Another possible Bush presidency should rile freedom-lovers everywhere. He’s forming a leadership political action committee.
On Facebook, he said he’s doing so to “discuss the most critical challenges facing our exceptional nation.”
With “support leaders…” Exploring “ideas and policies that will expand opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.” More on his bid below.
The Bush family dynasty reflects a legacy of crime. Deceit. Serial lying. Public betrayal. Neocon extremism. Serving wealth, power and privilege exclusively. At the expense of social justice.
Disdain for human and civil rights. Mindless of rule of law principles. Imperial wars called liberating ones. Mass murder and destruction.
Anti-democratic color revolutions. Torture as official US policy. Operating the world’s largest gulag. At home and abroad. Waging war on humanity. For unchallenged world dominance.
Behind every Bush there’s a crime!
Ninety-year-old George Herbert Walker Bush was a former congressman. Ambassador. CIA chief. Vice president and president. Connected some believe to JFK’s assassination.
His September 11, 1990 joint session of Congress address became known as his “Toward a New World Order” speech.
Signifying a turning point in world affairs. After the Berlin Wall’s demolition. A year before Soviet Russia’s dissolution.
America embarking on a quest for unchallenged global dominance. Using overwhelming military might.
Especially in resource rich areas. Unconstrained by rule of law principles.
Bush I claimed since America won the Cold War, it was empowered to establish international order governing principles. Based on might makes right.
The 1991 National Security Strategy of the United States followed. So did the 1992 Defense Planning Guidance.
Claiming America entitled to bring “security and stability” to various world regions.
Its unilateral right to intervene in internal affairs of other nations. Despite internationald law prohibiting it. Except in self-defense if attacked.
In November 1991, a NATO summit convened in Rome. Washington proposed a so-called “New Strategic Concept.”
Involving US-led NATO taking a “more expansive and less defensive strategic military role.”
A self-declared right to conduct so-called “humanitarian interventions.” Supported by Britain. Code language for naked aggression.
Bush I’s 1989 war on Panama reflected this notion. Deposing Manuel Noreiga. Not convenient stooge enough. Replaced to maintain US control.
Gulf War aggression followed. In January 1991. Then 1990s Balkan wars. NATO’s rape of Yugoslavia. Bush II’s post-9/11 “war on terror.”
His preventive war doctrine. Ludicrously called just war. Justifying the unjustifiable. Advancing America’s imperium.
On the pretext of preventing regimes Washington opposes from acquiring WMDs. Combatting “terrorists.” Advancing nation-building notions.
In 1992, Defense Department officials Paul Wolfowitz and Lewis Libby proposed new US strategy. Saying containment and deterrence were obsolete.
America must remain the world’s only superpower, they maintained. Unchallenged.
Advocating preemptive force. Unilaterally if necessary to confront alleged US security threats. Eliminate them.
Policies Bush II adopted. Implemented by neocons Dick Cheney, Lewis Libby, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and others.
Waging so-called “war on terror.” On “militant Islam.” On invented enemies. Advancing America’s imperium.
Taking full advantage of 9/11. US state-sponsored terrorism. The mother of all Big Lies. Multiple wars of aggression continue. Direct and indirect.
Bush II’s National Security Strategy of the United States endorsed preventive wars. America’s so-called right to intervene anywhere.
Using military force. Against any nation. Alleged terrorist or national security threats. Regardless of international, constitutional or US statute law prohibitions.
American interests come first. Obama a Bush clone and then some. Claiming moral justification for preemptive force. “Just war(s).” “Preventive” ones.
Saying “instruments of war have a role to play in preserving the peace.” Benjamin Franklin said “(t)here was never a good war or a bad peace.”
John Ellis (Jeb) Bush’s presidency assures more of the same. Wars without end. Preemptive aggression. The supreme crime against peace.
Continuing against invented enemies. New ones. Permanent war. Official US policy.
Media reports followed his announcement. Omitting what readers most need to know.
The New York Times headlined “Jeb Bush Takes a Step Toward a Presidential Run.”
Saying he’ll “actively explore” it. “(T)ying up donors whom other candidates are courting and forcing contenders to accelerate their own considerations for 2016.”
According to lobbyist Brian Ballard:
“If he runs, Jeb assumes the mantle of the center-right, establishment candidate, which, along with his family network, means he will have an incredible finance operation.”
Lobbyist/bundler Dirk Van Dongen added:
“Now that he has entered the ring, you will see others doing so fairly rapidly because there will be a race for funders.”
His campaign lawyer, Charles Spies, said his political action committee lets him employ staff.
