America's Lost Honor: Can we Recover It?

[drbob]

Thanks to everyone who wrote a welcome to me.  I appreciate your thoughts.  I'll start my entries in this blog with a short bit I posted on another blog a day or two ago.  I'll try to come up with something newer in a day or two. 

Several days ago, I wrote in a blog entry that, following the Bush II presidency, it will take America years to recover the prestige and stature as a world leader on issues of morality and ethics that it held prior to our 43rd president.  Yesterday, President Bush, in what was billed as his last press conference, seemed to answer my charge.  Of course, he knew nothing of what I wrote, but was actually answering a number of critics who have made points similar to the one I made.  Bush said: "I strongly disagree with the assessment that our moral standing has been damaged."  And later in the conference, he said, "I disagree with the assessment that, you know, people view American in a dim light."

Really?  Has Bush been living on planet Earth over the last several years?  Perhaps he did not notice but I recall that every single candidate running for president this last cycle (Republicans: Romney, Paul, Huckabee, Giuliani, and McCain and Democrats: Clinton, Biden, Dodd, Richardson, and Obama) all to a person promised, when elected, to restore America's honor and standing in the world.  Many of them offered details as to why this was necessary.   

The President was asked to name the biggist mistake his administration made during his eight years in office.  Astonishingly the first answer the came up with was a public relations screw up.  He said the "Mission Accomplished" banner prematurely displayed on an American aircraft carrier as the president announced the end of the major conflict in Iraq.  He did not mention his decision to invade Iraq, when the reason for the invasion did not exist.  The President observed that it might have been a mistake to not to fly directly into Baton Rouge to oversee the Katrina recovery, but failed to note his decision to give the leadership of FEMA to a hapless and incompetent Michael Brown.  He said Abu Ghraib was a huge disappointment, but was unwilling, as commander in chief, to take responsibility for the ineffective training and lax supervision that allowed America to be branded as a nation that resorts to torture.  The President said not finding WMDs was a "significant disappointment."  Since WMDs was the prime reason Bush gave for invading Iraq, not finding them has labeled America as just another powerful nation that forces its will on helpless other nations whenever it desires to do so.     

All to these incidents and a few more I might mention have sent Americas prestige plummeting like a meteor for outer space.  So, one of the major problems faced by soon to be President Obama will be how to begin to rebuild America's lost honor.  It will take years to accomplish, but I believe the appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, is a first step toward that end.   

[Henry Hawk]

Welcome Dr.Bob..........I'm going to digest this carefully before I respond........but, right off the cuff, what makes you think Hillary Clinton has the capabilities to "restore" America's "image"?

[Exterminator]

Welcome Dr.Bob..........I'm going to digest this carefully before I respond........but, right off the cuff, what makes you think Hillary Clinton has the capabilities to "restore" America's "image"?

She couldn't do any worse than that pit bull Rice.

[Henry Hawk]

She couldn't do any worse than that pit bull Rice.

we will see...

[Exterminator]

we will see...

Some of us will; some of us will continue to delude ourselves with the idea that the outgoing administration has been anything but a disaster.

[Henry Hawk]

Some of us will; some of us will continue to delude ourselves with the idea that the outgoing administration has been anything but a disaster.

that is always your arguement.....you divert answering a question, by slamming the person asking.

my question was and is....what capabilities does Hillary have, to restore our nation?.....you slammed Rice and myself, but still did not answer the question.

I think she is a self-centered, pompus politician.........who has been a poor senator and a has spent a lot of money running around the country and failing at her bid for presidency....and she was a wife to a husband who cheated on her.....not exactly a glamorous resume' for dealing with leaders of the world, and selling charm....

[Exterminator]

What capabilities did Rice have?

[Henry Hawk]

What capabilities did Rice have?

can you answer the question or not?

[Exterminator]

Yes, I can answer it; Rice had no capabilities whatsoever.

[Henry Hawk]

Yes, I can answer it; Rice had no capabilities whatsoever.

THAT is the most pathetic, biased answer EVER from you....

Please take a minute and read this... and tell me she is somehow unqualified for her position.............you may not have agreed with her performance, but she is without a doubt qualified for that position.

and yet, you have NOT for the third time, answered my simple question...........is it taking you that long to come up with something, somewhat intelligent?..

[Exterminator]

You'll have to pardon me for expecting that an important qualification for the country's top diplomat is at least a modicum of actual diplomacy.

[Henry Hawk]

and?

[Palehorse]

Thanks to everyone who wrote a welcome to me.  I appreciate your thoughts.  I'll start my entries in this blog with a short bit I posted on another blog a day or two ago.  I'll try to come up with something newer in a day or two. 

