Comments: Bush’s America asks: Why us?

A selection of comments we received in response to Imad Khadurri’s editorial.

This is a very insightful editorial. Dr Khadduri understands the American situation better than do most Americans!

Jim Hansen, US

I am over 70 years old and of European extraction. When I hear George Bush talking about America’s position in the world, I remember Adolph Hitler.

Wes Paas, Australia

Why us?  It’s quite simple: “In God we trust.”  America has tremendous wealth and resources, which we have used to help the world’s citizens in times of need. America knows no other way. 

We will not sit idly by as tyrants attempt to rule the world. We will try to preserve the rights of all the world’s citizens. Do we think that we’re the world’s police? Probably, because no one else will stand up for what’s right.

David Ramsey, US

We (USA) need President Bush for another 4 years of strong leadership. We don’t need someone that will fold under pressure.

JW,US

That’s why I am going to vote for the underdog!!  Ralph Nader!!  Bush scares me- he has the entire world hating Americans, lie upon lie. It was cool with me when we dealt with the troublemakers in Afghanistan after 9/11 but I still cannot understand why we had to do the Iraq scene, which has become a terrorist “haven”. Our soldiers are playing “mother, may I” games: cannot go into cities and it’s another version – desert version – of the VietCong. It is a political game – I want our troops out of there.

JS, US

The Jewish neo-conservatives that influence the Bush adminstration do so with the promise of “delivering” segments of the Jewish community to the Republican party in time for the election. 

Anyone who knows politics is aware that the American Jewish community is historically, socialist and left-wing, but some republicans strategists in the last few years have come to the conclusion that it would be a great “coup” for the party if it could “turn” this normally Democratic party minority into Republican supporters. 

Since domestic policy was too way off to serve as a point of attraction, the emotional point of total support for Israeli policies has become the reason for everything. 

This is what is driving the Bush adminstration’s feckless policies in the Middle East. 

Bill Gonzalez, US

Bush believes that he was put in power by a higher power. He was, the US Supreme Court, who stole the election from Al Gore. Many of us pray that Bush will be soundly defeated in November.

John M Trott, US


We (USA) need President Bush for another 4 years of strong leadership. We don’t need someone that will fold under pressure.

JW,US

The reason we invaded Iraq was to line the pockets of our wealthy.  Iraq has so much oil, it will provide no doubt trillions of dollars to those companies that choose to invest in it.  I find my value system differs greatly from the Arabs I know. 

However, I believe that the Arab people in the country they live in can best decide the system of government they would like to use. And dare Bush use terrorism as an excuse to invade Iraq (which we all know is nonsense) – he could very well start invading Israel – home to some of the most notorious terrorist thugs in the world. How sad one of the greatest countries on this earth has become a mockery of the principles we claim to embrace.

Kris Richmond, US

Both Bush and Blair see themselves as ‘Right minded Christians’. They suffer from the arrogance of belief in their cultural superiority. They seem unable to understand that other cultural and religious systems are sacred to those who hold and believe in them. They are not evil men, just narrow minded men who indeed are very narrow in their own experience.

Anthony James, UK

I believe that at our core, most Americans are innately good and believe in true freedom and democracy. However, while the majority of us feel that this system would be good for anyone, we realise that because of cultural and religious values, not everyone throughout the world feels the same way that we do here. 

We are truly in crisis in this country, and it looks as though the crisis may continue for yet another four years, in spite of the outcome of the November elections.

James Smith, US

Not all Americans are sycophantic brutes, but our choices are limited or influenced by the domination of the media by a few extreme “ideologues,” not to mention our own complacency and lack of critical thinking.

Americans tend to place too much trust in the system and not enough on their responsibilty to see it work effectively, (or morally for that matter.)

A major flaw in the “Democratic Process” seems to centre around this lack of willingness to get involved. This in turn allows the control of government to be abused by those who wish to use the mechanism of government for their own narrow purposes, unfortunately a lot of innocent people are getting hurt as a consequence.

Glenn, US

I intend to vote for George Bush. Your article “Bush’s America asks: Why us?” just doesn’t get it.  Sure, I’ll concede hypocrisy, I’ll concede mistakes, and I’ll even concede Americans have committed crimes in the persecution of the war on terrorism. However, I will not concede our moral high ground.  We Americans always reflect on our mistakes with humility and candor.  It’s learning from our mistakes that make us a great country.

John, US

Why us?  It’s quite simple: “In God we trust.”

David Ramsey, US

I did not vote for Mr. Bush.  I voted for Ralph Nader in the 2000 election. This time I cannot vote with my conscious, I have to vote for John Kerry so Bush will be defeated.  I agreed with your article.  The thought of George Bush in the White House another four years is unbearable.

Eloise Bistis, US

If only we Americans understood what is happening to us, and what we are doing to the world!

Dawn M Mueller, Rockford, Illinois , US

Excellent article. I believe invading Afghanistan was justified, invading Iraq was not. Hope we can vote Bush out of office this election.

T A Henderson, US

Bush’s regime placed Allawi in power, not the Iraqi people. We have no business telling other sovereign nations how to run their selection of governments.

Sparks, Washington, US

I don’t know what the future holds but I’ve never been more fearful about what is coming for our country, and that includes when Nixon was president. Right now the checks-and-balances have been put out of balance with each other as congress cowers under the threat of being called “unpatrotic,” and the national media goes along with the party line.

Dan McGee, US

I am over 70-years-old and of European extraction. When I hear George Bush talking about America’s position in the world, I remember Adolph Hitler.

Wes Paas, Australia

Source: Al Jazeera