Today, I listened to an interview (on Fox “news”) with Jeb Bush (I really shouldn’t expose myself to Fox – I’m a grown adult and know what to expect – I guess I just want to keep up on their propaganda scheme) where Bush had the AUDACITY to accuse our president Barack Obama of getting us “bogged down” in the Middle East.  In addition, he pandered to the Fox “hosts” who were leading him on in their quest to ensure that the United States closes its doors to the Syrian refugees (that, essentially, are the long term result of his brother’s STUPIDITY in invading Iraq some 12+ years ago).  Honestly, I’m getting beyond sick of listening to these people, but as the “stakes” are increasing and the need for the American public to stand behind our leadership increases, I guess all I can hope for is that Fox gets their satellite projectors (or whatever it is they use to spread their venom) hit by lightning.

I’ve said many times on this site that Dick Cheney (or anyone closely involved with the Bush/Cheney regime) should not be allowed a platform on national TV to spew their toxic obstructive criticism of the president who’s got the un-enviable task of cleaning up the mess left behind by Bush/Cheney et al.  It really doesn’t matter what President Obama does or says, anyone affiliated with the republican party (yes, the same group that accused people like me who cautioned against invading Iraq as “un-patriotic”) will take the other side.  While I “get” that’s part of the American “landscape” I just find it almost unbelievable that any “news” outlet could let a Bush accuse anyone of (other than GW Bush/Dick Cheney et al) getting us “bogged down” in the Middle East!  Have these people not been paying attention???? It was George W Bush and Dick Cheney who got us STUCK in this terrible situation!  We’ve been in this “spot” since Bush/Cheney invaded Afghanistan and shortly thereafter took their eyes off the “prize” (Osama bin Laden) and shifted their focus to the oil fields of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

The other day I heard Donald Trump (the apparent “front runner” for these same republicans regarding the 2016 presidential nomination) accuse the American public of being “STUPID.” Well, if Jeb Bush gets away with this latest absurd accusation toward President Obama, then I guess I’m going to have to agree with Mr. Trump on something (which, in itself, is hard for me to stomach).  OMG – does this man (Jeb Bush) really believe he’s qualified to get us out of the quagmire his brother (with the likely manipulation of Dick Cheney) got us into?  Keep in mind, he’s got the same advisers (to an extent) that were responsible for much of the damage done to America and the rest of the world by his brother.  PPPPPPPLEASE, give me a break!!  If you’re reading this, do something – call your congress person or something – the local republican office and tell them to get this guy to SHUT UP!  The actual terrorists are listening!

The reality is (it should be obvious to just about anyone right now) that the problem is getting worse instead of better.  The policies of the United States of America have been a disaster for the past 15 years (probably longer – but, I’ll leave that argument for another day).  I’ve written about my view of the failings of President Obama many times – he SHOULD have allowed the investigations (and likely prosecutions) of the Bush administration regarding the WAR CRIMES committed in ALL OF OUR names during the Iraq (and Afghanistan) fiascos!  The world would have breathed a sigh of relief had “we the people” made a public repudiation of the invasion of a sovereign nation under false pretenses along with the TORTURE and war profiteering and on and on.  That didn’t happen, but it is ridiculous to accuse President Obama of getting us “bogged down” in this civil war.  I would suggest that President Obama has failed to completely remove himself from the so-called “Bush doctrine” which has led to the unrest in Libya and now Syria.  I don’t understand where we have the right to determine (or maybe a better term is dictate) the make-up of the countries in the Middle East.  But it wasn’t Obama who got us into this mess!

Obviously, it is their oil that makes the region so important to America (and many others) – but, in my view, our leaders have continually shown a lack of understanding of the age old “rift” between the different sects in the region.  And, the impression the Americans left in the region when you study what the American tactics were after the over throw of Hussein were, well, let me put it this way – I don’t think we befriended many Iraqi’s – as our troops were barging into their homes and hauling away suspected “enemy combatants” to Abu Ghraib – to be TORTURED for “actionable intelligence” that didn’t exist.  The harsh reality is that the group ISIS (or ISIL as President Obama and others refer to them – or the Islamic State which is how they refer to themselves) was created by the Bush/Cheney regime.  In fact, I believe the founding of ISIS was the day Paul Bremer “debaathified” Iraq by FIRING all the government employees under Saddam Hussein along with his military.  Bush/Cheney showed an incredible ignorance regarding the Sunni Shia rivalry and I’m not sure we’ve learned much since. (In fact, brother Jeb suggested we “rehire” the Arabs we “hired” during the infamous “surge” to help solve the present problem.  I’m no expert – OK, quit laughing, but I believe you’ll find most of those people as members of ISIS)

