George Bush now. President George H. W. Bush: Foreign and Domestic Policy
George Walker Bush, who became the forty-third President of the United States, served from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009. Bush was the first child of retired naval aviation pilot George Herbert Bush. After Phillips Academy, the younger Bush received a bachelor's degree in history from Yale, where he did poorly academically but was a popular student.
George W. Bush served as a pilot in the National Guard for several years, then attended Harvard Business School, where he received a Master of Business Administration degree. Entering politics, George participated in his father's election campaigns, and in 1994 he became governor of Texas. Here he showed himself to be an effective politician who knows how to cooperate with the opposition. He was re-elected as governor in 1998, becoming the first Texas politician to serve a second term after his first.
In the election of November 7, 2000, Bush narrowly defeated Al Gore, the Democratic candidate. The election results were disputed by Gore and involved recounts and litigation.
In his inauguration speech, George W. Bush promised social security reforms and tax cuts. Bush's cabinet included a variety of politicians: both liberals and hardline conservatives. The federal budget presented in February 2001 included tax cuts, as well as increased funding for education and the military. In June, Congress passed a tax cut program.
After negotiations with China regarding the release of the pilots of a reconnaissance plane that landed on Chinese territory and a wave of bioterrorism (envelopes with anthrax virus sent to offices), George W. Bush announced the creation of an effective missile defense system and outlined the “Axis of Evil.” He also froze genetic research.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which claimed three thousand lives, the United States demanded that the Afghan Taliban hand over Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden. By the end of the year, the Taliban forces were defeated, and the Northern Alliance mujahideen group established control over Afghanistan.
The Office of Homeland Security appeared in the States, the purpose of which was to combat terrorism. This organization received unlimited rights in relation to persons suspected of terrorism. Also in 2001, the United States announced its withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which, however, did not meet with explicit condemnation from the Kremlin.
In 2003, the government of George W. Bush initiated the invasion of Iraq to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein. Bush said Iraq was allegedly hiding weapons from UN inspectors mass destruction, and Saddam Hussein is associated with al-Qaeda. This was the reason for the invasion. Even countries that supported the US invasion of Afghanistan found the evidence presented unconvincing and refused to participate in this war on the US side.
The United States crushed the resistance of regular Iraqi troops in a few weeks, but this war hit Bush's image hard, lowering his rating before the next elections. The public believed that the United States did not have convincing evidence of Iraq's nuclear power, and that the invasion of the country was simply a political gamble by Bush to increase his political rating. As a result of the war, American oil companies received the right to extract oil in Iraq, and weapons began to be produced there for the needs of the American army.
Despite the dissatisfaction of many, in 2004 Bush again won, this time over Democrat John Kerry. The flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in August and September 2005 was a further blow to George W. Bush's political image. Then the timely evacuation of residents was not carried out, and 80% of the city was flooded, and several hundred people became victims. On the eve of the hurricane, residents were asked to leave New Orleans, but not everyone had sufficient funds to do so. As a result, the Republican Party suffered a fiasco in the 2006 elections.
In 2007, George W. Bush actively advocated for the deployment of US missile defense in the territories of Eastern Europe, and also spoke out for the early entry of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO. World financial crisis 2008 hit President Bush's ratings hard.
The years of George W. Bush's reign were marked by the United States' global war against international terrorism, the mortgage crisis, and the "Bushisms" that became popular among the people.
Although Bush was a fairly popular head of the US government during his first term, the policies of George W. Bush in his second term ensured that his ratings continued to fall. As a result, the younger Bush went down in US history as the most unpopular president, handing over to his successor a weakened country and a budget deficit of $200 billion.
In 2009, Barack Obama replaced Bush, and George returned to Texas, where he took up social activities and wrote a book of memoirs, which immediately became a bestseller upon its release in 2010.
The full name of the 43rd President of the United States is George Walker Bush. He is the eldest son of the 41st president. His date of birth is 07/06/1946. Place of birth: Connecticut, New Haven.
Childhood
George's early childhood was spent in Midland, Texas. He also graduated from 7th grade, after which the family moved to Houston, where the boy studied at the Kincaid private school for two more years. The parents believed that here their son would be better prepared for entering university. Then he also studied at Phillips Academy and Yale University, where he became a bachelor.
Youth
For several years, young Bush was in military service, in aviation, and piloted airplanes. After serving in the army, he became a student at Harvard Business School, studied there for two years and received a Master of Business Administration degree. Steps into politics The next stage is the oil business. It was at this time that George began to gradually get closer to politics: he helped his father prepare for the elections. And already in 1977 he himself ran for Congress.
