Posted on 10/19/2017 11:11:19 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
President George W. Bush on Thursday issued a thinly veiled warning about the state of American democracy under the current president, arguing that "bigotry seems emboldened" and politics is "more vulnerable" to conspiracy theories.
Speaking at the George W. Bush Institute's "The Spirit of Liberty: At Home, in the World," a national forum in New York City, the former president warned that the trend in Western countries of moving away from democratic confidence and global engagement is seeping into American culture.
Parts of Europe, Bush said, have developed an "identity crisis" as a result of economic stagnation, youth unemployment and fears about immigration.
"America is not immune from these trends," warned Bush, who noted that public confidence in U.S. institutions has declined in recent decades and discontent has "deepened and sharpened" partisan conflicts.
"Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories," he said. "We've seen nationalism distorted into nativism."
Bush warned that the U.S. faces the return of isolationist ideology even though he said that American security is "directly threatened by the chaos and despair" of other nations around the world.
The former president listed a series of recommendations that he suggested would improve the state of democracy. First, he said that the U.S. must harden its defenses in terms of confronting cyber threats.
"The Russian government has made a project of turning Americans against each other," said Bush, who added that cyber threats should not be "downplayed or tolerated."
Bush said that there should be a projection of American leadership, the importance of active citizenship should be strengthened and trust in democratic institutions should be restored. He said that Americans should pass civic ideals onto the next generation.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
You’re being naïve. Bush championed globalism directly. He cast opposition to globalism as white supremacy. He talked about the crude tone. He talked about Russia supposedly interfering in our democracy.
That’s straight down the Hillary Clinton talking points and is precisely every anti-Trump accusation being made.
Bush was flipping the finger to Trump.
Also, not a single word of support. The Chimp was flipping the finger to Trump and everyone who voted for him.
But he was nice about one thing. He said the globalists should remember the pain of the people who get hurt by it. ISN’T HE DREAMY? He’s an ignorant ass and a traitor.
I never felt like I voted for this clown. I was just voting against Gore and Kerry.
Our citizens are worse off today because of W and his father. These elittest globalist new world order free traitors have sold us down the river.
George, You failed. Now take all your abortion loving barbies and please go away.
They really think that if they succeed in removing Trump with this legalistic coup, that they might not be fleeing out the backdoor of the Capitol building for their very lives.
If they don’t abide by an election, we are not bound by the rules either.
George, you basically rolled out a red carpet for the most-bigoted President in my lifetime. To think that I took precious study time in college to help you campaign against that zombie Kerry. GTFO and never return.
Dang, and I used to stick up for the little retard.
Obviously bigotry against whites and Anglos was emboldened under Obama.
Crawl back under your rock, Georgie...the country has had enough of you.
The Bushies went race baiting from jump street
We fought raging battles over it here ten to twelve years ago
Lots of casualties
*James Byrd was old not young
But otherwise a nice rant
George W. Bush now aligns himself with the massive number of POSes in democrat party politics. Not unexpected.
Total bullshite finney
Everyone knows it was Bush bashing Trump
Same weakling who never criticized Obama
Stay out da Lieberal Booshies.... Piss on’em ...
Bush may have been the better candidate in that election but he is the face of complacency.
_uck you W!
The sawed-off “I go to work with war on my mind” little liberal GW Bush makes me want to puke. This sorry SOB ran as a “compassionate conservative”, whatever in the hell thats suppossed to mean, then turned right around and attacked a country that didn’t have a thing to do with 9/11. He let the country that financed the attack and supplied most of the murdering Muslim hijackers - Saudi Arabia go scott free. We’ll be bogged down in that hell-hole for years, all because little George wanted to look tough after 9/11. He never vetoed the first speeding bill until his last year in office. He appointed more homosexuals to government positions than Bill Clinton. When he came into office the co-pay for NSC veterans at the VA was $3. When he left it was $8. VA workers were made to go through homosexual “pride’ days and go to training to learn how special they were. But his lasting legacy will be giving the country the Marxist usurper as president. To hell with Bushes, to hell with the Clintons and to hell with the Obamas. All a bunch of liberals.
How many people have dropped their “mask” and shown who they really are because of Trump? Many were people we trusted, no longer ...
He’s the exact reason I’m not a republican. The day he came out and said.....see you at the signing....regarding the amnesty bill, I switched to Independent.
Hey B*sh - tell is what role “Poopy” played in Dallas in 63?
Tell us about the links he had with Hinckley
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