10 reasons why George W. Bush was a smarter world leader than Barack Obama

[Saint N sinnerr]

When it took office a year ago, the Obama administration boasted of a new strategy of “smart power”, designed to restore America’s “standing” in the world. In essence this new approach to foreign policy was designed to distance the new US government in every way possible from the Bush administration, supposedly hated in every corner of the earth, from Berlin to Buenos Aires.

Hence, the hallmarks of Obama’s foreign policy have been the naive engagement of an array of odious dictatorial regimes, grovelling apologies before foreign audiences, lamb-like timidity in the face of intimidation, the ending of the War on Terror, and the trashing of traditional alliances. But has this liberal foreign affairs revolution succeeded in advancing American interests and security across the globe? Hardly. Under Obama’s leadership the United States now appears significantly weaker and far more vulnerable, faced with an array of deadly threats that grow more menacing by the day.

When President Bush was in power he may not have been hugely popular abroad, but the United States was widely feared on the world stage, her enemies were hunted to the ends of the earth, and her real allies were treated with respect. As Barack Obama is discovering to his cost, the world stage is not an extension of the set of American Idol, and global leadership is not about winning popularity contests. The doctrine of “smart power” looks increasingly like an empty shell, a naive approach that has reaped no dividends and threatens to usher in an era of American decline, unless it is reversed.


1. Bush never apologised for his country

Barack Obama has apologised for America’s past actions in practically every speech he’s given on foreign soil, and has humiliatingly referred to America’s “arrogance”. In contrast, George W. Bush’s speeches before international audiences were filled with pride for America’s history and achievements, with an uncompromising belief in the greatness of his country. The Obama approach has simply projected weakness rather than strength, and his diatribes against the previous administration’s counter-terror strategy has provided ample ammunition for those who believe the United States lacks the stomach for the fight ahead.

2. Bush identified and confronted evil

There was something very refreshing in George W. Bush’s Reaganesque interpretation of the world in terms of good and evil. In contrast, Barack Obama has viewed the globe largely in shades of grey, with a reluctance to describe who exactly America’s enemies are, from North Korea and Iran to Islamist terrorists. I applauded Bush when he delivered his infamous Axis of Evil address because he correctly identified the nature and scale of the threat the West is facing from an array of rogue regimes, who in some cases also act as large-scale sponsors of international terrorism. President Obama’s disastrous decision to engage Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Mullahs of Iran has simply bought the regime in Tehran valuable time to advance its nuclear and ballistic weapons programme, as well as its ambitions to dominate the Middle East.

3. Bush made the advance of freedom a key component of his agenda

The spread of freedom and liberty was always a centerpiece of the Bush agenda. His critics derided this approach as unrealistic, or as a grandiose dream. But few would argue today that the people of Iraq were better off living under a monstrous tyrant like Saddam Hussein. In marked contrast, Barack Obama rarely mentions the word freedom, and the issue of human rights is far down his list of priorities. He has remained largely silent in the face of extreme brutality by the Iranian regime, has extended the hand of friendship to genocidal killers in Sudan and has turned a blind eye to repression in places like Burma. There is a name for this kind of strategy – appeasement – and it only serves to weaken America’s standing in the world and strengthen the brutal fist of its enemies.

4. Bush defended national sovereignty

One of the biggest shifts in US foreign policy under the Obama administration has been its willingness to undermine national sovereignty, and its desire to give more power to supranational institutions such as the United Nations. Washington has already rejoined the embarrassing UN Human Rights Council (HRC), and is likely to sign up to the International Criminal Court and a host of UN treaties that threaten US interests. Barack Obama gave one of the most embarrassing and cringe-worthy speeches in American history at the UN General Assembly last September. President Bush, never a big fan of Turtle Bay, wisely kept his country out of the ICC and the HRC, and firmly resisted calls for him to sign the Kyoto Protocol as well.

5. Bush believed in the Special Relationship

I don’t recall George W Bush ever throwing a bust of Churchill out of the Oval Office or giving the British Prime Minister an insulting pack of DVDs. President Bush recognized Great Britain as America’s closest friend and ally, and placed the Special Relationship at the very heart of US foreign policy. Under Obama, the Anglo-American alliance has reached its lowest point since the Suez Crisis of 1956, a damning indictment of his world leadership. Bush possessed a genuine affection for the British people, their great heritage and their role in the world. Barack Obama cannot even bring himself to mention Britain in a major policy address or acknowledge the sacrifice of British forces in Afghanistan.

6. Bush cultivated key allies

Granted, Bush was hardly the most popular leader the US has ever had in Europe. But he did invest a great deal of time and effort in cultivating a strong personal relationship with several key European leaders, including Tony Blair, Jose Maria Aznar and Silvio Berlusconi. President Obama has largely ignored building alliances with European heads of state, and seems indifferent towards the transatlantic alliance. His administration has placed far greater emphasis upon backing the rise of a European superstate, than it has on strengthening ties wit close allies. The Obama administration has also succeeded in damaging the partnership between Israel and the United States, something no president has achieved since Jimmy Carter.