In 1994, he successfully won the election and became governor of Texas. He worked in this position seriously and fruitfully, so four years later he was re-elected for the second time.
President of the U.S.A
On November 7, 2000, Republican George W. Bush won the presidential race against Democrat Al Gore and became the 23rd president of America. His team included experienced politicians with different beliefs. This gave him the opportunity to more objectively assess situations and weigh trade-offs to make decisions.
A little over a year later, he presented a state budget with tax cuts and increased spending on the army and education. And then symptoms of an economic recession in the country began to appear. Under Bush Jr., America continued to build up its weapons, in particular, this concerns the creation of a full-fledged and unique missile defense. The president was also surprised by his initiative in the field of medicine - studies and experiments related to stem cells were prohibited.
Fight against terrorism
The tragic day of September 11, 2001 made the whole world shudder and reassess the reality of the threat of international terrorism. Then almost three thousand people died in Manhattan, and the entire planet saw the horrific footage of this terrorist attack. Osama bin Laden was named as the culprit of this tragedy and he was declared the number one terrorist.
The Afghan Taliban, which sheltered bin Laden, was defeated by American troops, after which Afghanistan came under the control of the Northern Alliance, that is, the Mujahideen. The US response to the terrorist attack that shocked the whole world was immediate: the Office of Security was created, endowed with undivided rights in the course of preventive measures to combat terrorism, including unprecedented powers against those suspected of such activities.
The situation also entailed such a political step as the termination of the ABM Treaty with Moscow, to which the Kremlin reacted with understanding and without any special objections.
Iraq War
Like his father, Bush Jr. focused his attention on Iraq, and in 2003 America entered into a new conflict with that country. The President said that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction that are hiding from the UN. The elimination of Saddam Hussein's regime, which was a threat to world security, was the main goal of this operation. Subsequently, Iraq was engulfed in a war of terrorism, which the United States was unable to stop. Bush Jr.'s authority as president has somewhat faded in the eyes of voters.
Second presidential term
But, contrary to this, he won the election again, beating his rival John Kerry, and in 2004 he began his second presidential term. 05/10/2005 Bush was visiting Georgia and unexpectedly found himself the target of an assassination attempt: someone Vladimir Harutyunyan threw a grenade at him, which, fortunately, did not explode.
Republicans in America, meanwhile, were gradually losing their ratings. This became clear during the midterm elections at the end of 2006. Then Bush began to speak in favor of deploying American missiles in Eastern European countries and approving the intentions of Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO.
Republican George H. W. Bush, in the 1988 presidential election, received a cabinet during a period of significant changes in the world: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the approaching collapse of the Soviet Union, the not the best economic situation in the United States of America itself... The president's rating was affected by attempts to resolve the budget deficit that remained after Ronald Reagan, and the actual failure to fulfill election promises due to insufficient mutual understanding with Congress in the economic sphere.
Bush Sr.'s foreign and domestic policies differed significantly from the actions of his predecessor, who was distinguished by both more radical actions and more conservative views. During the presidency of Ronald Reagan statesman, the future forty-first president of the United States, served as vice president for eight years. At the same time, Bush Sr. ran for a high position precisely as the “heir” and successor of Reagan.
1988 presidential election: victory of George W. Bush
Due to the fact that Ronald Reagan, who at the end of his second presidential term still had high ratings, could no longer run in the 1988 elections, the Republicans presented the candidacy of then Vice President George W. Bush. The Democratic Party nominated M. Dukakis, governor of Massachusetts.
The Democrat's campaign was characterized by several serious failures and harsh, mostly unfounded criticism (for example, demands that the candidate's medical history be revealed to the public and insinuations that he had mental illness in the anamnesis of M. Dukakis). Bush Sr. skillfully and very successfully positioned himself, using the popularity of his predecessor in his favor, which allowed him to win a landslide victory.
The political career of the Republican candidate has taken another turn. Traditionally for the United States, on January 20, 1989, George W. Bush took office as president. Many ordinary Americans and the media then called the rise to power of George H. W. Bush the “third term” of Ronald Reagan.
Election promises of the forty-first President of the United States
Many political scientists and journalists believe that the victory of George W. Bush in the 1988 presidential election was only the result of a competent election campaign and a successful bet on continuing the course of Ronald Reagan. Bush Sr. promised not to raise taxes, to minimize the role of the federal government in the state's economy, to continue to fight crime and drug addiction, alcoholism, homosexuality and abortion, and to protect family values.
