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Forty-four has the Hardest Ride
By Kerry Baynes
Perspective is reality. Although one would like to picture George Bush’s Presidency as the epitome of government gone wrong, I would contend that quite the opposite is true. For one, if it were not for his apparent mishandling of foreign and domestic policy, the likelihood of Barack Obama’s election would be far more remote. An earnest analysis of the policy decisions that have earned Bush the moniker of the “Worst President of the United States” is a more helpful exercise in socio-political awareness than it is derisive.
First on the list is the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina. This is probably the singular most gut-wrenching failure African Americans can look to as reason for electing a black president; equally, it was a staunch reminder to America of the unintended social ramifications that result from inept domestic policy on national self esteem and global public opinion. Second is the Iraq war. While labeled by many liberals as an ‘unjust war’ or ‘blood for oil’; if America, as an empire, is to sustain its sovereignty – as any lasting nation aims to do – it must conduct war. The Romans did it, the Egyptians did it, and even the Catholic Church took arms to expand its influence during the Crusades. Members of any great nation eventually realize that citizenship has its benefits and responsibilities. The reward for dethroning the Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein is self-evident in the restructured balance of power in the Middle East. In addition to Iraq’s transition to democracy, the U.S. has established a clear and undeniable social presence in the Middle East. As callous as the thought of Sadam’s use of chemical weapons is, it is surely just as painful of a reality for the countless families of U.S. servicemen to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. Life and death are inevitable.
The economic turmoil we currently experience – clearly growing pains from expanding the opportunity of home ownership to the economic underclass – is the crowning and lasting failure of the Bush administration. The flip side of the coin, however, is that despite the rapid amount of foreclosures that result from the predatory lending schemes that precipitated the stock market crash, equal fortunes have been lost by wealthy speculators and the working poor alike. Individuals who were not mindful enough to fully calculate their decisions prior to making their financial investments were victims of the inevitable economic downturn. Economics is not bound by race, only by time and opportunity.
I hope they add another denomination to the currency system so that future generations of Americans can see George Bush for what he really was: an implement of change, not just a guy who could not pronounce “nuclear.” The glass is half-full, not half empty. Instead of dealing with an Iran Iraq war that could result in untold casualties and complete destabilization of the global energy supply the new administration is tasked with transfer of power to a new nation. Economic relief for those who were frugal enough to out-maneuver the pitfalls of the foreclosure crisis is now within grasp. Even more important, the dream of home ownership will not just be a gift to this generation but a boon to future generations that to whom it was only so recently just a dream. Katrina and the loss of life that resulted showed America the need for compassion towards the least equipped and most vulnerable citizens. It was live, it was televised, it was George Bush’s social revolution. Surely not everyone will agree with this perspective but I hope for some it changed their reality. What is surprising is that African Americans did not come out in record numbers to elect Obama; a topic for another article.
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