Thankful for Bush?

One of the things that most Europeans have that most Americans DON'T is a sense of history and their place in it. The BBC's program "World Have Your Say" took a look back at the last 8 years from that place of history today and asked "What Do We Have To Thank George Bush For?" The answers may surprise most Americans who have heard little or nothing about many of the issues discussed.

Dr Ngoma in Dar es Salaam ,Tanzania

“When I look at George Bush’s presidency I think what he’s done with HIV is remarkable. The funds he pledged have touched the lives of many people; these people are my relatives, my patients and other people I know these are not statistics, this is real life. I could see these people having hope in life now because of Bush’s contribution to HIV treatments they can get better now and take care of their families. I know that everyone makes mistakes but we have him to thank for the HIV treatment and the lives he’s helped save.”

Colleen in New York City

“George Bush is a great man with great integrity. By going into this suffering country (Iraq), it was to free the people and to draw out radical Islam. Thank you George Bush and Tony Blair for all you have gone through and will continue to go through out of office as well, for your effort for eventual peace. Most of all, for doing all you could to keep us safe.”

And Joe in Nairobi Kenya sent me this

“Dear President Bush,
Thank you for speaking out for the people of Southern Sudan and Darfur when the rest of the world and many in Africa buried their heads in the sand debating about the semantics of the term genocide. Thank you for helping in the fight against Malaria and HIV-AIDS. More children in Africa will live to see their 5th birthday”

And from the comments....

Lian khan muan January 15, 2009 at 12:18

Bush has left us a peaceful nuclear deal on the part of India, a ’secular democraticaly elected Government in Iraq, Afghanistan, a ‘checked’ Russia, and scoes of legacies which are more than enough to keep him smiling all the way to his grave. Sceptics would like to talk about the failed Govts. in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries but America is one hell of a nation where America’s interest is the foremost and Bush cannot be blamed for that matter. The one who had tried all possible ways to keep Egypt and North Korea from the nukes deserve all the applause a man can ever deserve. His mistakes reflects the human side of man: his achievements/contributions reflects the superhuman side of man. We laugh with him, smile with him and been through all the way with him but can never have enough. And when the curtain closes down on him , we say ”THANK GOD FOR THIS SAVIOUR WE HAVE HAD”.Thank you, President Bush, for all that you have done.

As has been said before, history will judge President Bush as it has judged all Presidents before him and history will not judge for at least two generations. This generation is too close to the day to day and only the passage of time will tell us where he stands in the pantheon of the American Presidency.