Friday, 23 January 2009

A day in the life...

...of George W. Bush, who returned to his home in Texas today a free man.
Who can begin to imagine the feelings of an ex-President ?
Who can begin to comprehend the impact on the human ego of such media scrutiny, responsibility and power and understand the release of an imposed 8 year sentence?
"Never did a prisoner, released from his chains, feel such relief as I shall on shaking off the shackles of power", said Thomas Jefferson...
We might if we are lucky see out our allotted 3 score and ten years. We all do with our years what we can and what we are taught. Most of us try hard to do what we know is right, obey the golden rule, raise our kids and make our choices and take our chances, and at the end of the day, and in the middle of the night we all have to agonise over our choices and decisions.
The terror and beauty of the American ideal, and President Barack Obama has proved it and validated it, is that presidential superhuman stature and unimaginable responsibility can be thrust upon anyone. The lifting of that burden of responsibility and power from George W. Bush has occurred now, and the world raises its eyes towards President Obama.
Here's one pair of eyes still looking towards towards the ex President, and his choices, chances and decisions.
Speaking about the United States, but involving all people who share the American ideal, Theodore Roosevelt said, "If we are to be a truly great people, we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world. We cannot avoid meeting great issues. All that we can determine for ourselves is whether we shall meet them well or ill."
The defining moment for President George W. Bush as he stood and met his great issue on our behalf, with the weight of history and the liberal free world on his shoulders was on the 9th of September 2001.
On that day, President Bush committed the USA to its values. History will determine the verdict on his decisions and history and humanity's emergence from the cave of superstition and fear will prove his response to that great challenge correct.
Are we, as Theodore Roosevelt opined a "truly great people"?
Yes, we damn well are; and unlike Osama bin Laden and his followers we have left the cave and the oppression, ignorance, superstition and bigotry of the Dark Ages behind us for ever.

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