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Ben Stein: Bush Is Not All Bad
CBS News ^ | Jan. 28, 2007 | Ben Stein

Posted on 01/30/2007 11:48:24 AM PST by presidio9

After the State Of The Union speech a few days ago, a muttering chorus of media critics told us endlessly that Bush was irrelevant, a loser, out of touch, even pitiful. NPR actually had Merle Haggard, the Okie from Muskogee, claim that the state of the nation had never been worse. And suddenly it hit me. The media is staging a coup against Mr. Bush, just the way they did against LBJ and Nixon and tried to do against Reagan. They cannot impeach Bush because only Congress can do that. But the media is doing what it can to basically oust Mr. Bush while still leaving him lifting weights in the White House. Look, Merle Haggard is a great singer. But he knows nothing of what's up in America right now.

The truth is that we are in a huge economic boom. We are coming off a mammoth real estate explosion that put the most Americans in history in their own homes. We have totally full employment. After decades of stagnation, real wages are rising. The nation is wealthier than it has ever been (although this is very unevenly distributed). Most important of all, there has not been one major or even minor successful terrorist incident against the U.S. homeland in over five years. Bush may not have done it by himself, but he had something to do with it.

True, we are mired in a war without end, costing us far too many great young and old Americans and too many limbs and wrecked families and vastly too much money. But we all know we're getting out soon.

It was a huge mistake, but I'd like to see a President who did not make immense mistakes. What about Vietnam? What about Korea?

True, the rich often get away with murder in the executive suite. Bush is partly to blame, but all politicians cater to the rich. What America's high degree thieves suck out of the system is nauseating and I fight it constantly, but that's life.

Let's be honest. Let's admit that Bush has presided over a lot of success in addition to some serious failures.

But no one elected the media to anything. In the TV studios and newsrooms, there is a lynch mob at work. Let's see it for what it is. Mr. Bush is the only President we have, and, with all his faults, I trust him a lot more than I trust the unelected princes and princesses of the newsroom.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: benstein; buellerbueller
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To: KevinDavis; Al Simmons; California Patriot

I can't understand why people here are so blasted weary.

You've got two choices; you can help to shoulder the burden and support the troops, or you can ignore the effort and just go live your life.

But don't think you're helping because you feel tired.


81 posted on 01/30/2007 7:27:28 PM PST by NicknamedBob (Sign says, "No dogs allowed -- except seeing-eye dogs" Why don't they put that sign down lower?)
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To: KevinDavis
We are not the Roman Empire

Unfortunately we are. We have had Pax Romana, Pax Britannica, and now an attempt at Pax Americana. However US 'leadership' is different than the other two. But make no mistake, it is still a form of leadership that is reminiscent of prior empires. Unfortunately, unlike the British and the Romans with the capabilities of travel, movement of troops being much faster, other nations being more powerful, more involved in world affairs, and a myriad of other reasons Pax Americana cannot, and will not, last as long as the others.

Are we seeing the first failure in Iraq? Maybe, maybe not. But we are seeing a slowdown at the very least. I sincerely doubt democracy will be established in Iraq for a long period of time, no matter how many stills of purple fingers Fox News runs across the screen.

82 posted on 01/30/2007 7:31:59 PM PST by billbears (Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. --Santayana)
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To: billbears; KevinDavis; Al Simmons; California Patriot

It is not the wind that fells the mighty oak; it is the rot at its core.


83 posted on 01/30/2007 7:37:13 PM PST by NicknamedBob (Sign says, "No dogs allowed -- except seeing-eye dogs" Why don't they put that sign down lower?)
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To: NicknamedBob
It is not the wind that fells the mighty oak; it is the rot at its core

Yes because pointing out blatant errors is not for responsible citizens. Rather blindly follow and cheer eh?

84 posted on 01/30/2007 8:00:54 PM PST by billbears (Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. --Santayana)
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To: frogjerk

"True, we are mired in a war without end, costing us far too many great young and old Americans and too many limbs and wrecked families and vastly too much money. But we all know we're getting out soon."


I agree. Very troubling coming from Ben.


85 posted on 01/30/2007 8:08:09 PM PST by oneamericanvoice (Too many morons, so little time)
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To: billbears

I do not consider that the behavior of a responsible citizen, unless you want to share in the responsibility for disaster.

Could you for a moment, put yourself in the shoes of an Iraqi? Would you want to give up your hopes for freedom because Nancy Pelosi sees political convenience in it?

Who says following is blind?


86 posted on 01/30/2007 8:20:48 PM PST by NicknamedBob (Sign says, "No dogs allowed -- except seeing-eye dogs" Why don't they put that sign down lower?)
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To: wideawake

Ben Stein is not an entertainer. Far from it, in fact. He is a author and pundit whos credentials include service in the White House. Merle Haggard, on the other hand, is a entertainer.