Obviously, I’ll say it again, just in case you haven’t been listening, I’m not an expert myself, but I have to believe the problems in the region won’t be solved by killing everyone.  If you listen to our republican brethren, you might believe otherwise.  Just like Donald Trump believes (OK, do you really think he’s sincere?) he can somehow round up 11 or 12 MILLION immigrants in America and ship them back to who knows where, when I listen to some of these republican front runners it almost sounds as if they see the solution to the present day problem (and, again, it’s the problem created by themselves) is to somehow “eliminate” all the Muslims.  Well, maybe today one of them said it’s OK to let the “Christian” Muslims – wait, that can’t be possible can it?  They must have said, the Christians in the area are OK, we just need to kill all the Muslims.

OK, I know what you’re thinking.  And, you’re correct.  They were talking about taking in refugees (when referencing Christians) who are fleeing the area because ISIS is brutally killing – well, it must be Muslims, because many of the refugees fleeing to Europe are definitely Muslims.  Of course, many of America’s leaders are balking at us taking ANY of these refugees because one of them might be a terrorist.  But, then I thought I heard Mr. Bush (the aforementioned Jeb) say that if the refugees are Christians than we can take them in.  I took that to mean that Christians can’t be terrorists.  I guess we can all rest easy now. (by the way, I’m not knocking Christians, I am one myself, I just have a hard time stomaching this republican rhetoric)

Isn’t this just the “new America” – the melting pot nation that has been built on immigrants to create a disastrous situation (ie the Syrian conflict in the Middle East ie ISIS) and then turn our backs on the resulting FLOOD of people fleeing the situation in fear of their lives.  I have to believe that we have been acting almost EXACTLY as Osama bin Laden imagined when he schemed up 9/11.  I still remember as a child (a LONG time ago) hearing recordings of FDR as he said, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”  Evidently, bin Laden understood American history better than most of us – like when Abraham Lincoln (the first republican president) said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”  Well, it appears to me that fear is ruling the day in Washington DC among many of our “leaders.”  And, while President Obama seems to be, at least, “the adult in the room” when it comes to our leadership in dealing with the recurrent crises that seem to be “ruling the day,” one thing “we the people” can seemingly count on is a media that specializes in fear mongering and “leaders” who willingly take the “bait,” with the result being we are “destroying ourselves.”

Republicans (and, again, I remind you they, via Bush/Cheney et al, gave us the present mess) are falling all over themselves proclaiming that we should not allow Syrian refugees into our country (unless, of course, as stated above, they are Christians) despite the FACT these refugees are fleeing the very forces created by our government (circa Bush/Cheney – I have to keep reminding of that, just in case you are one of the Americans referenced by Donald Trump above – I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself).  Politicians like Jeb Bush are patronizing the republican “base” that has proven over the past seven years that EVERYTHING is (including, believe it or not, the TARP bailouts, the deficit handed down by Bush/Cheney, obviously these “wars,” etc. – all pre Obama’s inauguration) President Obama’s fault.  It’s impossible to have an adult conversation across party lines in America because the republicans ONLY want President Obama to FAIL.  They, apparently, could care less about America and Americans.  OK, I “get” that – I mean it’s been the “order of the day” for 7 long years now.  But, honestly, it’s beyond the pail when I have to listen to Jeb Bush accuse Obama of getting us “bogged down” in the Middle East.  How can any serious media outlet allow him to make that claim? (You don’t have to remind me, I know that Fox is not a serious media outlet – but in a time of war, wouldn’t you think even they could get beyond wanting our president to FAIL?)

I truly believe in the constitution and the 1st amendment that gives us the freedom of speech.  But can’t we just make a law for the Bush family?  That no one in that family can accuse the president of this?  He’s spent 7 years trying to undo an apparently undo-able mess created by GW and Dick (sounds like a comedy duo – would be funny except think of all they did) – at the very least he should be expected to SHUT UP on this particular subject until or if the American people are, as Donald Trump implied, STUPID – and, put another Bush in the White House.  Can you really imagine Jeb Bush trying to get us out of this mess???  He’d probably hire a Cheney to help him. What a depressing thought!  (I’ll end by saying: think of all the republican “hopefuls” on their “debate” stage – who would you trust with this problem?  Yikes!!!)