# World's Thinnest Book: The Positive Results of GWB's Presidency **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260 "2003-02-24T22:17:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/1 "2003-02-24T22:17:48Z")
Now that George W. Bush has been in the White House for 2 years and a month, I think that some reflection on his positive accomplishments while in office are in order. I have thought long and hard about this subject over the past few days, and I have come up with a list of the positive aspects of his presidency. (I define that as things that have gotten BETTER in the past two years). Here they are: 1. Federal taxes are lower (although mostly for the rich) 2. Mortgage interest rates are lower (mainly attributable to the twelve rate cuts by the Fed, but nevermind) 3. Oral sex in the Oval Office is down 100% (as far as I know) 4. Sales of duct tape are way up (positive only if you are a duct tape manufacturer) That’s all I can come up with. Would anyone care to add to my admittedly meager list. What else has gotten BETTER in the US over the past two years? I guess you could argue that things would have been even worse if GWB were not in the White House, but that would be pure speculation. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/2 "2003-02-24T22:24:42Z")
Hey, whats up with this? > **[Newsday | Long Island's & NYC's News Source](https://www.newsday.com)** > > Breaking News, data & opinions in business, sports, entertainment, travel, lifestyle, plus much more. Newsday.com is the leading news source for Long Island & NYC. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/3 "2003-02-24T22:40:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frostillicus \* > \*\*What else has gotten BETTER in the US over the past two years? \*\* 1. Our bloated nuclear arsenal has been reduced. 2. The Taliban no longer rule Afghanistan. Attacks against the US can no longer be mounted from that country. 3. There has not been a successful terrorist attack against the US since 9/11/01. 4. Campaign Finance Reform was enacted. (Some people would see this as an improvement.) 5. Trent Lott is no longer Senate Republican leader. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/4 "2003-02-24T22:45:32Z")
I would argue that #9 has absolutely zip to do with GWB’s presidency and more to do with Lott’s idiocy. In fact I recall GWB keeping as much distance from this as possible. As well he should. The republicans dont want to lose the sympathetic-white-suburban-housewife-vote, but they certainly can’t jeapordize the racist-white-southern-good-ol-boy-vote either. It wasn’t that long ago that racist white southerners voted democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/5 "2003-02-24T22:58:12Z")
Some of these are good or bad depending on your point of view and political inclination, but let no one say that Bush hasn’t done a lot: Education spending has been increased dramatically. NASA’s budget has been increased dramatically, and Bush’s appointee has started a much-needed review of wasteful programs. Iraq is being dealt with after 12 years of inaction. Republicans now hold the House and Senate, in large part due to Bush’s influence during the campaign. Tax cuts. Bush has started heavy funding to kick-start a hydrogen-based energy infrastructure. The ABM treaty was removed, which has now paved the way for theater missile defense currently being installed in Japan, Turkey, Israel and the United States. The Taliban is gone, al-Qaida has suffered a large number of defeats, and there hasn’t been an attack in the U.S. since 9/11. The French are pissed off. It’s always good to piss off the French. And since we’re judging presidents these days by everything that happens on their watch: Avril Levigne was shut out of the Grammys. Sean Penn made a fool out of himself. Mariah Carey was booted out of her record contract. Now, does anyone want to play the same silly game with Bill Clinton? He had four times the duration in office than Bush has had so far. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/6 "2003-02-24T23:00:43Z")
1. Threw his tacit support behind [Project Promethus](http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-03c.html) and its nuclear-powered rocket technology. 2. Ensured that the next Democrat president will be one of the greatest in history, because that person (should the Democrats ever return to the White House) will be able to [look like a hero](http://www.radioleft.com/article.php?sid=440) by restoring funding to libraries, doctor training, clean vehicle research, rain forest research, monument protection, child abuse investigation, low income home assistance, and a host of other feel-good initiatives simply by revoking $860 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% of Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/7 "2003-02-24T23:21:25Z")
“Iraq is being dealt with after 12 years of inaction.” It is certainly debatable as to whether this is a positive or negative result of Bush’s presidency. The judgement on this will have to wait for the long-term results of the upcoming Iraqi war. (I say upcoming instead of possible because I am positive that GWB will have his war no matter what.) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/8 "2003-02-24T23:30:30Z")
-The Armed Forces are once again getting the budget needed to carry out their assigned missions. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/9 "2003-02-24T23:35:42Z")
We shouldn’t forget about $15 billion dollars for AIDS relief in Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Kempis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kempis/32/19248_2.png) [@Kempis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kempis)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/10 "2003-02-24T23:38:14Z")
He’s forced the Democrats to define their positions. I think the Democratic leadership has to give a better alternative to GW’s and the Republican plans otherwise they’ll still have no House, Senate, or Presidency come 2004. And though I think it’s more of a “under the watch” thing: Enron execs, et al. were brought to justice. No religious cults burned to death or children exported to Cuba. heheheh. -k ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/11 "2003-02-25T00:08:10Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. There has not been a successful terrorist attack against the US since 9/11/01. “Well, do you _see_ any tigers around here?!” ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/12 "2003-02-25T00:22:23Z")
