As America prepares to embark on the Barack Obama era, the world continues to ruminate over the tenure of his predecessor. The administration of President George W. Bush, by most current accounts, has been the most disastrous of modern times. But are we perhaps denying him credit for at least one high-profile success?
According to this op-ed by Hubert Wetzel of Germany’s Financial Times Deutschland, we are.
Wetzel writes in part:
“As long as Bush is incapable of admitting that his mistakes were mistakes – instead of ‘setbacks’ or ‘disappointments’ – blaming God knows who but himself – he will never receive the recognition he deserves for at least one important action. He was the president who, despite enormous pressure, the advice of many important advisers and the resistance of Congress toward the end of 2007, decided to massively raise troop levels in Iraq in order to break the downward spiral of violence sinking the country in blood and terror. … One can and must criticize Bush for heading blindly into war without a plan, possessed by the naive idea that democracy would follow the tanks. But we must also respect him for not abandoning the country at a time when, panic-stricken, all of Washington and the rest of the world vocally demanded the withdrawal of American troops.”
By Hubert Wetzel
Translated By Ulf Behncke
January 17, 2008
Germany – Financial Times Deutschland – Original Article (German)
Even in his farewell address, George W. Bush would not admit mistakes. As long as he refuses to acknowledge them, he will never receive the recognition that he deserves – at least on one point.
Just look at how major American newspapers have covered George W. Bush’s farewell address and you’ll get the idea. For the final time, the U.S. president is addressing his people – and no one is the slightest bit interested! On the Web site of the Washington Post, the Bush article received a third-place ranking. Meanwhile at The New York Times, you had to have been looking under the heading “Other News” to find a link to the president’s speech. Bearing in mind that in the United States the utterances of the head of state are usually treated as “Breaking News,” this qualifies as nearly barefaced contempt.
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