The powerful speech that the future occupant of the White House (usually not distinguished for eloquence) made at the 1988 Republican National Convention was remembered by voters and the media as “A Thousand Colors of Light.” The speech described George HW Bush's vision for America. The candidate expressed unconditional loyalty to the flag, supported school prayer and the death penalty, the right of citizens to freely own firearms and openly spoke out about his opposition to abortion.
Domestic policy of George H. W. Bush
Bush Sr., whose domestic policy following his presidency was not particularly successful, paid more attention to solving foreign policy issues. The president had to break his main campaign promise, but managed to ensure that the national course in the social and economic sectors became less ideological, which was clearly observed under Reagan. Below we take a closer look at several of the main points of the domestic policy of the forty-first US president.
A number of “social” laws adopted by George W. Bush
Under the forty-first President of the United States, legislation was adopted regarding support for people with disabilities, protection environment and protecting employees from discrimination. George Bush Sr. sought to take his first steps in the presidency by ensuring a high moral level of activity. He ensured that all top positions in the Department of Health and Human Services were filled by anti-abortion politicians. In addition, Bush Sr. vetoed federal funding for abortions for women from poor families.
Budget deficit and tax rate increase
George Bush Sr.’s “legacy” was the state budget deficit, which tripled in ten years (1980-1990). The President called on Congress to cut government spending, but no consensus could be reached. Democrats believed that the only correct solution to the problems was to raise taxes and cut social security. As a result, not only was a new individual tax introduced in the amount of 31% of profits, but also the rate on existing deductions was increased.
The level of the US economy, which had been steadily growing during the vice presidency of Bush Sr., stopped increasing, and later began to decline altogether. The reason for this was the president’s focus on foreign political activities.
It was the failure to fulfill the main election promise that became the reason for the president's defeat in the next elections - in 1992 Bill Clinton won. However, the “Bush clan” reminded the world community of itself in 2001, when the son of George H. W. Bush came to power. Bush Jr. remained in office until 2009.
Strategic weapons and refusal to stop nuclear testing
Another point of the domestic policy of the forty-first president of the United States of America is closely related to foreign policy. President Bush Sr. continued to lay the foundations for a new militarism and increased funding for the military sector, even despite the weakening and subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States' main adversary in the Cold War.
In addition, the politician refused to stop testing nuclear weapons after a corresponding step by the USSR. Bush Sr. supported and continued to develop the program “ star wars” - the most famous military program, which has been implemented by the United States since the Reagan era. By the way, some of the developments that were obtained during the implementation of the ambitious program later became “public domain” - GPS technology, for example, is now available to civilians, and navigation devices are freely available for sale.
Constitutional amendment prohibiting burning of national flag
Bush Sr. mentioned the need to adopt an amendment to the US Constitution banning burning of the national flag during the election race in his “A Thousand Colors of Light” speech. The President considered burning the flag a desecration of the state symbols of the United States of America. However, Bush Sr.'s aspirations never received support. Opponents appealed to the Constitution's First Amendment, which provides for the “burning of the Stars and Stripes” as part of demonstrations and rallies.
Foreign policy of George W. Bush
Bush Sr.'s foreign policy was distinguished by several successful military operations and a decrease in tensions between the United States and the USSR (in February 1992, an agreement was signed between the forty-first president of the United States and the then head of the Russian Federation to end the Cold War). The population's confidence rating in the actions of Bush Sr. reached 89% after ordering the start of military operations in Panama and the Persian Gulf.
Military intervention in Panama: Operation Just Cause
Bush Sr., whose policies in relations with other states received a positive response in American society, ordered the invasion of Panama on December 17-18, 1989. The official targets of the invasion, according to statements by authorized persons, were:
ensuring the safety of US citizens located in Panama;
protection of the Panama Canal, which has important geopolitical significance;
support for the Panamanian authorities legally elected during the elections;
the overthrow of General Noriega's regime and subsequent trial as a war criminal (in addition, General Noriega was accused of drug trafficking).
The invasion was preceded by pressure on Panama, the introduction of economic sanctions by the United States and an increase in the US military contingent in the independent state. Subsequently, the main operational tasks assigned to groups of saboteurs and US tactical aviation were completed in full in one day:
an attempt was made to capture the President of Panama;
television broadcasting was stopped (the emblem of the US Department of Defense and the requirement not to attack American soldiers were broadcast);
military personnel and equipment were landed at several airfields and an airbase.
