The Image of Bush

It is not true that the image of George W. Bush, the former American president, will be dropped from the world’s memory. His two presidential terms are viewed as the darkest in the American history, and no one would deny that the “neoconservative” agenda of his administration has wreaked hate and havoc upon the entire world.

So, with every solution reached for a problem in any given area and with every tension defused, references to Bush will be made. And, since he has a unique ability to engineer problems and places of destruction, violence and hate, including Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Europe and even his home country, the U.S., why not? His imprudent attitude did serious harm to the world when he thrust it into an economic impasse a few weeks before leaving office.

Indeed, the curses Bush inflicted upon the world are going to be remembered with every step Obama takes to rectify what his predecessor spoiled on the political, economic and military scenes. This could be a virtual trial for Bush, without a judge, prosecution or jury. And who would forget the crusade wars launched on Islam and Muslims, invasion of Iraq, Sharon’s [a former Israeli premier] disengagement plan, Israeli settling activities in the Palestinian territories, the “new” Middle East, creative chaos, the American model of democracy, the Guantanamo detention camp or the tapping of telephones, cell phones, surface mail and electronic mail? These policies will undoubtedly be politically, socially and economically analyzed. More important, the characters of Bush and his closest aides are to be subject to psychoanalysis.

After nine months in jail, Muntadhar Al Zaidi – the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at Bush – is now out. He gave Bush an unparalleled good-bye present that was intended for no president other than Bush. Indeed, the shoes Al Zaidi took off to hurl at Bush were a suitable good-bye kiss for that president of evil. Although he managed to swiftly escape the thrown pair of shoes and was not hurt, Bush will be disgraced for the rest of his life. Evidently, Al Zaidi was widely applauded by the caricature, photographic and television depictions of the shoes incident.

The long and short of this is that Bush will be remembered by the world as a president of destruction and evil.