You know… the Aids relief is pretty pointless. If you are already infected with Aids, you are going to die. sure, we can prolong your life, but why not put that $15 billion towards developing a vaccine, so that no more people have to deal with AIDS? That makes a whole lot more sense to me, then giving $15 billion to already infected people. Or let’s put that $15 billion to educate the populous or distribute condoms. The point is, we could eradicate AIDS. But we don’t. It’s time we do. Enough funding and research could effectively produce a vaccine, which when used on a large enough scale would eradicate AIDS as we did to smallpox. > [@](#): > > 1. The Taliban no longer rule Afghanistan. Attacks against the US can no longer be mounted from that country. > 2. There has not been a successful terrorist attack against the US since 9/11/01. I can agree somewhat with #6. Just because we hold a country doesn’t mean we can prevent terrorist attacks in it. > [@](#): > > The ABM treaty was removed, which has now paved the way for theater missile defense currently being installed in Japan, Turkey, Israel and the United States. And by revoking the ABM treaty, Bush has signed the warrant for another Arms race… What they don’t want to tell you is that while an ABM shield will be good against a few missles, an attack by over 50 missles, won’t stop them. If you get into the number of missles that the Russians have, might as well bend over and kiss your ass goodbye. ---
**Author:** ![nogginhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5e9695/32.png) [@nogginhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogginhead)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/13 "2003-02-25T01:05:47Z")
What about the things that are worse since GWB took office? Besides the economy, the stock market, and the world prospect for peace and international collaboration, I mean. Because those are obviously Clinton’s legacy, right? ---
**Author:** ![Semp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Semp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Semp)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/14 "2003-02-25T02:24:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\*-The Armed Forces are once again getting the budget needed to carry out their assigned missions. \*\* While the VA is scaling back services promised to those who had already served… ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/15 "2003-02-25T02:35:53Z")
Interestingly enough, **Brutus** , we’re NOT getting the budget to carry out our assigned missions. Our force levels are absurdly low and Rumsfeld abjectly refused to allow a raise in the number of troops, even though CSAF Jumper all but begged him to do so. It’s all going to the machines to replace the old, worn out obsolete equipment, so what the money’s really being spent on is the future rather than the present. Not that I have any problem with that, of course, but with the high ops tempo, it sure couldn’t hurt to get a few more Airmen, y’know? Not that I have any problem with that ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/16 "2003-02-25T02:38:52Z")
How that happened I have no idea. Nothing else to add. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/17 "2003-02-25T02:45:04Z")
GeeDubya has made major advances in the philosophical, especially as to the somewhat esoteric arena of _phenomenology_. He is able to see beyond the limitations of empirical fact to an essential truth, which may be at variance with, indeed, can _entirely contradict_ what a less nuanced mind thinks of as “fact”. His citation of authorities and studies that never actually existed references a cognitive existentialism which is entirely free of “objective reality”. That’s deep. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/18 "2003-02-25T03:00:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \* > \*\*Hey, whats up with this? > > [http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-e3142018feb23,0,2678986.story?coll=ny-business-print](http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-e3142018feb23,0,2678986.story?coll=ny%2Dbusiness%2Dprint) \*\* Come on, he can barely put together a sentence, and you expect him to be able to cite a report that _actually exists_? Don’t you think that’s setting the bar a little too high? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/19 "2003-02-25T03:29:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > 5. Our bloated nuclear arsenal has been reduced. Has it? By how many has it actually been reduced at this point. If true, this is certainly a good thing. My brief google on the topic suggests that his plans of 2 years ago, although sounding good, weren’t really all that. [Fuzzy Nuclear Math](http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2001_12/focdec01.asp) Nonetheless, if he has actually reduced the number at all, I’ll grant you this is a positive. > [@](#): > > 1. The Taliban no longer rule Afghanistan. Attacks against the US can no longer be mounted from that country. But Bush wanted to give the Taliban millions of dollars in early 2001. Talk about closing the barn door after the horses are out. He did do what he promised to do with al Quada: He “smoked 'em out and got ‘em runnin’.” Unfortunately it appears that they simply moved across town and opened up shop again. > [@](#): > > 1. There has not been a successful terrorist attack against the US since 9/11/01. Okay, okay, good things over the last _nearly_ two years. Seriously, listing this one is pretty weak as an accomplishment, since 9/11/01 happened on his watch. Mind you, I am not blaming Bush specifically for 9/11, but it is hard to credit him with a positive for the absence of further devastating attacks in 18 months. > [@](#): > > 1. Campaign Finance Reform was enacted. (Some people would see this as an improvement.) A good thing, such as it is. Glad that Bush pushed it through a reluctant congress. > [@](#): > > 1. Trent Lott is no longer Senate Republican leader. Yeah. Again, good work on Bush’s part. Truly a meager list of good things. Laissez les bonnes temps roulez! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260/20 "2003-02-25T03:37:22Z")
Funny, but alot of economic indicators don’t really point to a recession. (What the hell am I doing in GD?!. I’m outta here. Topic for discussion: The Media Created Recession that came under Clinton and is gone already.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-thinnest-book-the-positive-results-of-gwbs-presidency/157260.md?page=2)