7. Bush understood the importance of missile defence

The Obama White House’s appalling surrender to Moscow’s demands to scrap Third Site missile defence was a shameful act in the face of Russian intimidation. It was an agreement the Bush Administration had painstakingly negotiated with key allies Poland and the Czech Republic, and the ensuing US withdrawal was a massive propaganda victory for Vladimir Putin and a huge betrayal of America’s friends in central and eastern Europe. It also demonstrated hesitation over adequately funding and building an effective global missile defence system, vital to the defence of the West against a mounting Iranian threat.

8. Bush believed in fighting a global war

One of the gravest mistakes of Obama’s first year in office has been his reluctance to describe the conflict against al-Qaeda and its backers as a global war. He dropped the idea of a War on Terror within days of entering office, which was subsequently renamed as an “Overseas Contingency Operation”. President Bush was right to rally his country behind a large-scale long war, one which may last for several decades, against an enemy that seeks the destruction of the West.

9. Bush did not compromise US security

The Obama administration’s zealous drive to dismantle the Bush administration’s infrastructure for dealing with al-Qaeda, including the promised closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, is having zero effect on lessening the threat the United States faces from Islamist terrorists. In fact, the followers of Bin Laden are now further emboldened by the President’s weakness, as demonstrated by the recent failed Detroit bombing attempt. President Bush was right to use all the tools at his disposal to keep America safe in the face of a vicious enemy. Barack Obama’s PR offensive to win over the hearts and minds of America’s enemies is already a spectacular failure.

10. Bush did not send mixed messages in the face of the enemy

A constant theme of Barack Obama’s speeches has been to describe the war in Iraq as a “war of choice”, underscoring his own intense opposition to the war, hardly a message of support for the more than 100,000 U.S. soldiers still stationed in the country. He also spent months dithering over whether to send additional US forces to the war in Afghanistan, and when he finally did make an announcement of an extra 30,000 troops it was tempered by the simultaneous declaration of an exit strategy, and a warning that America could not wage war against the Taliban indefinitely. This was hardly a display of Churchillian grit by the Commander-in-Chief. In contrast, President Bush never failed to give his soldiers the full, unequivocal backing they deserved, and always spoke in terms of achieving victory, instead of artificial timetables that hand the initiative to the enemy.

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

I give you 10 reason why George W Bush was worse president

YouTube - Man Throws Shoes At Bush

YouTube - Man Throws Shoes At Bush

Size 10 2 of them lol

Becasue of this f... I hate doing banking I hate traveling on air planes ...Civil liberties have been tarnished .....

YouTube- Anti Bush rally DC

YouTube- Anti Bush rally DC

Funny yes ... leader NO

YouTube- Stupid bush compilation

YouTube- Stupid bush compilation

[Martian]

USA need more Bush-II like presidents. Sara Palin would be an excellent choice to further sink American ship.

[PakistaniPhysco]

Originally Posted by AZADPAKISTAN2009

I give you 10 reason why George W Bush was worse president

YouTube - Man Throws Shoes At Bush


Size 10 2 of them lol

Becasue of this f... I hate doing banking I hate traveling on air planes ...Civil liberties have been tarnished .....


YouTube- Anti Bush rally DC

Funny yes ... leader NO
YouTube- Stupid bush compilation

Becasue of this f... I hate doing banking I hate traveling on air planes ...Civil liberties have been tarnished .....
--

Well, that's ridiculous.It's not G W Bush you should be blaming but Alqaida.Alqaida forced West to tighten security.

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Because he was from Texas dudes ...

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Originally Posted by PakistaniPhysco

Becasue of this f... I hate doing banking I hate traveling on air planes ...Civil liberties have been tarnished .....
--

Well, that's ridiculous.It's not G W Bush you should be blaming but Alqaida.Alqaida forced West to tighten security.

.....a competent leader like Kiyani woudl have crushed AL Qaida-
with in 6 moths

But like his jokes funniest leader just not suitable for leadership

[gambit]

Originally Posted by AZADPAKISTAN2009

.....a competent leader like Kiyani woudl have crushed AL Qaida-
with in 6 moths

And he would have done it in ways that would earn him worldwide condemnations from human rights groups.

[Dawkins]

All the article says is Right Winger ~ Smarter.

[Parashuram1]

I wonder why many Pakistani members on this forum have such animosity with Western countries despite their economy mostly depending on us. Their hatred of USA despite most of their weapon systems being American since the cold war days; their hatred of us Swiss people because we refuse to have their minarets in our country as a federal law; their hatred of United Kingdom for siding with United States despite most immigrant Pakistanis living ten times better live in Britain than they could ever do in their own dear country. Their hatred of France because it has a secular law not to have any display of religion out in public for everyone.

