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 ...
I regret voting for Bush. What a queer.
“I’m almost expecting the ghost of Howlin (queen Bushbot) to come on this thread and tell us how we’re so wrong on this.”
Wasn’t there a former freeper named Wolfie, or something, that always used to post anti-W:
“...New World Order Bush, Bilderberger Bush, Trilateral Commission Bush... etc”
He turned out to be right...
I seem to recall the same thing being said to slander him back during his own presidency - many times.
Disappointing.
GW Mud Slider is unhappy that his precious swamp is being drained. Even go-along-get-along abuse-taking hide-in-the-muck mud sliders are feeling the drain!
GWB goes bezerk when he hears Repubs talking about erecting a border wall - his entire family LOVE the Mexicans and welcome all of them with wide open arms.
GW in this dog fight because he might want to buy a team? He finds it okay to talk against Trump when he wants something? But can’t speak against the lies obama told for 8 years... can’t defend we voters but can trash a President so HE can buy a team?
That’s a very selfish self centered person!!! and the Bushes love the corrupt clintons.. I think he shows a man I don’t much like.
I’m discovering a GW that he tried to hide for his term. I remember before he was President, an inmate, Carla Tucker, (think that was her name?) was going to be executed. Bush was gov.. and he looked at her and said some disparaging things.. Granted she had been a bad person, but she had been converted in prison and spent her time helping other inmates. for some reason, that stuck in my memory as GW not the nice man he presented to the public.
Senior Bush double crossed Perot and that’s why Perot got in the campaign and how we got clinton
The left was right about Bush and I was wrong. They my have been right for the wrong reasons but GWB blows donkey.
Probably would have been better to have ManBearPig for 4 years might been able to avoid all the sacrifices servicemen and servicewomen had to make for America being Bandar Bushes GungaDin.
Gore would have sucked but most likely he such a obnoxious stupid man I doubt he would have won re-election.
What say you Dick Cheney will you denounce this anti Trump statement from the press err I mean GWB.
Golfers should throw the Walker Cup into the lake next time, the deep end.
“Probably would have been better to have ManBearPig for 4 years”
I have not defended Bush’s comments at all.
But the above is too much. No way. We’d be in horrible shape if it’d been Al Gore.
The Bush’s are obsolete, of no importance. Time has passed them by to irrelevance.
But Gore would have been a disaster.
Its pointless to argue about things that never happened and alternative history perhaps I go to far. But what we do know is that when Bush was done with this country the economy had collapsed, he started Tarp, engtangled us in a perpetual state of war that exists to this day and his stewardship paved the way for obama. Most importantly so many heros in the military were killed, maimed and scarred for life. For what? George W. Bush is/was a disaster we had for 8 years.
Bush admin was a rung on the ladder. It was important he was President after 911 and not any of the alternatives. We’d be speaking Arabic by now. It’s bad enough as it is, but Gore would have surrendered.
The key with the Bush “dynasty” is that George P. never gets anywhere near a national stage and that his political career ends with land Commissioner.
George W. Bush warns “bigotry seems emboldened” under Trump
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Bush only won the presidency because he ran against even bigger POS than himself.
Amen, on this I whole heatedly agree - the daughters two!
Between Bush, McCain and Romney, I will vote third party more often.
And Churchill.
"Churchill! With his cigars, with his brandy. And his ROTTEN painting! Rotten! Hitler, THERE was a painter! He count paint an entire apartment in one afternoon! TWO COATS!"
He’s completely silent while the kenyan muslim communist is dismantling our Country.
Now, when an American is trying to salvage our Country, Bush comes out against it.
Nothing says “Coward” louder...
Regretting all the times I defended him out here..
Here's contempt up here.
Here's the Chimperator down here
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