Raise legally permitted amounts of money. More if he establishes a full-blown campaign committee.
The Washington Post headlined “Jeb Bush’s decision to explore presidential bid scrambles the 2016 GOP field,” saying:
A Bush candidacy would “severely undercut the financial backing for other possible 2016 contenders – especially New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.).”
Plus Mitt Romney if he decides to run again. Rand Paul a possible candidate.
“The most immediate impact of (Bush’s) decision is on the money race,” said WaPo. It’s “remained largely static as party donors waited to see what Bush would do.”
“(Large) numbers of center-right financiers (are) rushing to Bush. (D)raining the pool of financial backers available for other candidates.”
An unnamed GOP fundraiser said “Bush is certainly going to have a formidable fundraising machine…”
He grew up in Houston. Attended the University of Texas. Earned a Latin American affairs degree.
After his father’s election as vice president, moved to Florida. Served as Dade County Republican Party chairman.
In 1986, Florida’s Secretary of Commerce. Resigning in 1988. To help his father’s successful 1988 presidential campaign.
In 1989, served as hardcore neocon Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s campaign manager. Congress’ first Cuban-American member.
Disgracing the office she holds. Along with lots more ideologues infesting Congress. Mocking legitimate governance.
In 1994, Jeb lost his first gubernatorial run. At the time, he was asked what he’d do for African-Americans if elected. He responded saying:
“It’s time to strive for a society where there’s equality of opportunity, not equality of results. So I’m going to answer your question by saying: probably nothing.”
The same year brother George became Texas governor. In 1998, Jeb easily defeated Democrat Buddy MacKay. Served two terms as Florida governor.
He’s hardcore Republican. Like Bush I an II. Involved in various finance, real estate and private equity dealings.
In 1990, he interceded with his father for Orlando Bosch. A Cuban exile. CIA operative. Lawless Castro opponent.
Convicted at the time of firing a rocket at a Polish ship. On route to Cuba.
Released from prison. Granted US residency. Along with Posada Carriles, responsible for downing Cubana Airlines flight 455. Killing 73 people on board.
Earlier, Bush advised Lehman Brothers and Barclays. Served on various corporate boards. Including Tenet Healthcare. InnoVida. Swisher Hygiene. Rayonier.
Tenet reportedly paid him over $2 million. In April 2013, he wrote a Newsmax magazine article. Lying about Social Security and Medicare. Nonsensically claiming they risked collapse without major changes.
His “One Florida” initiative ended affirmative action admissions at state universities.
As governor, he prioritized business interests. Cut taxes by $19 billion. Reduced state government size. Vetoed $2 billion in new spending.
As part of a near $450 million line-item veto of state funding, cut $5.8 million in public library grants.
Pilot projects for library homework help. Web-based high-school texts. Funding for a joint-use Tampa library.
He set aside over a million acres for private purchase. Presided over 21 state-sponsored executions. Commuted no one sentenced to death.
Signed into law caps on medical liability non-economic damages.
Massively transformed Florida’s Medicaid program.
Cut spending. Let private companies decide how Florida’s most disadvantaged get healthcare.
Was involved in the controversial Terri Schiavo case. Massively brain damaged. On life support for over 15 years.
Her husband, Michael Schiavo, was legal guardian. Had power of attorney for her healthcare.
Wanted her suffering ended. By removing life support. Opposed by Terri’s parents. In court.
Bush signed “Terri’s law.” Authorizing him as governor to maintain life support. Florida’s Supreme Court later ruled the law unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court declined to hear Florida’s appeal. Bush serves as Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy co-chair. Along with his sister. Doris Bush Koch.
Is affiliated with the James Madison Institute. A Tallahassee-based right-wing free market public policy think tank.
He supports commodifying public education. Making it another business profit center.
He’s like virtually all Republican and Democrat aspirants. More suitable for a police lineup. Than legitimate political candidacy.
Especially for the nation’s highest office. “Corporatist (and) soulless,” according to Ralph Nader.
Pro-war. Pro-imperial dominance. Pro-bloated military budgets. Pro-police state ruthlessness. Pro-business. Pro-neoliberal harshness.
Anti-populist. Anti-organized labor. Anti-social justice. Anti-peace. Anti-government serving everyone equally.
Monied interests run America. Both parties replicate each other. In lockstep on issues mattering most.
No mystery about who’ll win in November 2016. Business as usual like always!
Making America what its claims to be requires dismantling a corrupted system. Starting over. Top to bottom.
No scattered reforms. A clean sweep. Total makeover. Organized people beating organized money. Nothing in between works!
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III. http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.
