It is time to start re-writing history
Reflections on the reality of Bush years, policy decisions
The George W. Bush apologia began almost the minute the former president left office.
Senior officials of the failed Bush administration, such as Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, hit the airwaves and the op-ed pages in the hopes of convincing a war-weary, recession-weary, Bush-weary country that the eight-year saga of lies and lawlessness that had just come to a welcome close was actually an example of enlightened statesmanship. History, they argued, would judge them better.
Now the former president himself has entered the fray. First, he released his memoir “Decision Points,” which argued that although mistakes were made, the major failure of his administration was justified: “removing Saddam from power was the right decision.” On Tuesday, his image makeover will enter phase two with the ground-breaking ceremony for his presidential library. And so SMU will become home base for the historical revisionism to come.
Lest the stark reality be lost in all the hoopla, let’s take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments of the Bush administration:
It lied and coerced the country into a war it had every reason to know need not have been, distracting the nation’s focus and diverting resources from the vital mission in Afghanistan and creating a new haven for terrorists.
It broke international law and betrayed America’s long tradition of liberty and respect for human dignity by sanctioning torture overseas, engaging in questionable interrogation tactics on American soil, and asserting the power to hold individuals indefinitely without charge, trial or the most basic of judicial rights.
It created a culture of intellectual ignorance and brazenly disregarded the scientific community on environmental threats we cannot continue to ignore.
It strained the national budget and heaped massive debt on future generations—including our own—extending and worsening the fiscal crisis looming on the horizon.
It squashed reasoned debate and replaced it with paranoia and groupthink, equating dissent with disloyalty.
The list could go on and on, but the message should be clear: George W. Bush was a failed president. A memoir and a presidential center cannot change that fact.
I love SMU. It’s a wonderful school full of thoughtful, intelligent people. It will also soon become home to an institute that hopes to make Americans forget the shameful performance of the worst president since Nixon.
We won’t be so easily fooled.
Nathaniel French is a senior theater major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
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Bush Center propels SMU to upper echelons
The groundbreaking of the George W. Bush Presidential Library this week solidifies SMU’s ascension into the national elite of American universities. By virtue of this library’s presence on campus, SMU can now rightfully claim its place as a major player in higher education not only domestically, but internationally. While I am a Republican, I view this library from a strictly non-partisan perspective. I think that any observer would be wise to adopt a similar view.
The Bush Library will act as an asset that will benefit everyone and represents a unique opportunity to provide the SMU campus community, as well as the city of Dallas, with access to the leaders and decision-makers that will inevitably gravitate to the library to engage in vital analysis of one of the most historically significant time periods in our nation’s history. A resource like a presidential library should be considered in its proper long-term historical context, rather than the mercurial, myopic timeline of the 24-hour news cycle which prevails today.
During the Bush presidency, several events transpired which profoundly altered and re-shaped the way that we as Americans view the world. Consider that over the course of only eight years, this country confronted the challenges presented by the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bursting of the housing bubble and the most formidable financial crisis since the Great Depression. From a purely historical perspective, this may be the most important presidential library ever built. The library will attract leaders of national and international importance to the SMU campus and serve as the epicenter for the extensive debate and discussion that accompanies consideration of the Bush years.
Regardless of political persuasion, a thoughtful observer must recognize that SMU students stand to benefit more than any other group from the presence of the Bush Library. Students will have unique opportunities to engage in research with important policy implications, to work alongside highly-regarded experts to formulate solutions to the problems confronting our country’s future, and to interact with power-brokers and decision-makers of the highest caliber.
The Bush Library enriches the entire SMU experience. Not only will the University reap the academic benefits of an influx of talented faculty, researchers and thought leaders, but SMU will benefit from the higher profile conferred by the library. The media, along with other universities, now must acknowledge the national influence of SMU. While SMU was once a regional player, it now occupies a place in the upper echelon of universities.
SMU’s increased national profile only shines more light on its greatest asset: its talented student body. Students will find that an SMU degree carries more weight with more people, all across the country. My hope is that students will appreciate the ways in which they benefit from the library, and that they will in turn give back to SMU and to the library, through the contribution of their time and talent, to making this library even better. For the Bush Library to truly become the campus mainstay that we all want it to be, SMU students need to form a true partnership with the library by infusing their own ideas and passions into its broader goals.
