George W. Bush Emerges to Bash Trump, ‘Nativism’: ‘We Cannot Wish Globalism Away’
by Charlie Spiering
19 Oct 2017

Former President George W. Bush delivered a public repudiation of President Donald Trump’s political identity, suggesting many aspects of the current administration are fueling division in the United States and around the world.

The former president defended the ideas of globalism, free trade, and free markets as well as foreign interventionism around the world in a speech at the George W. Bush Institute.

“We cannot wish globalism away,” Bush said, noting that the United States must sustain “wise and sustained global engagement” for the future of the country.

Bush indirectly accused Trump of fueling dangerous ideologies that threatened the unity of the United States and global stability, spending a large portion of his speech complaining about social ills in the country.

“We’ve seen a return of isolationist sentiments forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places,” he warned.

Bush urged Americans to “recover our own identity,” citing a commitment to global engagement, free and international trade, and immigration.

“We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism, and forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America,” he lamented.

“Bigotry seems emboldened, our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication,” he said. “There are some signs that support for democracy itself has waned especially for the young.”

But Bush’s criticism wasn’t merely on Trump’s “America First” political ideology. He also criticized the tone of the American political system led by Trump.

“We’ve seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty,” he lamented, noting that “argument turns too easily into animosity” and “disagreement escalates into dehumanization.”

He criticized the rise of “bullying and prejudice” in national politics, suggesting that the country lacked positive role models.

The former president looped in a condemnation of white supremacy as part of his speech, suggesting that it was a growing threat in Trump’s America.

“Bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed,” he said.

He called for a restoration of American norms in society.

“Our identity as a nation, unlike many other nations, is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood,” he said. “Being American involves the embrace of high ideals and civic responsibility.”

Bush’s decision to publicly criticize Trump’s presidency is unusual after he made a point of rarely challenging President Barack Obama while he was in office.


http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/...globalism-away/

Great Graphic !

Yesterday they had a two-fer, probably coordinated for maximum effect.

2 former presidents — from both parties — blast the state of American politics in unprecedented day
Allan Smith

Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush lambasted the state of US politics on Thursday.
Neither ex-president mentioned President Donald Trump by name.
Each provided some of his most pointed commentary since Trump took office.


The two most recent former US presidents on Thursday blasted the state of US politics in events that were separated by less than 20 miles.

First, it was former President George W. Bush. The most recent former Republican president lambasted a political culture that he said caused "bigotry" to seem "emboldened." The public comments were Bush's most pointed since President Donald Trump took office in January.

"In recent decades, public confidence in our institutions has declined," the 43rd president said at an event in New York hosted by his namesake institute. "Our governing class has often been paralyzed in the face of obvious and pressing needs. The American dream of upward mobility seems out of reach for some who feel left behind in a changing economy. Discontent deepened and sharpened partisan conflicts. Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication."

The forum was branded as being "focused on freedom, free markets, and security." It featured speakers such as former first lady Laura Bush, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. And Bush provided a substantial condemnation of the state of US politics.

Bush said that "people of every race, religion, and ethnicity can be fully and equally American" and that "bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed."

He also mentioned Russia's influence in the 2016 presidential election, calling on the US to "harden its own defenses."

"Our country must show resolve and resilience in the face of external attacks on our democracy," he said. "And that begins with confronting a new era of cyberthreats. America has experienced a sustained attempt by a hostile power to feed and exploit our country's divisions."

Later in the day, in nearby Newark, New Jersey, former President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail for the first time since leaving office and took a subtle swipe at the political climate that Trump cultivated in his rise to power.

At an event for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy in New Jersey, Obama, who has avoided criticizing Trump publicly, criticized the "politics of division" that "we see now."

"What we can't have is the same old politics of division that we have seen so many times before that dates back centuries," Obama said. "Some of the things we see now, we thought we put that to bed. That's folks looking 50 years back. It's the 21st century, not the 19th century."

It's long-standing tradition for past presidents and vice presidents to provide a grace period for a new administration, during which they do not provide commentary critical of the current White House. While both Bush and Obama did not mention Trump, the criticism of US politics from both men is unprecedented at this young stage of a presidency.

It is rare for former presidents to criticize an administration at any point, even past the so-called grace period.

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http://www.businessinsider.com/barack-ob...olitics-2017-10

Quote: Cincinnatus wrote in post #6

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2 former presidents — from both parties — blast the state of American politics in unprecedented day

What an amazing coincidence

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