GW Bush vs. The Peter Principle

The Peter Principle holds that an individual is promoted to his level of incompetence; for some this level is low. Grocery stock boys make it to assistant produce manager to remain there until retired or fired. GW Bush made it to President of the United States and by most standards he has reached his level of incompetence. The American electorate made the mistake to promote him to that position and is dearly paying the consequences. The public outrage over the Bush's demented immigration bill and its defeat for the second time in the US Senate, is a healthy sign that the voice of the people still has power in our representative Democracy.

Special interest lobbyists completely dominated Bush and most Democratic and some Republican senators that included Bomb, Bomb Bomb Senator McCain. Senator Ted Kennedy was the point man for the Democrats, and he is known to swim in the wrong direction... This bipartisan contingent arrogantly believed that the American people could kiss their asses and that it knew better – yeah, kinda like invading Iraq.

Egregiously the the senators had no idea how many illegal aliens with which they were dealing – estimated 12 million to 22 million. This depressing factor was compounded by the severely broken US Government processing system as evinced by the recent passport debacle and inability to supervise existing visas. The bill hinged on processing illegal aliens in a contorted administrative system that led to amnesty, that had no chance of successful implementation. Probably the worst aspect of the bill is that it did not protect the borders immediately. It effectively offered amnesty to encourage more illegal aliens to cross our unprotected borders.

Open Bush borders are the main route for narcotics, subversives and criminals into the US as well permitting a wave of desperate people to engulf the US that suffocates US institutions. Bush’s open borders makes a joke of the rule of law, but that has not seemed to trouble our president on other issues. His squalid commutation of sentence for his felon stooge Scooter Libby is a case in point. Also, let's hear it for our chief law enforcement officer: lost Alberto Gonzales, a Mexican/American poster boy, anchor baby who incompetently hit the big time. May this Immigration bill rest in peace. The American people should vote out of office all the senators who voted for the bill, for they did not have the interests of the US at heart.

Predatory big business interests that mainly sponsored the immigration bill also brought America China trade. This unfettered, almost unregulated trade has brought poisoned toothpaste, and food for our pets and humans to the US; even lead paint on children's toys and unsafe tires have been imported from China. Now we learn the Chinese intend to build a automobile factory in Mexico to run the cars to the US through a NAFTA regulation loophole to avoid import taxes. You can thank the Bushes and Clinton for NAFTA... The cranky Texan Perot had it right about NAFTA – A GIANT SUCKING SOUND FROM THE SOUTH.

We know Bush has no guts or brains when it comes to China. He started his administration by kow-towing to the Chinese when they illegally forced down a US military recon plane, and it has been down hill since then. Balance of trade favoring the Chinese has sky rocketed as the Chinese moved strategically into the American Lake: the Caribbean. From there it worked its way in economically and militarily into Latin America and Cuba. Bush has been forced to react to the import of deadly Chinese food products and dangerous manufactured goods by imposing some controls. The Chinese have responded aggressively by imposing restrictions on US imports to China, which are minimal compared to Chinese exports to the US. So, you would think the US has leverage in the fracas. But China holds massive amounts of US treasury notes that if sold recklessly will crush the value of the US dollar. Let's see how long it takes for Bush to cave to the Chinese pressure to permit Chinese retail garbage from entering the US. Big business has controlled a hands-off policy on China under Bush and the bills now are coming due. The American consumer should boycott Chinese products much the same as made in Japan stuff during WWII. SCREW WAL-MART, that sells mainly Chinese trash, should be a battle cry.

Vladimir Lenin, father of the Russian Revolution, in a specious effort to justify selling Russian raw materials to his enemy Western capitalist countries said that the Soviets will sell them the rope to hang themselves – well, it did not happen on the Soviet watch, but thanks to GW Bush, a haunting variation is happening to the US under the Communist Red Chinese regime. There is an insidious connection between China trade and the war in Iraq. Chinese are the main purchaser of US Treasury notes that enable Bush to carelessly waste billions on the Iraqi war.

The war in Iraq is already running out of control; the US command cannot account for 19 billion spent on Iraqi police and army that will not provide security. Unbelievably the Iraqis have hired 18 US lobbyists with the US Congress to protect their interests; i.e., more corruption, fraud and abuse. I call this inverted imperialism. Even Maliki, the democratically elected Shiite leader of Iraq, has condemned US forces for slaughtering Shiite civilians in Sadr city – US KIA is 100 in June, and wounded probably 6-7 times that number. Over 1200 Iraqis were killed in June, of which over 500 have been killed under General Petraeus’ nose in Baghdad. In Bush's last Saturday radio address, he begged for more patience in Iraq from the American people... Is he crazy? Or does he think the American people are stupid? Have him explain 5 years of aimless policy costing much US blood and treasure and the destruction of Iraq. Did he ever explain why the US troops were not greeted as liberators? Reason was Bush's father called for a Shiite revolt after the invasion of Kuwait, but then Read My Lips Bush typically got cold feet, refused assistance and watched as rebellious Shiites were gassed, tortured, and slaughtered by the tens of thousands under Saddam. The Shiites remembered and GW Bush is still paying the price in Iraq for his father's folly...

About the only policy in Iraq that has a glimmer of hope is recruiting Sunni sheiks to fight al Qaeda. This policy was set back when four cooperative Sunni chieftains were killed by a bomb in Baghdad last week while attending a meeting outside the protected Green Zone. Just for the record, I would like to know what US idiot set up that meeting without adequate security. Was he from State, CIA or the military Command? Ambassador Crocker may want to unfurl a banner at the US embassy in Baghdad: BORN TO LOSE. Is anyone in charge? Is anyone accountable?

The American people looked out their windows with revulsion as they saw the chaos in America that Bush wrought with his open borders, and concluded that his immigration bill legalized this unacceptable status quo. They reacted and halted the slide. Bush's ineptitude in Iraq is equal to his failures on immigration – ask the families of dead and maimed American fighting men and view the destruction of Iraq that went from First World to Third World status under GW Bush. Problem is the American voter does not see it through his narrow window. Most Americans understand how Bush screwed up on immigration, but do not yet feel the impact of Bush's Iraqi debacle and his sick China policy; but, they will. Let us hope they mobilize against them as they did his grand compromise immigration bill.

Bush's failure on the immigration bill twice indicated he cannot count votes in congress and that is the height of incompetence in any White House – to make the same mistake twice compounded the ineptitude. Mr. Bush has reached his level of incompetence and the American people are stuck with him to the end of his term; hopefully, our weak congress will prevent him from damaging the country further as his term comes to an end. Mr. Bush is unpopular with the American people for good reason. He is, however, adored by the Albanians. GULP! Mr. President, please check to see if you still have your wristwatch after your recent warm encounter with your Balkan bosom buddies... Colonel Robert E. Bartos USA RET

* Photograph: Etching by Francisco de Goya