10 Great Things

#1
T

therealUT

Rational Thought Allowed?
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#1
The postmortems on the presidency of George W. Bush are all wrong. The liberal line is that Bush dangerously weakened America's position in the world and rushed to the aid of the rich and powerful as income inequality worsened. That is twaddle. Conservatives--okay, not all of them--have only been a little bit kinder. They give Bush credit for the surge that saved Iraq, but not for much else.


He deserves better. His presidency was far more successful than not. And there's an aspect of his decision-making that merits special recognition: his courage. Time and time again, Bush did what other presidents, even Ronald Reagan, would not have done and for which he was vilified and abused. That--defiantly doing the right thing--is what distinguished his presidency.


Bush had ten great achievements (and maybe more) in his eight years in the White House...




Bush's Achievements
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For those of you who will not take the extra 2 minutes to read the article, I will provide a list of said achievements.


10. Refusal to sign off on Kyoto
9. Enhanced interrogation of terrorists
8. Rebuilding of Presidential Authority / Executive Power
7. Support for Israel (calling out Yasser Arafat)
6. No Child Left Behind
5. Worldwide promotion of democracy
4. Medicare prescription drug benefit
3. Roberts and Alito
2. Relations with East Asian Democracies
1. The "Surge"


I would have to say that I believe that 10, 9, 8, 7, 3, and 1 are pretty significant, and beneficial, achievements / policy decisions.
 
#2
#2
therealUT said:
For those of you who will not take the extra 2 minutes to read the article, I will provide a list of said achievements.


10. Refusal to sign off on Kyoto - To say that that was a great thing is a bit overstated, to say the least.

9. Enhanced interrogation of terrorists - Torture, "enhanced interrogation", it's all the same thing I guess

8. Rebuilding of Presidential Authority / Executive Power - To make yourself King of All United States Land is not a "great" thing
7. Support for Israel (calling out Yasser Arafat) - Ok, now I do think this is a good thing.

6. No Child Left Behind - Standardized test scores do not necessarily tell how much a teacher teaches.

5. Worldwide promotion of democracy - Ok, we've reached a great thing.

4. Medicare prescription drug benefit - It's a good first step.
3. Roberts and Alito - Really, I don't much care about that, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt

2. Relations with East Asian Democracies - Ok, good thing #2 on this list.
1. The "Surge" - Gotta give credit where credit is due. This was a great move.


I would have to say that I believe that 10, 9, 8, 7, 3, and 1 are pretty significant, and beneficial, achievements / policy decisions.
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.
 
#6
#6
If the Federal Government is going to provide subsidies to local schools, then I, as a tax payer, would like to see accountability from those schools to the Federal Government. The only effective way for the Federal Government to account for whether their money is being used in a beneficial manner, is through standardized testing.

Teachers are against it because it actually makes teachers teach. Math should always be taught to a test, by the way. The liberal arts are a little tougher to quantify on a standardized test, however, if the SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, and LSAT can do it, without massive outcries from the general public, then I see know plausible reason for the outcries against standardized testing for elementary students.
 
#7
#7
therealUT said:
If the Federal Government is going to provide subsidies to local schools, then I, as a tax payer, would like to see accountability from those schools to the Federal Government. The only effective way for the Federal Government to account for whether their money is being used in a beneficial manner, is through standardized testing.

Teachers are against it because it actually makes teachers teach. Math should always be taught to a test, by the way. The liberal arts are a little tougher to quantify on a standardized test, however, if the SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, and LSAT can do it, without massive outcries from the general public, then I see know plausible reason for the outcries against standardized testing for elementary students.
Click to expand...

I had standardized tests every year I was in grade school. No one whined about it. Of course I did go to a private school. But still, if teachers can't get their kids to learn math/reading at their grade level something is wrong.
 
#8
#8
4. Medicare prescription drug benefit?

That is ridiculous, at a time when social security is fast becoming insolvent, Bush adds a new entitlement program?
 
#10
#10
dickens821 said:
I had standardized tests every year I was in grade school. No one whined about it. Of course I did go to a private school. But still, if teachers can't get their kids to learn math/reading at their grade level something is wrong.
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You lucky bastard.
 
#13
#13
Obama will out perform that list in his first 10 hours.

But seriously, if 6 and 4 are in your top ten list, might want to cut it to a top 8 list.
 
#16
#16
allvol123 said:
Obama will out perform that list in his first 10 hours.

But seriously, if 6 and 4 are in your top ten list, might want to cut it to a top 8 list.
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how is that? give you an increase in your welfare check? Hussein O is too much of a wimp to do what bush did. He'll get America back to pre 9/11 and it would not suprise me if we get hit again. then you libs will just blame Bush and Hussein O will get yet another pass.
 
#17
#17
joevol320 said:
how is that? give you an increase in your welfare check? Hussein O is too much of a wimp to do what bush did. He'll get America back to pre 9/11 and it would not suprise me if we get hit again. then you libs will just blame Bush and Hussein O will get yet another pass.
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allvol was sarcastically making reference to Obama being the Son of God and capable of many great things within hours of taking the Oath of Office. Not the least of which is fixing Lou Holtz's speech impediment.
 
#18
#18
MG1968 said:
allvol was sarcastically making reference to Obama being the Son of God and capable of many great things within hours of taking the Oath of Office. Not the least of which is fixing Lou Holtz's speech impediment.
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ah, well then i digest.

i heard he was going to raise Christopher Reeve from the dead and heal him to walk again. that is to be done in the 1st 4 minutes of his presidency.
 
#19
#19
nickknx865 said:
10. Refusal to sign off on Kyoto - To say that that was a great thing is a bit overstated, to say the least.
Click to expand...

no, it's really not. Maybe if it was not designed to hurt US businesses and actually included some of the worst offenders in the world it might be worth it. Then again, it still wouldn't
 
#20
#20
joevol320 said:
ah, well then i digest.

i heard he was going to raise Christopher Reeve from the dead and heal him to walk again. that is to be done in the 1st 4 minutes of his presidency.
Click to expand...

Are you sure you don't digress?



Or did you have some disasterific tacos?
 
#21
#21
allvol123 said:
Obama will out perform that list in his first 10 hours.

But seriously, if 6 and 4 are in your top ten list, might want to cut it to a top 8 list.
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I am definitely not a big fan of either medicare or public schooling. Unfortunately, seeing either of those go away, in my lifetime, is nothing more than a pipedream. That being said, I think accountability for taxpayer subsidized schooling is a good thing.

I cannot, for the life of me, find anything good to say about Medicare.
 
#22
#22
joevol320 said:
how is that? give you an increase in your welfare check? Hussein O is too much of a wimp to do what bush did. He'll get America back to pre 9/11 and it would not suprise me if we get hit again. then you libs will just blame Bush and Hussein O will get yet another pass.
Click to expand...


joe speaks the truth again. i wish we could pick where our tax money goes. It makes me sick to see people at the grocery store buying steak and lobster on EBT and not working, where as i put in at least 60 hours a week and im having to buy the cheap stuff
 
#23
#23
GASOUTHERNVOL said:
It makes me sick to see people at the grocery store buying steak and lobster on EBT and not working, where as i put in at least 60 hours a week and im having to buy the cheap stuff
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Jealousy should never be the reason in which one pushes for changes in policy.
 
#25
#25
therealUT said:
Jealousy should never be the reason in which one pushes for changes in policy.
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jealousy? more like disgust that the money I pay out in taxes from work goes to pay these lazy @$$ holes that sit around and watch trash TV all day and get a paycheck from the government,,,, im a firm believer where it says in the Bible, "A man doesnt work, nor shall he eat"
 
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