The last battles took place on Christmas morning 1989. As a result of the US military operation, the government of Panama was overthrown by force, and the new president took the oath of office at a United States military base. Manuel Noriega remains in an American prison to this day, and the Panama Canal is under US control.
Reaction to the collapse of the communist system
George Bush Sr., whose foreign policy was distinguished by decisiveness, expectedly supported the development of democratic principles in the republics of the Soviet Union and condemned the August 1991 putsch in Moscow. In 1992, he signed a treaty with Boris Yeltsin to end the Cold War.
Gulf War
The conflict that erupted over the restoration of Kuwait's independence became known for the scale of the use of aircraft and so-called smart weapons. In addition, the military operation received the unofficial name of a “television war” due to the widespread coverage of what was happening in the media.
The prerequisite for US intervention was the invasion of the regular Iraqi army into Kuwait, whose forces were retreating to the territory of Saudi Arabia. The Iraqi army was both quantitatively and qualitatively superior to the Kuwaiti forces, so the invasion was successful in advance for the aggressor.
On the same day, the world community condemned the intervention. A few days later, part of Kuwait's territory was effectively annexed to Iraq, while the UN Security Council continued to pass resolutions. At the same time, American troops had already begun to arrive in Saudi Arabia in order to ensure the security of the state, which was clearly inferior to Iraq in military power and had significant oil reserves. The operation to liberate Kuwait began ten days later.
During Operation Desert Storm, Kuwait was completely liberated within four days. On March 3, a ceasefire agreement was signed.
Bush Sr.'s policy towards Asia and Latin America
US President George W. Bush did not forget about other regions that could potentially influence America. Politician great importance attached importance to international trade, so he put up with some phenomena that were alien to “American democracy.” For example, Bush Sr. did not intervene in the repressions in China, limiting himself only to an official appeal and the threat of sanctions.
Other military operations during the presidency of George H. W. Bush
In addition to the intervention in Panama and Operation Desert Storm, several other military incidents occurred during the presidency of George W. Bush. Among the latter we can list:
2 downed Libyan aircraft;
CIA involvement in the overthrow and murder of Ceausescu;
air support for the Philippine government during the suppression of the coup attempt;
military assistance to Guatemala in the “fight against communism”;
support for the coup d'état in Haiti;
“Renewing Hope” - US military occupation of Somalia;
assistance in the conflict between the pro-American candidate and the legitimate government of Angola.
It was under George H. W. Bush that America first tried on the role of “world policeman.”
Activities after the end of the presidential term
After the end of his term, George Bush Sr. (his photo is in the article) continued to engage in a number of commercial and public projects.
In addition, the forty-first president is the author of several books that are in demand not only in his homeland politician, but also all over the world.
Bush George Walker (George W. Bush) (born 1946), 43rd President of the United States (since 2001).
Born on July 6, 1946 in New Haven (Connecticut), in the family of Yale University student George W. Bush, the future President of the United States.
Bush Jr. graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover near Boston (Massachusetts), then Yale University (1968); served as a helicopter pilot in the Texas National Guard; in 1973 he entered Harvard Business School and received a master's degree in management from Harvard University (1975).
Returning to Texas, he founded an oil company and sold it in the early 80s. and became a co-owner of a baseball team (1989-1998).
Bush became involved in political activities in 1979. He was an adviser during his father's election campaigns (1988 and 1992). In 1994, he became governor of Texas.
In 1998, he easily won re-election, promising in his program to increase spending on education and the fight against crime, and to reform the social security system.
In June 1999, Bush began campaigning for the presidential nomination. In his election program, he put forward traditional Republican proposals to reduce taxes and increase the individual responsibility of citizens, and supported China’s admission to the WTO.
In the elections in November 2000, he defeated A. Gore with a minimal margin.
On January 20, 2001, Bush took office as President of the United States. In the first year of his presidency (September 11, 2001), the United States experienced a terrorist attack of unprecedented scale.
This disaster and subsequent counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and Iraq significantly increased Bush's ratings. In 2004, he was re-elected, defeating Democratic candidate John Kerry.
The second term saw the strongest blows to the reputation of the President and the Republican Party as a whole - the actions of the authorities during the elimination of the consequences of Hurricane Katrina and also the so-called. “shoe” scandal, when an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at the President, which in the east is considered the greatest insult.