Several days ago, I wrote in a blog entry that, following the Bush II presidency, it will take America years to recover the prestige and stature as a world leader on issues of morality and ethics that it held prior to our 43rd president.  Yesterday, President Bush, in what was billed as his last press conference, seemed to answer my charge.  Of course, he knew nothing of what I wrote, but was actually answering a number of critics who have made points similar to the one I made.  Bush said: "I strongly disagree with the assessment that our moral standing has been damaged."  And later in the conference, he said, "I disagree with the assessment that, you know, people view American in a dim light."

Really?  Has Bush been living on planet Earth over the last several years?  Perhaps he did not notice but I recall that every single candidate running for president this last cycle (Republicans: Romney, Paul, Huckabee, Giuliani, and McCain and Democrats: Clinton, Biden, Dodd, Richardson, and Obama) all to a person promised, when elected, to restore America's honor and standing in the world.  Many of them offered details as to why this was necessary.   

The President was asked to name the biggist mistake his administration made during his eight years in office.  Astonishingly the first answer the came up with was a public relations screw up.  He said the "Mission Accomplished" banner prematurely displayed on an American aircraft carrier as the president announced the end of the major conflict in Iraq.  He did not mention his decision to invade Iraq, when the reason for the invasion did not exist.  The President observed that it might have been a mistake to not to fly directly into Baton Rouge to oversee the Katrina recovery, but failed to note his decision to give the leadership of FEMA to a hapless and incompetent Michael Brown.  He said Abu Ghraib was a huge disappointment, but was unwilling, as commander in chief, to take responsibility for the ineffective training and lax supervision that allowed America to be branded as a nation that resorts to torture.  The President said not finding WMDs was a "significant disappointment."  Since WMDs was the prime reason Bush gave for invading Iraq, not finding them has labeled America as just another powerful nation that forces its will on helpless other nations whenever it desires to do so.     

All to these incidents and a few more I might mention have sent Americas prestige plummeting like a meteor for outer space.  So, one of the major problems faced by soon to be President Obama will be how to begin to rebuild America's lost honor.  It will take years to accomplish, but I believe the appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, is a first step toward that end.   

I tend to agree with most of the points you make here, however I cannot agree that it is going to take years for the world to realize that we are more than a nation represented by the outgoing POTUS. Certainly our record as of late is far less than it had been in previous decades, but I still have to think that this country's history has to count for something in many areas of the world. A history steeped in coming to the aid of all in need, and asking nothing more in return than furthering the cause of freedom for all that would have it.

Factor this in with the apparent abilities of the incoming POTUS, especially surrounding mediation of disagreements, along with what will hopefully be a successful broad-sweeping plan to rectify the mistakes of the last few decades and administrations, and I believe we will see a vast improvement surrounding the perception of Americans and the US within 2 years tops.

The key to this however is going to be success in the endeavors of our new POTUS in implementation of all improvement initiatives; or at least a large majority of them. The fly in it all is certainly going to prove to be the economy, with jobs playing a starring role.

This country is bleeding jobs, and has been, at an alarming rate and as the people go so goes the country. Loss of income means loss of property, lives, prosperity; and not just for the families and workers involved.

The former Director of the Economy for Yugoslavia once rewarded me with a detailed account of the final years of his once beloved country. It was a sordid tale of abuse of power, failure to listen to those governed, and eventual collapse; but the most horrifying hook in the whole account was when he told me that he saw this transpiring in this very nation. He predicted the current state this nation finds itself in to me in 2002, and back then I half considered him to suffering from senility or something.

In the years since I have seen many of his predictions become reality, but the worst according to him, is yet to come; that being the point where we, as the citizens of Yugoslavia did, find ourselves to be "pauper millionaires".   His name is Ivan Pongrasic (sic) Sr. for the record.

It is a daunting task that awaits our incoming POTUS, and a field riddled with the wreckage of trampled international relationships stands in the wings to be dealt with; and I really have to wonder whether the man or woman truly capable of successfully steering this nation through this minefield even exists! The citizens of America have cast their votes and we each anxiously await our deliverance. I just hope that somehow, whether it be from divine intervention or superior ability, we can weather this storm the failings of leadership has placed us within in short order. At least within 4 years. . .

[drbob]

Palehorse.  Thanks for the comment.  Perhaps, you're correct.  I do hope so. 

[The Troll]

Yes, let us end this topic.  But I would like to say to the person that said that Dr. Rice had no capabilities is wrong.  She could play the piano , dress nice, smile, shake her head yes and kiss George W. butt.