87 posted on 01/30/2007 8:28:26 PM PST by oneamericanvoice (Too many morons, so little time)
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To: motzman

Oooh, oooh, oooh! I know the answer to this! People being fed into wood chippers, rape rooms, wide-spread torture, gassing villages, executions of rivals and dissidents, new palaces built while everything around it decays, games with weapon inspectors, nervous Kuwaitis not to mention others in the region, building of centrifuges, more WMD R&D, payments to suicide murderers....to little space to mention the rest.


88 posted on 01/30/2007 8:34:40 PM PST by oneamericanvoice (Too many morons, so little time)
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To: presidio9

bump


89 posted on 01/30/2007 8:35:51 PM PST by LC HOGHEAD (Hillary can’t even stand up to a cheating husband, how canshe contend with N. Korea & Iran???)
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To: wideawake

It's just a song. Not a message about his address. Tony Bennett never lived in San Francisco...


90 posted on 01/30/2007 8:43:04 PM PST by oneamericanvoice (Too many morons, so little time)
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To: oneamericanvoice; All

Also Saddam was paying $25,000 to the Palestinians to blow up in Israel.....


91 posted on 01/31/2007 4:53:09 AM PST by KevinDavis (“To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual ways of preserving peace” – George Washington)
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To: motzman

I, and it's a very big if, Iraq was a mistake, then it was a strategic mistake in the War on Terror, a mistake in chosing the next theater of operations after kicking the terrorists out of Afghanistan, much like the Dardanelles campaign was a strategic mistake in WWI. These were not policy or moral errors, as they have been presented.

Personally, I do not think Iraq was even a strategic blunder. True, there have been multiple tactical bloopers, but, given Iraq's geography, the nature of its regieme, and it's economic importance, it may have been a strategically brilliant maneuver. Once the country is pacified, we will have a friendly base of operations and supply, right in the heart of the terror-sponsoring middle eastern states, from which we can threaten the terror-sponsoring governments in Syria, Iran, (which we will have surrounded) and Saudi Arabia. The terrorist know this, hence their desperate, all-out offensive to prevent us from pacifying Iraq.


92 posted on 01/31/2007 5:07:39 AM PST by Daveinyork
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To: NicknamedBob
I do not consider that the behavior of a responsible citizen, unless you want to share in the responsibility for disaster

Ah yes. Because speaking out against foreign policy forwarded by 'dear leader' or the 'party' is verboten. Eh, comrade?

Could you for a moment, put yourself in the shoes of an Iraqi?

No, because I'm not. They want freedom, let them do what needs to be done in their government. None of my business

Would you want to give up your hopes for freedom because Nancy Pelosi sees political convenience in it?

Well if I was an Iraqi and I understood the history of this nation of states, its noninterventionist policy before the crusades of 'spreading democracy' (pre-1898), I would understand that these United States shouldn't have been there in the first place. I would suggest a rereading of several of the Framers on this issue but the 'conservative' argument is 'times change'. Of course being rewrapped early 19th century Progressives that you are, you would say that to support the ever expanding attempt of trying to establish US like government in other nations. I would remind you that other empires have tried that in the past, and failed from the long view, but it would be futile.

93 posted on 01/31/2007 5:32:25 AM PST by billbears (Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. --Santayana)
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To: StockAyatollah
Now (sans Sadam) we are (allegedly) dealing with Al Qaeda in Iraq. I bet Sadam could do better against them then we will do.

Saddam was great at supporting terrorists so I'm sure he could do better.

94 posted on 01/31/2007 7:06:26 AM PST by frogjerk (REUTERS: We give smoke and mirrors a bad name)
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To: billbears

Sure it does. We've been spreading democracy since our inception.


95 posted on 01/31/2007 2:55:41 PM PST by Blue State Insurgent (Those who know the truth need to speak out against these kinds of myths, and lies, and distortions..)
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To: Al Simmons

Funny how all the attacks on America ended as soon as W put Saddam out of the terrorist business.


96 posted on 01/31/2007 2:59:29 PM PST by Blue State Insurgent (Those who know the truth need to speak out against these kinds of myths, and lies, and distortions..)
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To: billbears
We needed the help of a superpower in order for us to gain our independence. So does Iraq.
97 posted on 01/31/2007 3:06:51 PM PST by Blue State Insurgent (Those who know the truth need to speak out against these kinds of myths, and lies, and distortions..)
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To: KevinDavis

Sorry. I missed that one.

The "peace activists" would say the Palestinians deserved it because they are victims. Yeah, right. Probably the same peacenik students that walked out of a presentation with three former terrorists. Idiots.


98 posted on 01/31/2007 3:32:11 PM PST by oneamericanvoice (Too many morons, so little time)
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To: Blue State Insurgent
We've been spreading democracy since our inception.

Nonsense.

http://www.fff.org/freedom/1001e.asp

99 posted on 01/31/2007 6:35:20 PM PST by billbears (Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. --Santayana)
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To: Blue State Insurgent
Funny how all the attacks on America ended as soon as W put Saddam out of the terrorist business.

????? Did you mean to say 'The Taliban'?

100 posted on 01/31/2007 7:24:08 PM PST by Al Simmons (Why Rudy in 2008? Because National Security should not be left to children.)
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