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 see this as a message to all globalist deep state swampers: Trump is winning and is a threat to the NWO, time to move on him.
translation: He is bidding to buy an NFL team.
Posted already; over a hundred posts.
Dirtbag, globalist, traitor, grew our debt like $7T
STFUGWB
George W. didn’t peep a word during the entire nightmare of the Obama administration. He should have kept his mouth shut so that we would think that he didn’t say anything because he’s classy. It turns out that he’s another globalist. Horrible!
I regret ever having voted for or supporting the Shrub.
Sorry I ever voted for any Bush. Never again.
George W. Bush has that silver foot in his mouth again.
He’s a dumbass...maybe he needs to rake up drinking again...never said anything about treasonous Obama.
[He is bidding to buy an NFL team]
I wouldn’t be surprised if the NFL put BUSH up to it. His revengeful, hapless speech is going to endear DEPLORABLES to PRESIDENT TRUMP even more.
George W should STHU, go down to his ranch, clear more brush and not become another 0bama.
Dubya is half the reason I’m no longer a republican. My eyes were opened during his tenure as Potus.
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.
George W Bush..who put us into TWO wars..who kissed Obama’s ass and NEVER said one negative thing about him because he didn’t want to “Get Involved” in the Obama Presidency..now comes out of the woodwork to trash Trump..the same Bush who said that we are NOT at war with Islam, yeah the same Islam that destroyed over 3,000 lives on 9/11
Goldwater became senile with age, too.
He made sure California took the big dive under aRnie.. by not endorsing any conservative much less a (R)epublican.. aRnie was and remains a liberal.
Between him and Colonic Powell, they passed up on more than one chance to crush Islamos in their home theaters, the Bush legacies are nothing to whoop it up off the roof tops about... not to mention their half ‘bro’ Bubba sure set the stage for a 9/11 passing on Bin Laden not once but three times.
I regret ever having voted for or supporting the Shrub.
Dubya, I luvya. But shut the hell up!
We know who’s side he’s been on for years. Sickening.
Who?
Conservatives Plan to Send Patriotic Message, Boycott NFL on Veterans Day Weekend
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3596543/posts
Hmm...
Is the GWB speech a way to punish PRESIDENT TRUMP and boost the NFL?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.