings and the Administration responds by invading Iraq. It was like saying, These guys over here did this terrible act; therefore I'm going to beat up that guy over there.
Torture. A clear message has been sent to dubious rulers everywhere that when it comes to torture and other breaches of human rights, the ends justify the means so just shut up okay?
International institutions. Just how important did Bush Jr consider such important global forums as the United Nations to be? Take a bow, John Bolton.
Environment. And finally. And finally. As the world in the past eight years has come to recognise what a mess we have been making of our planet, and what is required to be done to clean up that mess, and how urgently, the Bush Jr people have applied themselves with all the resources at their disposal to Shut The Scientists Up and to pretend that it isn't happening, and if it is happening it's nothing to do with us, and anyway if it does happen America will be better placed to survive it than anyone else so it's all a Win Win really so bring it on.
Thanks for listening. This has been another Farmer In The City Community Service Announcement.
