Thank You George W. Bush

President Bush's farewell remarks were nice, not soaring, but, yet again, infused with the basic logic and simple decency that seems to be unsatisfactory to many of my fellow countrymen.  And, of course, he laid down his principal achievement - America has not been attacked since 9/11.  Sadly, he did it while America descended into smugness and pettiness, and I am glad he framed it in this language.  We all reverted to pre-9/11 thinking, but he didn't. While we were all in line at Starbucks each morning oblivious to the dangers facing us, this man was demanding and assessing grave threats to our safety.   We just might cherish the thought of the George W. Bush presidency when America is horrifically attacked again.

Ronald Reagan, in his farewell address, said "my friends, we weren't just marking time, we actually made a difference."  It was undeniably true and Americans were grateful.  The benefits were visible and tangible.   Oddly, George Bush could have said the same thing if he wasn't addressing the citizens of America.  In time it will be evident that Afghanis and Iraqis principally will harbor that sentiment, even though Americans don't.  I happen to believe that George Bush didn't fail America, but he didn't advance America.  His impact has been on the world.  A favorite bromide of liberals is to act globally as if we were citizens of the world rather than mere provincials of our own nation.  No leader has marshaled the power of his own nation in the interests of the citizens of the world more than George W. Bush.  No leader in modern times has acted more globally than George W. Bush.   And with our economy as it is, the resentment is as a neglected child who feels a birthright over an adopted child...why did he, not of our blood, get more care and attention as me?  I am confident that generations of Iraqis and Afghanis will come to feel the deep appreciation of the adopted child.  In time I hope that Americans come to that same appreciation as they realize that we, via George Bush, played our role as the non-provincials and feel blessed to have lived the example first hand.  

George W. Bush may very well never be quite welcome in certain American towns but yet be adulated in many parts in the world.  This is both a tragedy in that his job was to represent us, to advance our interests, and a success in that he was willing to take bold steps for the world who he doesn't answer to.  Who else has done that?   We have every right to feel neglected, but we should take pride that we gave eight years of deep effort to the world beyond America.  Whether another Saddam or another Taliban regains power or whether these countries become the modern equivalent of ancient Greece, Iraq and Afghanistan were given a chance at a dream and that is more than most of the world gets.