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RIP President George H.W. Bush
President George HW Bush passed away while I was at MFF. 41st President of the US, US Ambassador, Director of the CIA. Businessman, Family Man.
I Voted for Bush in 1988, cause Michael Dukakis was in my opinion...weak. Plus after seeing Dukakis riding around in a tank trying to prove he could be a Commander in Chief (Yet banned heavy weapons within the Massachusetts national guard). Bush literally pounded Dukakis in the elections, being the first incumbent VP to win an election in 152 years.
Bush proved his leadership role during the First Gulf War, surrounding himself with competent and willing to get the job done right the first time field commanders. Thus insuring a quick victory with minimal losses. Organizing literally a 35 coalition force of nations to retake Kuwait and pound Iraq.
Bush was also key in the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union 2 years later
Then again, he made a promise "Read my lips, no new Taxes!" and later did during an economic recession. Thus giving the Democrats fuel for the fire.
Bush would also watch his oldest son win the presidency a few years later, being only one of two US Father and son presidencies.
One thing that everybody agreed upon, George dearly loved his wife Barbara, being the longest married US President til she passed away in April 2018. Plus those that served under the Bush's in the White House appreciated them as a first Family. Seems they treated the Staff as family, not servants .
Plus George will be the last WW2 served President, Literally one of the youngest US Navy pilots to fly in the war. Being a Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo pilot in Squadron VT-51. Even after his aircraft was hit by Japanese flak, his engine burning, he continued his bombing run and dropped off his bombs, scoring numerous hits, before bailing out. He would fly a total of 58 combat missions earning a Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals.
I Voted for Bush in 1988, cause Michael Dukakis was in my opinion...weak. Plus after seeing Dukakis riding around in a tank trying to prove he could be a Commander in Chief (Yet banned heavy weapons within the Massachusetts national guard). Bush literally pounded Dukakis in the elections, being the first incumbent VP to win an election in 152 years.
Bush proved his leadership role during the First Gulf War, surrounding himself with competent and willing to get the job done right the first time field commanders. Thus insuring a quick victory with minimal losses. Organizing literally a 35 coalition force of nations to retake Kuwait and pound Iraq.
Bush was also key in the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union 2 years later
Then again, he made a promise "Read my lips, no new Taxes!" and later did during an economic recession. Thus giving the Democrats fuel for the fire.
Bush would also watch his oldest son win the presidency a few years later, being only one of two US Father and son presidencies.
One thing that everybody agreed upon, George dearly loved his wife Barbara, being the longest married US President til she passed away in April 2018. Plus those that served under the Bush's in the White House appreciated them as a first Family. Seems they treated the Staff as family, not servants .
Plus George will be the last WW2 served President, Literally one of the youngest US Navy pilots to fly in the war. Being a Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo pilot in Squadron VT-51. Even after his aircraft was hit by Japanese flak, his engine burning, he continued his bombing run and dropped off his bombs, scoring numerous hits, before bailing out. He would fly a total of 58 combat missions earning a Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals.
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I think it's worth mentioning that the tax increase was fairly necessary. It seems like he was the last president to understand that cutting taxes on the wealthiest people doesn't work. The "trickle-down" economics or, as he called it, "voodoo economics" is a failure that literally every president since him can't seem to grasp.
So many errors in that statement...
He should've stood his ground and told them to cut spending. You only -need- taxes to pay for stuff the government is constitutionally authorized to spend on. Reagan didn't explain it well, but he was right. Lowering the tax rate tends to -increase- the tax revenues, and his cuts did just that. The Democrat-controlled Congress then turned around and ate up the entire increase plus extra with new spending.
He should've stood his ground and told them to cut spending. You only -need- taxes to pay for stuff the government is constitutionally authorized to spend on. Reagan didn't explain it well, but he was right. Lowering the tax rate tends to -increase- the tax revenues, and his cuts did just that. The Democrat-controlled Congress then turned around and ate up the entire increase plus extra with new spending.
Money is like energy; it only has an effect when it's actually moving. Tax cuts in 1980 made sense when there was plenty of room for corporate expansion and job creation which that money would be put to, and nobody in the Western world would dream of going back to 1979 levels. But the same cuts don't make sense now when the job market is so different and more temporary, and corporations have admitted the money would likely be sat on or invested overseas, and not benefit the US economy at all.
Ronald Reagan's biggest regret was in having inflated the deficit. He was wrong; the 'mistake' was in not making it clear to his successors that he had been taking radical steps to combat the OPEC and inflation crises that had scuppered governments of both the left and right in the US and Europe that had tried to play it more 'safe' by traditional means, and that the deficit should only be used as a safety barrier when absolutely necessary. But as I said in my other comment, Bush's luck inherited from Reagan ran out at a critical moment.
