In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, former President George W. Bush’s theme was national unity — and how it has been lost over these past 20 years.
“In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks,” said Bush, “I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people. When it comes to the unity of America, those days seem distant from our own. A malign force seems at work in our common life that turns every disagreement into an argument, and every argument into a clash of cultures.”
Though he surely did not realize it, Bush had himself, moments before, given us an example of how that unity was destroyed when he drew a parallel between the terrorists of 9/11 and the Trump protesters of Jan 6. Said Bush:
“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit.”
What is Bush saying here?
That Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force veteran shot to death trying to enter the House chamber on Jan. 6, and Mohamed Atta, who drove an airliner into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in a massacre of close to 3,000 people, are “children of the same foul spirit.”
Query: Was not Bush himself here giving us an example of the “malign force” that “turns every disagreement … into a clash of cultures”?
Bush did not mention his own contribution to our national divide: his invasion of a country, Iraq, that did not threaten us, did not attack us, and did not want war with us — to disarm it of weapons it did not even have.
Which contributed more to the loss of America’s national unity?
The four hours of mob violence in the Capitol the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, or the 18-year war in Iraq that Bush launched in 2003?
“In those fateful hours” after 9/11, said Bush, “Many Americans struggled to understand why an enemy would hate us with such zeal.”
Yet, well before 9/11, Osama bin Laden, in his declaration of war on us, listed his grievances. Our sanctions were starving the children of Iraq. Our military presence on the sacred soil of Saudi Arabia, home to Mecca, was a national insult and a blasphemous outrage to Islam.
After 9/11, Bush invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. President Barack Obama attacked Libya and plunged us into the Syrian and Yemeni civil wars.
Thus, over 20 years, we have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands — Afghans, Iraqis, Syrians, Yemenis, soldiers and civilians alike — and driven hundreds of thousands more from their homes and their countries.
Are Americans really as oblivious, as Bush suggests, as to why it was that our enemies “hate us with such zeal”?
Many of these peoples want us out of their countries for the same reason that 18th- and 19th-century Americans wanted the French, British and Spanish out of our country and out of our hemisphere.
Yet, it is not only the Bush and Obama wars that have made us so many enemies abroad and so deeply divided us at home.
Our southern border is being overrun by illegal immigrants whose number, since President Joe Biden took office, has been running at close to 2 million a year, with 30,000 “get-aways” a month. These last are mostly males who never make contact with the Border Patrol as they move on to their chosen destinations. They are coming now not only from Mexico and the northern tier countries of Central America but also from some 100 countries around the world.
Americans fear they are losing their country to the uninvited and invading millions of the Global South coming to dispossess them of their patrimony. They never voted for this invasion and have wanted their chosen leaders to stop it.
Former President Donald Trump earned their trust because he tried and, to a great degree, succeeded.
Unlike previous generations, our 21st-century divisions are far broader — not just economic and political, but social, moral, cultural and racial.
Abortion, same-sex marriage and transgender rights divide us. Socialism and capitalism divide us. Affirmative action, Black Lives Matter, urban crime, gun violence and critical race theory divide us. Allegations of white privilege and white supremacy, and demands that equality of opportunity give way to equity of rewards, divide us. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the wearing of masks and vaccine mandates divide us.
Demands to tear down monuments and memorials to those who were, until lately, America’s greats — from Christopher Columbus to George Washington to Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, from Abraham Lincoln to Robert E. Lee to Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson — divide us.
We are even divided today on the most fundamental of questions:
Is America now, and has it always been, a good and great country, worthy of the loyalty and love of all its children, of all its citizens?
And are we Americans proceeding toward that “more perfect union” or heading for a reenactment of our previous violent disunion?
Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever.” To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com.
The treachery of the traitorous, socialist Democrat Party know no bounds.
How do you change— change the U.S. from a capitalist system’,
Into a Socialistic Democrat Party government controlled system. ??
1. Healthcare — Control healthcare and you control the people.
2. Welfare — Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
3. Education — Take control of what people read and listen to — take control of what children and young people learn in schools and colleges.
4. Religion — Remove the belief in the God from the Government and schools.
5. Class Warfare — Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take from the wealthy and give to poor. Until there are only the poor.
6. Debt — Increase the debt to an unsustainable level.
7. Gun Control — Remove the ability for the people to defend themselves from the Government. (“Socialist Democrat Party State”)
8. Poverty — Increase the poverty level as high as possible. Poor people are easier to control and will keep socialists in power if they are providing everything for them to live. Encourage, protect and support multi-millions of illegal immigrants who are poor, uneducated and disease ridden.
9. Allow illegal immigrants to vote and hold government positions.
Do these look like the tactics of the socialist Democrat Party??
Part 1—“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit.” You bought into a lie, Mr Bush, regarding the Jan 6th “insurrection”—as did many others. The real domestic terrorists are Antifa, BLM, and Joe Biden and his administration.
“In those fateful hours” after 9/11, said Bush, “Many Americans struggled to understand why an enemy would hate us with such zeal.” Even you yourself, Mr Bush, formed a panel to explore this. I don’t fully agree with Mr Buchanan’s explanation because people in the Middle East seem to be consumed with hatred—especially for this country. Most of them hate their own people.
They have ALWAYS been consumed with hate, and as long as the mid east is allowed to exist, WILL ALWAYS be full of hate.. ITS part and parcel of their DEMONIC death cult, masquerading as a religion.
