The reason why I came to this forum was trying to understand America. I live in Germany and from what I know about the last four years, its hart to understand, why anybody would just consider to reelect GWB. Thus I couldn`t understand that the election was going to be close and in the end that Bush has even won. I dont want to offend anybody. Just looking for missing information.
Best I start with a sort of european point of view. I Dont expect to convince anybody by this. But hopefully it will make you understand my lack of understanding. Perhaps I may even show those, who always complain about the condescending Europeans that we are not. We (the majority of europeans) really do not understand.
I start with 9/11. Please do not forget, that all of us were horrified by the attacks in NY and Washington. The whole of europe - including “old Europe” - was standing behind the US. As far as I remember no one (at least not many) opposed the war against Afghanistan. Quite obviously that was were the terrorists were hidden and supported.
The wind changed when the Bush started to point towards Iraq. Why should we go to Iraq? There`s no need to argue that SH is an asshole, a dictator and mass murder. But we didnt see him as immediate thread and the job in Afghanistan was (and is) not yet finished. OBL is not caught. The taliban are out of power, but rather hiding than definitely defeated, as shown by the increasing number of attacks in Afghanistan. The situation still is not stable.
The first reason mentioned for going to Iraq was the existence of WMD. I remember Collin Powel speaking at the UN showing his proves. All of them turned out to be faked. We didnt only feel, that the Bush-government lied to the world, we also felt humiliated. The proves were partly faked very badly - did Bush and his guys really believe us to buy that? Of course I cant prove that GWB knew the truth. But if he had been curious to know it he would have known.
When the proves didnt hold, the burden of prove was turned around and suddenly it was on SH to prove that he doesnt have WMD. Its impossible to prove nonexistence. Every possible prove can be doubted.
All experts doubted the existence of WMD. For example Scott Ritter, member of the Republican Party and precursor of Blix as weapon inspector said clearly that he doesnt believe in their existence - and even if they should exist they would have been too old to do any harm. In his final report to the UN Blix said, he did not find any sign of WMD. SH was increasingly cooperating (due to the military pressure I admit). They would only need a few more weeks to eliminate the remaining uncertainties.
When the didnt convince, the second reason for war was a connection between SH and al Qaida. There were no proves for this connection and it didnt sound very reliable. SH is known as not very religious. He has been using religion for his matters now and than, but the only thing he really believes in was himself. Doesnt sound like a good base for a relationship with fundamentalistic religious terrorists, does it?
Finally the reason for war was to bring down SH`s government.
It seemed that Bush was decided to go into Iraq and just changed the reasons hoping to find one that might fit.
Another reason to be against the war was that many europeans were afraid off its consequences. We did not believe the US-Army would be welcomed as liberators. We did not believe in Bushs domino theory of bringing democracy into one arabian country and thus spreading it into all off them. Bush never said, how after the war he would install democracy in Iraq in the first place. We rather thought of the Iraq as an arabian problem that has to be solved (with our help if possible) by the arabian countries. We were afraid, that invading an arabian country, the Iraq (and specially calling that Invasion a crusade) would tighten the clash of cultures and thus help OBL recruit more followers.
Another reason for Bush to lose any sympathy was the way he behaved towards his european partners - those who were still fighting together with the US-Army in Afghanistan but opposed to war against Iraq. It was not only that we were offended. We were really scared by that with_us_or_with_the_terrorists attitude. How can someone be president of the USA, the last remaining superpower, how can someone be chief commander of the worlds largest and most powerful army, who denies (or isnt able) to see any shade of gray, who only knows black and white.
Another point hard to understand is Bushs attitude of being chosen and guided by god. I know most of you do believe in God. Please try to understand how it sounds in the ears of someone who does not (or not strongly) believe in God, if the chief commander of the worlds largest army, just about to start war, when asked about advises he might have got from his father - expresident and proven expert in fighting against Iraq - answers he rather took guidance from a higher father. To me it sounded like I don`t need advice, I rather do a prayer. Can you imagine how scary that is?
Sorry if I messed up the quote above. I only know the German translation and had to retranslate back to English.
The war started and SH was brought down quickly. But instead of democracy it was anarchy brought into Iraq. Plundering everywhere. Irreplaceable documents of worlds history are gone for ever. Even the weapon depots were not properly secured. About 1 1/2 years after declaring the war to be over the situation is far from stable but getting increasingly out off control. The world did not become safer but more dangerous. There have been no proves for Iraq hosting terrorists before the war. Now there are many terrorists inside Iraq. The way GWB leads the war against terrorism is the best help OBL could have dreamed of for recruiting new terrorists.
Still I forgot to talk about Guantanamo and Abu Graib. Here IMO the USA betrayed everything it should stand for - constitutional legality, human rights, human dignity, modern zivilisation… If war against terrorism shall be successful, than it has to be not only about eliminating terrorists but also about eliminating the reasons of terrorism. Even if you dont pity the prisoners of Guantanamo and Abu Graib (many of them are prisoners for no reason except of being at the wrong place at the wrong time) those incidents have not only damaged the credit of the USA (and its allieds) but also complicated the war against terrorism.
You see from my point of view - and that is quite mainstream in Europe - GWB has failed in every way he possibly could. Please help me to understand what I`m missing. How could this guy be reelected though?
Cheers Torsten
What’s the mistake. We hold these things every four years. You’d think that most of you would realize that by now. Lord, I didn’t hear all this screeching when Clinton got in in '92 with only 43% of the vote to Bush’s 37% and Perot’s 18%. After all he never got a simple majority in either of his two elections and I didn’t see Republicans overwhelming website servers trying, oh-so-desparately, to find another country to go live in. Pantywaists and whiners, I’m starting to believe. Seriously. K