In week-end-ul ce taman a trecut, o fundatie i-a invitat pe cei doi fosti presedinti (G. W. Bush si Bill Clinton) la o sezatoare in Toronto. Frank McKenna, fost ambasador canadian in US i-a moderat si regulat.
Nu este stiut cu exactitate / siguranta suma primita de fiecare presedinte pentru a participa la discutie, dar se pare ca a fost in jur de $150 K. 6000 de bilete s-au vandut cu $200-2500 de caciula. Desi s-a anuntat destul de clar in prealabil ca discutia va fi amicala, cei care au asistat au sperat la o cafteala cu scaune.
And as they settled into overstuffed chairs, Mr. Bush and Mr. Clinton became something of an ex-presidents’ support group, avoiding direct critiques of each other, or, for that matter, their future club member, President Obama (“I want you to understand that anything I say is not to be critical of my successor,” Mr. Bush said, “there are plenty of critics in American society.”)
Este de remarcat ca desi majoritatea Republicanilor trambiteaza “socialismul” lui Obama, cei care stiu cat de cat ce-i aia spun ca nici vorba sa fie asa (bw-obama).
Organizatori au fost Christian Darbyshire si Andy McCreath, parteneri in tinePublic Inc. Tot ei i-au aranjat primul speech lui Bush de cand a parasit presedintia si l-au avut invitat mai demult si pe Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.
Moderatorul, Frank McKenna, le-a trimis o lista a temelor de discutie in prealabil, ca sa nu se simta izbiti in moalele capului. Asta si-ar fi dorit-o cel mai mult cei 200 de protestatari de afara, printre care se afla reprezentat si “partidul comunist din Iraq”.
Presedintele civil-iza(n)t
Totusi, diferentele s-au facut simtite de la bun inceput. Cand Clinton a trebuit sa plece de la Casa Alba, a suferit puternic. Incepuse sa vorbeasca despre necesitatea de a lasa “presedintii buni sa prezideze in mai mult de 2 termene consecutive. Casa Alba a scos chiar un video clip despre ultimele sale zile in office (al 3-lea in lista). Dupa, Clinton dand nevasta-sa este secretary of state (ministru de externe), este mult mai activ, intrucat multi politicieni il curteaza intrucat stiu ca prin el pot ajunge la Hilary (NYT-mellow). Bush, pe de alta parte, s-a bucurat ca dezastrosul sau termen a luat sfarsit.
| “All of a sudden nobody plays a song,” [Clinton] told an audience here on Friday, referring to “Hail to the Chief,” the anthem played at presidential events. | “Free at last,” [Bush] proclaimed before the same crowd at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. “I like being in Texas, and I do not miss the spotlight.” |
Raping Africa
Tot asa cum Base si Tariceanu, desi isi dadeau reciproc la oase, erau in deplin acord in privinta desecularizarii invatamantului (si, probabil, a societatii romanesti in general), tot astfel elitele americane sunt in consens in ce priveste depopularea Africii. Intrebat despre lipsa de reactie la macelul din Rwanda, Clinton “recunoaste” ca n-are nici o scuza, dar Bush ii ia apararea. Mai mult, Clinton spune ca daca ar fi mobilizat 20000 de soldati, ar fi putut salva intre 250000 si 400000 din cei 800000 care au fost macelariti. Cand McKenna il intreaba pe Bush de ce n-a facut nimic cu macelul din Darfur, este randul lui Clinton sa-i ia apararea lui Bush.
| When Mr. Clinton said one of his biggest regrets was the lack of United States action during the mass killings in Rwanda, saying “I have no defense,” Mr. Bush responded, “I think you’re being a little tough on yourself.” He added that Mr. Clinton’s lament that he should have sent troops ignored the fact that such deployments are not so simply done. | When Mr. Bush, in response to a question from Mr. McKenna — who shared his question topics with the former presidents beforehand — defended his policy toward the Darfur region of Sudan, Mr. Clinton got his back, in return. “I think he did about all he could do,” he said. Clinton told the crowd that Bush "deserves a lot of credit" for having the most diverse Cabinet of any Republican administration and for rallying Christian evangelicals to help fight the spread of AIDS in Africa. |
Un sumar al porcariilor recente facute de americani in Africa in articolul despre Somalia, la punctul 4.
