we've not had a decent non religion orientated debate here in a while.

so he's had 6 and a half years in office now i'm just curious what perceptions people have of him now and whether they are any different from before.

I'll embarassingly admit I fell for the whole WMD excuse for going into iraq and supported the invasion and both the US and UK governments *removes fishing hook from mouth* but as reality and hindsight set in I've done a complete 180 on it.

I'm not a total "bush is the anti-christ" person and i don't think he orchestrated 9/11 for personal gain and I don't think he's as stupid as he makes out to be but in just over half a decade he has managed to wreck America's standing in the world and it'll take A LONG time to regain any sort of semblence of respect the world over.

Prior to Bush and his dealings alot of people elsewhere didn't like america but alot of it really boiled down to jealousy or small mindedness whereas Bush has validated reasons to hate the US I mean he's set a very dangerous precedent and who knows where it could lead. Considering how threatening alot of americans see china we could theoretically see a pre-emptive strike on them in the next decade or two which if happens it's pretty much good night vienna the world woul dbe thrown back into the stone age.

finally I'll say one of the most damning pieces of evidence i could give against him is that when he came into power i was pretty much a thatcherite tory hence why i supported the invasion. although he's not the sole proponent, george played a large part in moving me well away from right wing politics partly through embarassment partly through thinking: "is this the kind of shit I want to condone?"

a man who can change strong beliefs that someone has been socialised with throughout life through his negative actions and follies is not someone i particularly want running the free world.


slight aside: on a politics forum i post on some idiot american neo con has an avatar that says: LET'S DEFEAT COMMUNISM AGAIN IN 2008

the picture that accompanies this is one of hillary clinton with a red cross through her face like a no smoking sign.

I suppose it's fitting that someone like bush rules a country where someone like a clinton can be considered communist.