Shreddingstuff: WAS HE THE SOLE CULPRIT ?

WAS HE THE SOLE CULPRIT ?

Bob Herbert, of The New York Times just wrote an article about the
coming departure from Office of President G.W.Bush. Here is an excerpt thereof Add up the damage - by Bob Herbert NYTimes

When Mr. Bush officially takes his leave in three weeks (in reality, he checked out long ago), most Americans will be content to sigh good riddance. I disagree. I don’t think he should be allowed to slip quietly out of town. There should be a great hue and cry — a loud, collective angry howl, demonstrations with signs and bullhorns and fiery speeches — over the damage he’s done to this country.
This is the man who gave us the war in Iraq and Guantánamo and torture and rendition; who turned the Clinton economy and the budget surplus into fool’s gold; who dithered while New Orleans drowned; who trampled our civil liberties at home and ruined our reputation abroad; who let Dick Cheney run hog wild and thought Brownie was doing a heckuva job
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One who follows the world events intimately knows who the responsibles are for creating chaos and misery, death and destruction, mostly unwarranted.

And intimately knows as well that there is just more than one actor who can be judged at fault, - the sole culprit - I personally disagree with the assessment that .just one man - he alone is the culprit.
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Not that I defend the position of Mr. Bush, quite to the contrary, I believe he is responsabile and acknowledged creator of many problems confronting the US and the world today.

BUT, equally true is the fact that he is not just the sole culprit, as a whole array of critics would like to have us believe, and also believing that they did not have some measure of blame in the creatiion of the whole mess. But their silence or their implied or explicit omissions speaks as uncontested testimony to the contrary.

People in all levels of government and political parties of every color of the american scene should be considered parties to this wrongful decision-making, by their uncommitment or undue omissions of action. People who stood pasive when events loomed and sparkled clear in the horizon and in the minds and eyes of thinking people, who acquiesced and allowed the damage to be brought about.

True, there are risks involved in acting as an honest man´s heart and mind dictates. They might label you as treasonable, lack of patriotism, etc. The fear factor plays on your feelings and holds you down, sort of to pass the buck.....It takes courage and conviction to silence your doubts and your fears .. ..before you launch yourself forward to take a stand for the side of justice.

But not just goverment, politians etc. were involved in this blame finger pointing. The Fourth Power, as the media is called, should have assumed the large share that its Oath of Duty demands from them.

The State of the Union addresses every year by te President His entrance to the legislative chamber was tumultuously greeted with applause and gestures and smiles of inequivocal approval. A House apparently in good shape and health, and in good order image.
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Which bring us to memory other world figures of the past. Such as Hitler at special ocassions marking whatever event before sold out crowds at attention and with passion and fervor listening to their german arian leader incendiary rethoric taking the hearts and minds of the populace..
Or Mussolini, or....The list is not short.

And the inevitable question comes up:

Sumission, ? Complacency?...Misinterpreted "respect" or undue devotion? Fear?

Each one of those above men brought about gloom and misery to their people and to many others around thw world.. Each one of them was a leader of choice. Each one of them saw heads bowing down as he passed down lines of them cheering him......

That each society has the leader that it deserves seems to be an axiom. The need to survive, to retain a high paying job and the prestige around it, will prevail over patriotism, decency, honor and dignity. Lacking these, corruption, mediocrity and carelessnes in detriment of society will reign supreme...until a true leader appears in the horizon, with enough guts to change things.

Shoes - all of a sudden - have become a symbol of comdemnation...and there are far too many to be fitted , whatever the size required.....