Ronald Reagan's biggest regret was in having inflated the deficit. He was wrong; the 'mistake' was in not making it clear to his successors that he had been taking radical steps to combat the OPEC and inflation crises that had scuppered governments of both the left and right in the US and Europe that had tried to play it more 'safe' by traditional means, and that the deficit should only be used as a safety barrier when absolutely necessary. But as I said in my other comment, Bush's luck inherited from Reagan ran out at a critical moment.
Money needs to move, but moving it through the government isn't particularly helpful. And in both Reagan's and Bush I's cases, the problem wasn't revenue - that was up significantly after the tax cuts - but the Congress using the income increase to justify even more deficit spending.
It's another economic truth that all money eventually returns to its source. One of the key differences between left and right is the balance you give to where you believe those sources are, or should be.
Let's also not forget that the defence industry boom of the 1980s was part of the same economic plan, was also government spending, and not really any different in principle to the Obama stimulus, just outsourced to a different department. It would have been nice if the recovery wasn't so heavily dependent on the arms race, but eh, there you go. That's history.
Let's also not forget that the defence industry boom of the 1980s was part of the same economic plan, was also government spending, and not really any different in principle to the Obama stimulus, just outsourced to a different department. It would have been nice if the recovery wasn't so heavily dependent on the arms race, but eh, there you go. That's history.
You're probably going to say that the Cold War renders that comparison invalid, but behind all the posturing the Cold War itself was fought on an economic front during the 1980s. The calculation was always that the USSR would be locked into a cycle on America's terms that they couldn't disengage from without admitting defeat, or else bankrupt themselves.
By then, that attitude was reasonably accurate. Those of us who grew up in the 60's or earlier had to deal with Krushchev's CCCP. We weren't yet convinced they wouldn't get crazy, especially after K's performance at the UN. Banging a shoe on the podium while shouting 'We will bury you!' wasn't encouraging.
I was only 4 yrs old at the time of his presidency, so I never really knew the man or his legacy.
He was certainly a better man when it came to presidency, not just treating the staff as family, but also being friendly to his political rivals like Bill Clinton.
He was certainly a better man when it came to presidency, not just treating the staff as family, but also being friendly to his political rivals like Bill Clinton.
Colin Powell gave an excellent tribute to George HW Bush that encapsulated why he deserves so much more credit for his handling of the first Gulf War than he was ever going to get at the time.
In the end, I don't think Bush Sr was ever a bad president, just that the extraordinary luck which had blessed Ronald Reagan's time happened to run out for him at the wrong moment.
In the end, I don't think Bush Sr was ever a bad president, just that the extraordinary luck which had blessed Ronald Reagan's time happened to run out for him at the wrong moment.
After the war, the West studied the German officer corp to figure out how they made such good officers.
Turns out they had a system where they would a Colonel and move him to be the CO of an infantry regiment for 2 years, and learn entirely how an infantry regiment works.
Then, he would be moved to an artillery unit, say, then signals, then logistics etc.
When done the circuit, to the satisfaction of the Generals, he'd be promoted to General and join them.
When I first heard of Bush, and learned of his career, it occurred to me that he was being groomed for the Presidency like one of those Colonels.
UN Ambassador, CIA chief, Vice President, etc.
Sure enough, he became President.
That's a good way to do it.
Turns out they had a system where they would a Colonel and move him to be the CO of an infantry regiment for 2 years, and learn entirely how an infantry regiment works.
Then, he would be moved to an artillery unit, say, then signals, then logistics etc.
When done the circuit, to the satisfaction of the Generals, he'd be promoted to General and join them.
When I first heard of Bush, and learned of his career, it occurred to me that he was being groomed for the Presidency like one of those Colonels.
UN Ambassador, CIA chief, Vice President, etc.
Sure enough, he became President.
That's a good way to do it.
I don't have anything against him personally, but there is one thing he said that irked me. It was when he said:
"No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
People like Pat Tillman would beg to differ. I myself spent 2 years as a conscript in Singapore, without any belief in the supernatural. And I've wanted to call America my home for as long as I can remember.
Imagine how a guy like me feels, when someone claims I don't deserve the appreciation that other warriors/soldiers get, because I'm not a praying man.
"No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
People like Pat Tillman would beg to differ. I myself spent 2 years as a conscript in Singapore, without any belief in the supernatural. And I've wanted to call America my home for as long as I can remember.
Imagine how a guy like me feels, when someone claims I don't deserve the appreciation that other warriors/soldiers get, because I'm not a praying man.
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