As the worst president in the history of the world's greatest nation, George W. Bush has begun to reap what he has sown. Bearing the burdens of nearly a decade of willful ignorance, corruption, and arrogance, Bush goes into this week's G8 with no hope of changing his legacy.
President Bush heads to Japan on Saturday for his final G-8 summit of world leaders as the global economy slumps, energy prices soar and food shortages loom in the developing world.
Had Bush chosen to be the leader of the American people rather than the leader of a fringe group of radicals, he would have been able to carve for himself a place in the proud tradition of American diplomacy. As it is, he leaves the opportunity to face the real challenges of the new millennium to his successor and the American people.
A former administration official who served on the National Security Council under Bush says the G-8's purpose is not to come up with quick solutions."This is not a meeting of heads of state that leads to a treaty. It's really kind of public opinion shaping and trying to get people to agree that issues are important," said Michael Green, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Only PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, will stand in history as an initiative of true American greatness, and a cabal of radical conservatives have even put that life-saving program on the chopping block. The rest of this administration's record has served to undermine America's standing in the world, and will be seen forever as a weak and craven record of historic cowardice.
A presidency which could have mobilized a nation to achieve energy independence, lead the world on climate change, stop nuclear proliferation and terrorism, and spread the benefits of democracy and freedom the the world, has instead hidden from every challenge, choosing to protect the aristocratic interests of the conservative country club, while leaving the world to shudder and quake as the unprecedented failure of this administration's stewardship has been revealed.
Conservatism has run its course. It leaves in its wake an increasingly united and progressive America prepared to take the responsibility and opportunity to rebuild and lead the world. 01.20.09 can't come fast enough. Those of us who are rising up to renew America are hungry to face the challenges of the future, but we will never forget the damage they and their incompetent figurehead have done to America and the world.