In the Washington Post, Bob Woodward has written an excellent summary of the ten lessons we have hopefully learned from the Bush Presidency. The article is titled “10 Take Aways From the Bush Years.” Here are the titles to these ten lessons, which Woodward carefully illustrates throughout his article:
1. Presidents set the tone. Don’t be passive or tolerate virulent divisions.
2. The president must insist that everyone speak out loud in front of the others, even — or especially — when there are vehement disagreements.
3. A president must do the homework to master the fundamental ideas and concepts behind his policies.
4. Presidents need to draw people out and make sure bad news makes it to the Oval Office
5. Presidents need to foster a culture of skepticism and doubt.
6. Presidents get contradictory data, and they need a rigorous way to sort it out.
7. Presidents must tell the hard truth to the public, even if that means delivering very bad news.
8. Righteous motives are not enough for effective policy.
9. Presidents must insist on strategic thinking.
10. The president should embrace transparency.
What determines how the safety and security is how honest our government is in its dealings with other countries and its own people.
Bush destroyed a dictator, yes but at the cost of trillions of money borrowed from other country, and the near destruction of our economy and the installment of anarchy to replace what was a relatively peaceful country that had not attacked us nor had they harbored anyone who did. meanwhile the many dictators of countries that are our allies, who hid America's most wanted, and had prior business dealings with the president did business as usual.
Clinton did not install Arafat as a dictator. The PLO was organized as a representative council and and Arafat was the President of that council when Clinton brokered a peace accord between Arafat and Netanyahu. Arafat worked toward restoring public safety, schools and the economy in the occupied territories of Palestine.