Chad Cohen is a junior majoring in finance, with an English minor. He can be reached for questions or comments at [email protected].
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Center bolsters University standings nationally
The fact that the Bush Institute is going to be at SMU heavily influenced my decision to come to SMU.
The opportunities that the Bush Institute is going to bring to SMU and Dallas are infinite. The plans that I have seen look very impressive, and I think that it will not only make the already beautiful SMU campus more attractive, but it will add a timeless historic element to our campus that is more nationally and internationally relevant.
Some of SMU’s buildings like Dallas Hall have historical significance locally, but not across the world. The Bush Institute would have more of a world wide significance that will draw positive attention to our school and our campus over time. This translates into more opportunities for SMU students and faculty as well.
For example, some of my friends are working to get internships at the Bush Institute. This is a great opportunity for college students; working at a presidential institute is a learning advantage that other people won’t have. Most people would agree that an internship like that would be especially advantageous to put on a résumé right underneath the education section where they will proudly have Southern Methodist University listed. Not to mention the astonishing networking and connections an internship like that will bring.
There’s no doubt that SMU grads have an advantage when it comes to landing jobs in Dallas, which has recently surpassed the Big Apple for most Fortune 500 company headquarters. But, with the addition of the Bush Institute and the national attention and spotlight that comes with that, SMU will have more recognition and press around the country and the world, extending that great reputation that SMU has in Dallas, and making all of our degrees worth a little bit more.
I think that all of us, as members of the SMU community, owe President Bush a very big, “Thank you.” Not only for what he did in office to serve our country and the free world, but for what he and Laura have done for SMU in choosing to put the George W. Bush presidential center on our campus and have it associated with our school.
Thank you President Bush.
Michael LaMar is a first year majoring in financial consulting. He can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].
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Despite administration mistakes,library is advantageous
Presidential libraries are meant for historians to look back at a President’s tenure which will usher educational growth and opportunity for the University, even if the administration is seen as an economic, domestic and international failure, like George W. Bush’s tenure.
SMU will, nonetheless, be recognized among the best of the best of Texas universities, as it joins the University of Texas which houses Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidential Center and Texas A&M University where the Bush ‘41 Library stands. It is an honor to have a presidential library.
The Bush Presidential Center will, no doubt, be a very important one, as it serves future politicians, public servants and bureaucrats. It will, additionally, serve as a reminder never to repeat the countless egregious mistakes of the Bush administration.
David de la Fuente is a junior sociology and political science major. He can be reached for questions or comments at [email protected].
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Faculty thoughts: Ground-breaking brings high-level invitees to SMU
The ground-breaking ceremony hasn’t had any direct impact on me personally, but the high-level invitees present a unique opportunity for SMU, particularly as a few of those individuals will be speaking with students and faculty on campus later in the day. Among these is the former president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe who has recently been named as a Bush Institute Fellow in Human Freedom.
Regardless of one’s individual views of the Bush presidency, the Bush Institute will have a positive effect on SMU and the greater Dallas community. By bringing high-level policy-makers and research opportunities to campus, both students and faculty will benefit.
The Bush Library and Institute will also raise the profile of the University and help to establish it as the leading university in the DFW area.
Of course, there is some concern over a potential partisan bias at the Institute, but there have been similar concerns with other presidential libraries that have largely been unfounded. For balance, SMU might consider a Kanye West Institute of Music next door.
Dr. Chelsea Brown is a professor in political science. She can be reached for comments or questions at
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Admirable president inspires, encourages with Center at SMU
The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Institute will serve as the academic home of freedom’s values and will help propel Southern Methodist University towards the top tier of our nation’s college institutions.
The 43rd president achieved complete domestic security, promoted democratic values abroad and presided over the longest period of growth in our economic history.
Working to solidify the goals of Bush’s presidency, the Institute will promote free societies, open economies, an accountable education system and global health. The results have already begun to speak for themselves, particularly in promoting cyber dissidents and their courageous work domestically and abroad. The Bush Library will attract accomplished research fellows and present employment and research opportunities within the SMU community. Regardless of ideology, the groundbreaking represents a historic moment for our University which will produce quality research and tangible results.
Charles T. McCaslin is a junior political science and history major. He can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].