Casatoria homosexuala
Cand era presedinte, Clinton s-a opus casatoriei intre homosexuali, iar in armata a impus o politica de “nu intrebam, nu ne spuneti” – adica nu ti se cere sa-ti declari orientarea sexuala ca sa intri in armata, dar daca te-apuci s-o declari in public si sa faci caz de ea, poti fi trimis la plimbare. Clinton a declarat ca regreta opozitia sa si cu cat cunoaste mai multi homosexuali, cu atat intelege ca e dreptul lor sa aleaga. Personal, am impresia ca excelentul animal politic care este Clinton a sesizat ca nu mai are voturi de pierdut sprijinind LGBT agenda..
| When Mr. McKenna raised the issue of Mr. Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy dealing with gay men and lesbians in the military, Mr. Bush said, “President Clinton handled it the right way.” | Mr. Clinton, however, said he no longer supported the policy and said his views on same-sex marriage, which he has opposed, were evolving. |
Iraq si Cuba
Singurul subiect unde cei doi au ales sa-si exprime dezacordul este politica externa, mai precis Cuba si Iraq. In privinta Cubei, Bush nu considera ca ridicarea embargoului asupra Cubei e o idee buna (Obama a permis companiilor americane de telecomunicatii sa aiba o prezenta pe piata cubaneza, a facut vizitele nativilor mai usoare si a permis acestora sa trimita bani). Clinton a glumit ca el este optimist ca relatii mai bune sunt posibile, si ca viziunea sa este in ton cu a nevestei: “more like that of the current secretary of state”.
| Mr. Clinton said he would have preferred for Mr. Bush to have given weapons inspectors more time in Iraq before invading and, in the meantime, “concentrated on Afghanistan.” | Mr. Bush said, with a hint of irritation, “I don’t buy the premise that our attention was distracted,” a rejection of the argument that the Iraq war came at the expense of progress in Afghanistan |
Este evident ca daca a fost o lupta cu scaune, aceasta s-a produs dupa, in culise, iar scaunele au fost, probabil, moi, tapitate. Majoritatea celor care au platit sute de dolari pentru bilete au fost dezamagiti:
Afterward, even audience members who said they were awed by the experience of watching two former United States presidents on stage at the same time expressed surprise at the level of congeniality.
Este mai putin stiut ca Bush Sr. si Clinton au devenit buni camarazi lucrand impreuna pentru a ajuta in reconstructie dupa Katrina si tsunami. Pe masura ce presedintia si popularitatea lui Bush Jr se prabuseau, Clinton l-a vizitat si l-a tot sfatuit pe acesta din urma (nyt-bush-clinton):
Indeed, though rarely reported upon, relations between the two men had begun to thaw significantly midway through Mr. Bush’s second term, after Mr. Bush teamed up Mr. Clinton and his father, the first President George Bush, on relief efforts after the tsunami in Asia and then, Hurricane Katrina. Aides to Mr. Bush said he warmed to Mr. Clinton as his predecessor formed an affectionate bond with his father. Mr. Clinton, meanwhile, offered frequent advice, sneaking into the White House for a secret lunch as early as 2007 to discuss Mr. Bush’s postpresidential plans.
Bush joked about how much time his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and Clinton spend together. He said his mother, Barbara Bush, "said President Clinton and Father share the stage so much, he's like a son to her." He said, "So brother, it's good to see you."
Ultimul clip din lista de mai sus ii are ca protagonisti pe Eminem si Bruno care au avut cam tot atunci propria lor dezbatere la MTV Music Awards. Bruno aterizeaza cu po’neata pe fata lui Eminem, oferindu-i privelistea unui scaun “nemtesc” in faza de productie.
Surse / More info: nyt-bush-clinton, bw-obama, wp-bush-clinton, bloomberg-bush-clinton, NYT-mellow, yt
Politics Ideology and Education: Federal Policy During the Clinton and Bush Administrations: Elizabeth DeBray: Books
Compromised: Clinton, Bush, and the C.I.A. #2: Terry Reed, John Cummings: Books
Playing President: My Close Ecounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I, Reagan, and Clinton-and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush: Robert Scheer: Books
War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals: David Halberstam: Books
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