|
Bush's World of Black and White
"Often the issues for which he stands are less important then how he takes his stance."
By
Elijah Leed
George W. Bush is one of the most conservative presidents the U.S. has had in a very long time. Most right-wing conservatives (particularly the “Religious Right”) support Bush because of his conservative religious ideals—even if they don’t think his policies are entirely correct. Often the issues for which he stands are less important than how he takes his stance.
Consider, for example, the war in Iraq.
Even now, after Bush appeared on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln under the “Mission Accomplished” banner, and more than eight hundred American Soldiers have been killed, many conservatives still faithfully support him. It doesn’t matter, either, that many of the prewar justifications the Bush Administration gave for the war (such as weapons of mass destruction) were found to be based on faulty and distorted intelligence.
I think this is due to two reasons: Bush shares their conservative values, and he promotes them with a very strong will. Of course the right wing likes a conservative president. But having an extra tough, unforgiving one is even better. Bush is a great representative of their principles, and by being such a strong figure, the right wing will continue to support him, regardless of how baseless his prewar claims were.
To them, Bush shows great charisma by speaking in the Biblical Christian ideals of right and wrong; his black-and-white world has no shades of gray. There isn’t even room for discussion on divisive issues such as a woman’s right to choice, or stem cell research that could provide cures for multiple diseases.
To Bush, the issue of a woman’s right to choose is a simple, Biblical matter; he sees abortion as immoral. A woman’s health or her economic ability to raise a child isn’t even a consideration, let alone whether she wants to have one in the first place.
This ideological point of view is also applied to the debate over stem cell research. To the religious right, this is a sticky subject. Many ultra-conservatives—again, portraying it as a black and white issue—object to the use of human embryos as the source for the stem cells, largely for the same reasons they object to abortion rights. But stem-cell research would benefit millions of Americans by helping scientists fight muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and many other degenerative diseases.
The international community doesn’t know how to react to this type of ideological positioning; they are both stunned and insulted by President Bush and his Administration’s behavior. There are many examples, such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s characterization of France and Germany as “old Europe” when those two countries did not agree with the Administration’s case for war in Iraq.
I do have to hand it to Bush though: he and his top political advisor Karl Rove have succeeded in defining President Bush as a tough, uncompromising leader. And if you don’t agree with what they do, you are likely to be attacked for being wrong—even unpatriotic.
After the tragic attacks of 9/11, practically the entire nation was united in the cause of fighting terrorism. At that moment, Bush had the support of the nation, Congress, and the world in general. As the war against terrorism progressed, however, and the Bush Administration pressed forth with its plans to invade Iraq, much of that unity and support evaporated. Once again, it was the black-and-white view of reality that turned many supporters away. In the months following the attacks, those not aligned with Bush’s conservative administration were criticized to the point of being called “unpatriotic”, or even supporters of terrorists themselves. There was no room to question his administration’s policies.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with Bush’s religious ideals. But for presidents, I think logic is a much better guide than religion. Yes, the Bible does provide helpful guidance and wisdom, but reason and a good understanding of the issues at hand are the basis of sound leadership. This is not to say that that there is no place for religion. But because of the way our political system is set up—the separation of church and state—it is logic, knowledge, and the ability to see shades of gray that make for a better president.
|
|
