Bush's Legacy: Squandered Opportunity

I was standing in the driveway, shooting jumpshots, when the world forever changed. One of my roommates called to me though an open window, "Get in here! We're under attack!" The date was September 11, 2001.

I had just graduated from a Wisconsin college a few months earlier and lived nearby. Like many, I thought George W. Bush's "compassionate conservatism" meant he and Al Gore were eerily similar. Because of this, I skipped the long drive to Columbus, Ohio to vote in the 2000 election. Bush narrowly won Ohio.

In the aftermath of the attacks, people of all backgrounds came together, united as Americans. We collectively rallied together, turned to the newly elected Bush, eager for strong leadership.

Strong leadership we got. In 2002, when discussing the possibility of enemies using chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, Bush offered, " we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud." The enemy he referred to was not those responsible for the 2001 attacks; rather, he spoke of Iraq. With almost limitless political capital, the United States invaded Iraq in March of 2003.

Ultimately, Iraq did not have any nuclear weapons and posed little threat. The invasion and occupation of Iraq cost billions of dollars, but there was a far more significant price: the needless loss of thousands of lives.

Bush continued to misspend his political capital. The tax cuts he ushered through disproportionately favored the wealthiest Americans. The resulting lowered tax receipts are a large part of the reason for our enormous deficit and the current sequester. Likewise, the deregulation of Wall Street factored into the near economic collapse of 2008.

I learned my lesson. I've been certain to vote in every election ever since.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bushs-legacy-squandered-opportunity-211900540.html

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