And yet at the same time; Pakistani members here discuss on acquiring Western assistance in terms of their air force's new fighters such as radars and avionics from France/Italy/UK etc, their army receiving small arms system from Switzerland, their air force again getting F-16 fighter jets from United States, they demanding submarines from Germany.

And most surprisingly, discussing on acquiring Israeli technology through Turkey and other neutral countries; technology of a country that they ideologically despise so passionately!!

This is the highest level of hypocrisy I have seen. Doesn't really give Pakistan a good image in the international community. What an irony of them blaming us Westerners half the time and then asking us for technical assistance. Height of hypocrisy.

[pak-yes]

huhhhhhh good Points.

[pak-yes]

on us

Are you really Swiss.Your Signature says Otherwise.

[pak-yes]

discussing on acquiring Israeli technology through Turkey and other neutral countries; technology of a country that they ideologically despise so passionately!!

Well if a country is your enemy it doesn't mean that you cannot acquire it's superior technology.

If we go by your logic then the every country should finish their Intelligence agencies.

Because one of the functions of Intelligence is steal or acquire enemy weaponry by any means.

I wonder why many Pakistani members on this forum have such animosity with Western countries despite their economy mostly depending on us. Their hatred of USA despite most of their weapon systems being American since the cold war days; their hatred of us Swiss people because we refuse to have their minarets in our country as a federal law; their hatred of United Kingdom for siding with United States despite most immigrant Pakistanis living ten times better live in Britain than they could ever do in their own dear country. Their hatred of France because it has a secular law not to have any display of religion out in public for everyone.

And yet at the same time; Pakistani members here discuss on acquiring Western assistance in terms of their air force's new fighters such as radars and avionics from France/Italy/UK etc, their army receiving small arms system from Switzerland, their air force again getting F-16 fighter jets from United States, they demanding submarines from Germany.

Who says Pakistanis hate American's or Especially Europeans.

People only dislike America because of it's backstabbing and Interference in Pakistani Matters.

their hatred of us Swiss people because we refuse to have their minarets in our country as a federal law; their hatred of United Kingdom for siding with United States despite most immigrant Pakistanis living ten times better live in Britain than they could ever do in their own dear country. Their hatred of France because it has a secular law not to have any display of religion out in public for everyone.

I bet you that if we had banned your churches your so called Human Rights Organizations would had Made a mountain out of a molehill.

[Parashuram1]

Originally Posted by pak-yes

Are you really Swiss.Your Signature says Otherwise.

You can visit my profile and see my ethnicity and religion yourself. I am as much an Indian national as you are a Saudi Arab. My signature here is a verse from my holy book Gita in Sanskrit language.

If you are an Asian and can be a Muslim, why can't I be a Swiss and be a Hindu?

[Parashuram1]

Well if a country is your enemy it doesn't mean that you cannot acquire it's superior technology.
If we go by your logic then the every country should finish their Intelligence agencies.

Because one of the functions of Intelligence is steal or acquire enemy weaponry by any means.

I am speaking from the point of ethics. But you have a good point there.

Who says Pakistanis hate American's or Especially Europeans.

People only dislike America because of it's backstabbing and Interference in Pakistani Matters.

There are multiple threads here that show displeasure at various Western countries for various reasons and some rather unpleasant responses from emotionally-charged members. One example I shall give you is a thread regarding Swiss parliament's decision to ban minarets in our country.

I bet you that if we had banned your churches your so called Human Rights Organizations would had Made a mountain out of a molehill.

Minaret ban is a federal law of Switzerland which is irrespective of religion. On some of my pilgrimages to India, I see numerous towers and poles with speakers chanting Hindu hymns and prayers, which is quite common in Indian cities as per their local devotees. These kinds of towers for our bhajans and prayers are not here in Switzerland.

Do you see us making a mountain out of this molehill? Because we respect the no-state religion policy of our country. Even Churches here aren't allowed to exhibit their religion very explicitly, keeping religion locked inside homes and places of worship, therefore keeping a sense of unity and goodwill between the various citizens.

My dear man, a good fellow member has given me a huge list of churches in your country; I am myself a Civil Analyst and my team has a good record on the treatment minorities have in Pakistan. So kindly spare me the lecture, as there is no point of showing the number of places of worship if there are barely any followers left.

I regularly visit your countries due to my work nature and I must tell you that none of them hesitate to show their displeasure at my religious symbol(s). Now should I take that as a cue that your faith is intolerant to other religions? I won't do that because I am mature enough not to be needlessly over-passionate about such personal issues.

[Zaki]

Bush was the worst American president ever.......... look at the US economy now.......... because of him the whole world is still suffering from terrorism and recession