No

by AnalogKid82

Created on: August 15, 2007

When George W. Bush became President six years ago, I thought he was the right guy at the right time. After eight years of Bill Clinton and the way he treated the military, having someone who seemed to appreciate the armed forces was a much needed breath of fresh air.

It didn't take long to see this loyalty put to the test. After the tragedy of September 11th, he indeed seemed to be taking the bull by the horns. Standing on the rubble of the World Trade Center, he promised that the entire world would hear from us very soon. Little did we know what we were to be in store for.

From that point, it seemed that we've been fed nothing but lies and propaganda from this Administration. It now seems increasingly apparent that Bush's motive all along, even if 9/11 never occurred, was to invade Iraq and topple Saddam. Why? Because it was all about one thing - revenge. Revenge and the opportunity to finish a job his father refused to do. Yes, oil is a part of it - the Middle East contains nearly a quarter of the world's oil supply. But it was mostly about unfinished business.

You would think that if Bush was so intent on using the military from the start, he would have made sure they had the best equipment and technology available. But that didn't happen. Does anyone remember the famous comment by Rumsfeld when asked why our troops weren't properly equipped? "Stuff happens." Are you kidding me?

Bush has promised to let the commanders on the ground make the decisions. However, there are a large number of high-ranking officers and generals who were not allowed to freely voice a difference of opinion or strategy. Rumsfeld often shouted them down, and Bush often replaced them with people who would only go along with his grand plan. This never-admit-failure strategy has been a disaster for our country and for our proud armed forces who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of preserving our freedom.

Rumsfeld thankfully is gone. Robert Gates, from Bush 41's cabinet, is a good replacement - but it's too little too late. The same can be said about Bush's treatment of the military - whatever good he does with the little time he has left in office cannot undo the carelessness that he used the military. The sad part is that he'll probably go to his grave thinking that this reckless cowboy approach was the right thing to do, polls, Congress and the American people be damned.

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