43rd President of the United States of America
43rd President of the United States, served two terms (2001-2009). Former Governor of Texas (1995-2001), son of former US President George Herbert Walker Bush (Sr.). After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he declared a “war on terror”; under his leadership, the United States took part in two full-scale military campaigns - in Afghanistan and Iraq.
George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946 in New Haven. He studied history at Yale University and received a bachelor's degree in 1968. From 1968 to 1973 took place military service in the aviation units of the US National Guard. In 1975, he graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA. After graduation, he worked in the oil and gas industry in Texas. In 1987 and 1988, he took part in the presidential election campaign of his father, George H. W. Bush. In 1989, Bush and a group of partners acquired the Texas Rangers baseball team and headed its board until 1994.
In 1994, Bush was elected governor of Texas. In this post, he pursued a compromise policy, combining conservative republican values and liberal steps in the social sphere. In 1998, he became the first governor in Texas history to be re-elected to a second term.
Bush was elected President of the United States in 2000, defeating Al Gore. Bush's initial program was focused on the country's domestic policy issues, including tax cuts and large-scale education reform. The focus of the new presidential administration's efforts shifted radically after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Bush declared a “war on terror,” which included a military operation in Afghanistan in 2001 that ended with the overthrow of the Taliban regime. US foreign policy was carried out on the basis of the new “Bush Doctrine”, which implies preemptive strikes on the enemy and unilateral actions without the need for their approval by the international community. The Bush administration's anti-terrorism policy also developed domestically, where the powers of intelligence services and law enforcement agencies were significantly expanded.
In March 2003, the United States invaded Iraq, which, according to Bush, was part of the so-called “axis of evil” along with North Korea and Iran. The basis for the attack on Iraq was information that Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons of mass destruction, which was subsequently not confirmed. The combat phase of the operation in Iraq ended on May 1, 2003, but no decisive success was achieved in the post-war settlement.
Among the significant elements of Bush's foreign policy are multilateral consultations on the DPRK's nuclear program and participation in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Bush established friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, this did not lead to the resolution of the contradictions existing between the United States and Russia.
Despite criticism of the administration's Iraq policy both abroad and within the United States, Bush was re-elected to a second term in 2004, defeating Democratic Senator John Kerry. During the second Bush administration, the main directions of US foreign and domestic policy did not undergo significant changes. The President declared his commitment to the principles of the “war on terror,” and the policy of cutting taxes and combating terrorism within the country continued. On the foreign policy front, the president tried to overcome differences with the US's Western European allies that arose due to the war in Iraq. In May 2005, Bush attended the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of Victory in Moscow. By the end of 2005, observers noted a significant decline in President Bush's popularity among Americans, which was mainly due to US policy in Iraq.
The 2006 Lebanese-Israeli conflict became a new source of disagreement with European allies: the United States unconditionally supported Israel and did not join the demands for an immediate ceasefire. Bush viewed the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah as part of the global war against terrorism.
On November 7, 2006, the Republican Party was defeated in the midterm elections, and control of both houses of Congress passed to the Democrats. Submitting to their pressure, Bush was forced to resign his most unpopular minister - the head of the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld. Many observers expected a significant change in US strategy in Iraq, particularly the withdrawal of troops, but in January 2007 Bush announced the sending of new forces to this country.
The year 2007 was marked by an increase in tension in relations between the United States and Russia: the leadership of the Russian Federation, led by President Putin, harshly criticized the American foreign policy, in particular plans to deploy a missile defense system on the territory of Eastern European countries.
In March 2008, Bush endorsed John McCain as the Republican Party's candidate for the 2008 presidential election. However, McCain lost to Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the election that November.
During the war in South Ossetia in August 2008, Bush condemned Russia's actions, calling Russian military intervention a "disproportionate" use of force, and threatened Russia with international isolation and exclusion from the G8. Bush called the news of Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia irresponsible; he condemned and called on the Russian side to reconsider this decision.
Bush officially left the presidency on January 20, 2009, when the new 44th US President Obama was sworn in during his inauguration in Washington.
Among President Bush's personal qualities was his ability to find compromise, which he demonstrated even during his governorship. Adhering to conservative views, Bush avoided extremes. The former president skillfully compensated for his lack of knowledge on a number of political issues through personal charm, which played a decisive role in his success in the 2000 and 2004 elections. George Bush is married and the father of two twin daughters.