Bush’s Eighth Year

Chapter 1 focuses on the background for the “unprovoked” war in Iraq with charges leveled by the Rand Report of ’05, “Rebuilding Iraq” for the Army buried, Bremer’s foolish decision to disband Iraq’s Army, ” documents providing no basis for the Saddam-al-Qaida link, critique of Bush’s pre-emptive war on Iraq, McClellan”s “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception,” failure to prosecute inept Attorney General Gonzales and beginning of the end for Bush. 

Also included are vain attempts by White House people to counter the charges with the usual tactic of “denying the charges and vilifying the charger” and the resignation of HUD Secretary Jackson. 

                The second Chapter, 2, discusses the economic woes besetting the home and business mortgage and credit card industries. Bailouts were the order of the day. Originally, Treasury Secretary Paulson ineptly offered to buy “worthless” mortgages then followed the British and EU plan to buy shares of become co-owners in financial institutions.  Partial socialism was in process.  

                FDIC and the federal government were first bailing out the Wall Street financial institutions that caused many of the problems in the first place. Some financial firms were merged, taken over at ridiculously low prices. Direct bailouts of individuals with bad mortgages were essentially left at their mercy. Other non-banking institutions were seeking to “become ‘instant’ banks” with high hopes of latching on to easy federal government bailout money.

                 The Big Three auto firms were begging for loan assistance with other firms lining up for a crack at federal bailout money as well. 

                Chapter 3 describes the main issues in Bush’s “pre-emptive” war in Iraq including false White House statements on reasons for going to war, no authentic link to al-Qaida or WMD, suicide bombings now including more female terrorists, Admiral Mullen’s resignation over disputes with Gates on Iran policy and more, escalating costs of the Iraq war to over $3 trillion including interest on the national debt and discovery of many mass graves.

                Other topics included a reduction in violence due to the increase in surge troops, al-Sadr calling for a cease fire and Sunni Awakening Councils, Bush’s plan for long-range occupation coupled with building the largest U. S. Embassy in Baghdad, Bush ‘s responsibility in torture policy, greedy, excessive profits for private firms like Haliburton, Kellog, Brown and Root, Bechtel et al with costs exceeding 20 percent of military operations with 190,000 housekeeping-security forces and continuous withdrawal of “coalition” forces,

                Important aspects in the governance of Iraq are described in Chapter 4. Included are sectarian agreement on the role of Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites in Iraqi’s government, Bush turns blind eye on charges of corruption in al-Maliki’s government, Bush’s war bill containing $150 million for Mexico’s military, main obstacle to a pact—a withdrawal time frame, sharing Iraq’s oil profits among sectarian groups and use for reconstruction, general election in ’09, prosecuting U. S. troops commiting felonies on or off the base, White House warnings of real consequences unless a pact was signed joined in by General Odierno with threats of denying rebuilding assistance, Bush effigy burned in Baghdad, Iraqi Parliament approves security pact but hurdles remain and Three-Man Presidential Council Approves Withdrawal Plan. 

                Chapter 5 describes the dire situation in Afghanistan including the worsening war, Taliban getting stronger and bolder, suicide bombings on the rise, failed state of the forgotten war, attempt on PM Karzai’s life, Laura’s visit and largesse for education, Gates’ concern with growing casualties and the unpopularity of the two wars, Bush promising more troops, escalation of fighting between NATO forces and the Taliban, General McKiernan seeking more troops and equipment and Karzai foolishly declaring an “end to the war.”    

Relevant issues discussed under Defense, Chapter 6, include the USAF air tanker refueling contract awarded to Northrup and EADS, recruiting felons for the Army, firing the Air Force secretary and chief of staff, awarding Presidential Medals of Freedom, General Casey—“Army not ready for another war,” anti-missile defense in Czech Republic and missile interceptors in Poland, Army’s new GED prep school, losing control of the Internet, Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, Supreme Court allows submarine training for security over environmental purposes, new female four-star general—Ann E. Dunwood, detainees at Gitmo, Star Wars—Navy anti-missile success, eavesdropping bill, terrorist attacks on India, Pakistan and other nations, new weapons—anti terrorist warship USS New York, F-35 goes into production, new artillery vehicle, upgrading the C-130, world’s fastest computer—Roadrunner and use of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Iraq.

                Chapter 7 describes the morass in legal and illegal immigration. Among the topics discussed are denying benefits, crackdown and deportation of illegal immigrants, re-entry of U. S. citizens from Canada and Mexico, Mexico’s policy on illegal immigrant lawbreakers, illegals clogging social services, 4^th grade teacher Quinto’s field trip to “understand “ illegal day laborer lawbreakers, criticisms of “Mexico First advocates, illegals blamed for closing hospitals and causing water shortages, moratorium on legal immigration, changing ethnicity of America, Bush admits 8,000,000 legal and illegal immigrants during tenure,