[Leaning Right]

> Hyperbole much! Hardly the worst president ever! <

George W. Bush is the worst president ever. I am ashamed to say that I once supported him. But NCLB alone does not make Bush so bad - I should have been clearer on that point.

Right after 9/11 Bush II had a unique opportunity to destroy radical Islam, just as FDR destroyed fascism. But, no. Bush instead told us that “Islam is peace.” But wait. It gets worse. Bush then tried nation-building in Afghanistan. And even before that was finished he launched a bloody invasion of Iraq.

Islam is on the march. They might yet swallow western civilization. This is due in no small measure to George W. Bush.

[Reily]

There was no way Bush, or anyone was going to destroy radical Islam. It would take genocidal levels of warfare to do so. The US is not going to do that. Islam was changing slowly becoming humane all you have to do is look a photos of 1960s-1970s college students in the Middle East from Cairo, Alexandria, Beirut, Tehran even Kabul and know that was happening. Carter allowed radical Islam to metastasize by giving the Shia flavor a victory in Iran. The Sunni always in competition with the Shia and vice versa weren't going to be left behind in terror. There was a small possibility it could have been contained and a deal struck (at least the Afghani version!) if we had stayed somewhat engaged with the Mujahideen after they drove out the Soviets with our assistance. We didn't so this Sunni version got to claim its success was solely its own. (Note I also blame us and the UN's interventions restraining Israel in the Arab-Israeli wars where we never allowed the wars to go to their logical conclusion.)

As far as Bush saying “Islam is a religion of peace” goes. It was a tactic; you think the world doesn't pay any attention to what's said by the US President or the US media. Bush needed the cooperation of Islamic countries to fight WOT. You don't get cooperation by insulting people. Of course, if you decide to somehow kill them all like Ann Coulter suggested you don't need their cooperation. That gets back to the genocide choice even the USSR chose not to do that. Stalin would have, but the last of the Soviet premiers didn't have the stones to do it.

Originally the Bush II administration had no intention of nation building, this I personally know. Somehow it all got changed. They convinced themselves the Iraqis were like the defeated Germans, the Afghanis were like the defeated Japanese, again I personally know of this attitude. I remember attending a meeting of US corporations, contractors, consultants and other taxpayer dollar suckerfish where their roles in the “rebuilding” was discussed. Looking back on that meeting I am convinced that's where the “nation building” notion morphed from. The juicy rationalization was “European & Asian contractors will get there make money rebuilding why can't US companies? Its the moral thing to do & it will be just like the Marshall Plan. We'll save them from radical Islam like the Marshall Plan saved Europe from communism!”.
It's always money!

As far as Islam swallowing the West, if it happens it will be the case of where a sick syphilitic rodent swallows a lion.
It will only happen if we allow it by being weak mentally & psychologically.

Its late I'm getting tired of discussing. Good night!