I met George HW Bush during Spring 1952. My Mother was a campaign worker for his Father Prescott Bush's successful 1952 campaign for US Senator from Connecticut.
This was at church in Greenwich, and there he was a 28yo with his Father. I was 11yo, and shook hands with him. No entourage in sight.
Not in modern history has one been elected with so many qualifications to hold the office. Look at how he assembled a world wide coalition to run Saddam out of Kuwait. Look at the "guts" it took to leave Saddam in power, when another week of fighting would have "taken him out". He assured we had enough military assets in the region to "keep a lid" on Saddam, but Saddam had enough assets left to "keep a lid" on the local "bad guys". What a detente, and what kind of "cowboy son" would completely upset this masterful plan.
Just think, what if GHWB had won a second term; for better or worse would we have had "The Hillbillies" playing on the world stage?
Safe to say the Memorial will be in the Episcopal tradition. But apparently there will be one person there totally unfit to be anywhere in the presence of this man's remains.
Requisceat in pacem, President Bush.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
There seems to be a conflict within the Wall Street Journal between their Editorial Board and a columnist regarding President Bush's decision to end the Gulf War when he did leaving Saddam in power:
The 41st President also rolled back Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, famously saying, “This will not stand.” He deployed the arsenal that Reagan had acquired, and he overcame Democratic opposition at home, to lead an overwhelming military rout and set a standard for the post-Cold War order.
The blot on that victory was that he let Saddam Hussein stay in power by ending the war too soon and failing to protect the Shiites of southern Iraq as he did the Kurds in the north. Saddam survived by slaughtering the Shiite uprising, but Bush declined to help.
.Months later in January 1991, a military campaign to do exactly that began. After weeks of aerial bombardment, U.S.-led ground troops moved into Kuwait, and, in a week’s time, had expelled virtually all Iraqi forces.
The military victory was so swift that some began arguing the U.S. should go the next step and drive into Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. Shiites in Iraq’s south began an uprising, and the calls to go all the way to Baghdad rose. Mr. Bush resisted, saying that wasn’t the mandate he had received from the U.S. or the United Nations. Privately, his advisers recalled the disaster that befell the U.S. when its forces overreached in the Korean War by driving to the Chinese border.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From having been raised in the traditional Episcopal Church, I must say I watched the Service today. The hymns, considering that I had indoctrination "every day and twice on Sunday" while at boarding school, were all "known by heart". Here is the Recessional that is customarily performed on All Saints Day, November 1:
I think one of the biggest lies in politics was the clown that came up with the "wimp factor" for GHWB. That really belonged to his opposition. How anyone knowing anything about the history of the man could apply "wimp" to him is beyond comprehension. The briefest of looks at his resume would have put the lie to that one.
I have an opinion of those who would be "unfit to be anywhere in the presence of this man's remains", which is probably not the same as Mr. Norman's, but I will leave it at that.
I do feel that he was the most qualified person to hold the office in the last half of the 20th century, if not all of it, and for sure all of this one so far. If he had any failing it was to be too much of the nice guy.
The obvious sincerity of those that spoke at his funeral said a lot about him. Those who did not watch it should, and ignore the media's attempts to use this to throw mud at the present occupant of the white house.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
"Totally unfit to be anywhere in the presence of this man's remains"? One could say that about his son, who did more to undo his accomplishments than any of this successors!
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jerome Nicholson: "Totally unfit to be anywhere in the presence of this man's remains"? One could say that about his son, who did more to undo his accomplishments than any of this successors!
Not who I was thinking about, and I will leave it at that.
Posted by Stephen John Young (Member # 197606) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: From having been raised in the traditional Episcopal Church, I must say I watched the Service today. The hymns, considering that I had indoctrination "every day and twice on Sunday" while at boarding school, were all "known by heart". Here is the Recessional that is customarily performed on All Saints Day, November 1:
Posted by Stephen John Young (Member # 197606) on :
Sorry, still trying to find my way around this site. This link is to a Methodist service, not an Episcopalian one, and it looks like a processional, not a recessional, but thanks for posting. It's great to see five minutes-worth of hymnody with a solid theological message in it, not repetitive bumpf! Regards Steve
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman:
.Months later in January 1991, a military campaign to do exactly that began. After weeks of aerial bombardment, U.S.-led ground troops moved into Kuwait, and, in a week’s time, had expelled virtually all Iraqi forces.
The military victory was so swift that some began arguing the U.S. should go the next step and drive into Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. Shiites in Iraq’s south began an uprising, and the calls to go all the way to Baghdad rose. Mr. Bush resisted, saying that wasn’t the mandate he had received from the U.S. or the United Nations. Privately, his advisers recalled the disaster that befell the U.S. when its forces overreached in the Korean War by driving to the Chinese border.
I have felt that it was thought that internal forces would throw Saddam out of office and replace his government with a much more rational one. That would have been a far better outcome that him being deposed by a foreign force. It was a reasonable possibility, unfortunately one that did not occur.