In MY opinion, Islam has NEVER been a REAL Religion, but a CULT !
Part 2—“Abortion, same-sex marriage and transgender rights divide us. Socialism and capitalism divide us. Affirmative action, Black Lives Matter, urban crime, gun violence and critical race theory divide us. Allegations of white privilege and white supremacy, and demands that equality of opportunity give way to equity of rewards, divide us. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the wearing of masks and vaccine mandates divide us.
Demands to tear down monuments and memorials to those who were, until lately, America’s greats — from Christopher Columbus to George Washington to Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, from Abraham Lincoln to Robert E. Lee to Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson — divide us.” There you have it, Mr Bush—and as a Republicrat, you should be well aware that Liberals are stoking the fires of dissension in this country at every turn. You’re a member in good standing of the Elite Club in DC—don’t pretend otherwise.
EVERY Single damn thing about the left, DIVIDES US, and that is their GOAL!
“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home”. George Bush, you and the Bushes are a disgrace. We Conservatives are extremists? Hey George, you open borders Bushes look at yourselves in front of the mirror. Mirror mirror on the wall, who are the extremists in our Government? The mirror states: “The Democrat communists and the RINO enablers like the Bushes are the extremists”.
Very true.. YOu would have thought, when he held both a large majority in the house AND SENATE, right after 9/11, IF HE WANTED TO Get our border secured, he WOULD HAVE HAD AN EASY chance of doing so..
That he didn’t even TRY, shows just how little he CARED about our border being so bloody wide open…
AND ITS ONLY GOTTEN wider after obama took over.
George Bush, seems to be just another one of those “Globalist” goofs.
Notice how conveniently he left out the actual rioting and property destruction in various cities brought on by Antifa and Black Lives Matter. I guess we’re not supposed to compare those to the 9/11 attacks.
AHH, but those were ‘mostly peaceful’ protests, how dare you racists, speak out against anything antifa/blm did.. RHEEEEE!
What is Bush saying here?
That Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force veteran shot to death trying to enter the House chamber on Jan. 6, and Mohamed Atta, who drove an airliner into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in a massacre of close to 3,000 people, are “children of the same foul spirit.”
Jorge is nothing less than an Open Borders Whinny Liberal RINO Disgrace. Go away and shut your mouth you are everything that is wrong with the Spineless Republican Party.
I used to be a Democrat. But all that changed during Obama administration and Hillary Clinton. Calling us Deplorable s is what they started with. Now it’s racist white supremacist and black. Black, black. Russia and China is sitting back and laughing. Who will get our wheat fields when we fall??
“Bush did not mention his own contribution to our national divide: his invasion of a country, Iraq, that did not threaten us, did not attack us, and did not want war with us — to disarm it of weapons it did not even have.”
By Pat’s logic, Iran has never attacked us either. Neither has North Korea. We should wait until that happens? You’ve always been wrong on this.
1. Iraq was guilty of allowing terrorists to train on their soil, and they also HAD WMD. Saddam gassed the Kurds!
1a. Saddam signed conditions as part of his surrender. He asked for war when he broke them.
2. Afghanistan also allowed Al Qaeda to train and stage against us.
PLUS like iran, IRAQ has funded terrorists for decades!
Damn it, George! Get back on your side of the net!! Maybe they need uniforms or something so he can tell which team he is on?
“In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks,” said Bush, “I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people.” Who wouldn’t be?
What would have happened if you had sat on your hands? Those patriots you were “leading” would have run you over to get the job done.
But you remained silent during phase i of the demolition of America during the Obama/Clinton years. Your voice of opposition could have kept the flame. But, alas, you have always, at heart, been a part of the big problem…..a fan of the re-ordering of the earth.
It would be better for us all if you would continue with that strategy and shut your pie hole!!!!!!!!!
Sadly, I think RINOs, and this includes George, know which side of the net they belong on. I once very much admired Dubya! But I’m afraid that they have been forced out of the closet now with their real agenda. As you say: both George and Pat have remained too often silent on the real enemies of state. And George could have a very positive influence if he were actually on our side. No, he was an early part of the boa’s constriction, so he could play hero for a time. But he will never confront Biden/Harris/Left who are our real enemies.
Pat has always been wrong, and I was wrong about George, and it pains me to say so. Too many prostitutes in our politics, doing service for their masters. One wonders at the deals they have made for their service.
Yes they DO know what side of the ‘net’ they are on.. WHICH EVER IS AGAINST we the people!
Part 2: Pat has always been part of the “either, or” journalist crowd. Either we should have gone to Iraq and stayed for 100 years, or we should never have gone. Life doesn’t work that way. There is always nuance to every fact of life. Pat, you have never been on the right side of this. Our response to Saddam and Uday and Qusay was just. Yes, our main mission was to wipe out the terrorists who planned and staged an attack against the US. But how can it be bad that an added blessing was taking out 3 of the most horrible abusers of Iraqis who ever lived.
That we stayed to long, and lost focus is the problem, in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Joe Biden doesn’t get a pass because he got us out of Afghanistan, only to drone a careworker, AFTER he criticized Trump for droning Soleimani.
Get it right, Pat!
IMO what we should have done, was just drop a massive nuke on Bagdad.. THEN DID the same to all of afganistan!
Put bush, biden, clinton, pelosi, harris, schummer and all the like in a bag shake it up and no matter in what order they fall out you still end up with a big pile of sh*t!!!!!