Honoring a war criminal in Cayman
Upon overhearing a recent conversation in which it was mentioned that former US President George W. Bush would be speaking in Cayman, I thought to myself that certainly that could not be true. After researching further, I found that he is indeed the keynote speaker at the upcoming Cayman Alternative Investment Summit.
Beyond the obvious dichotomy of having the complacent architect of the 2008 financial meltdown (which was orchestrated and executed by former Goldman Sachs chairman and Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson) come to a country in which the financial meltdown had significant impacts in the lives of ordinary citizens, is that he is a war criminal by all international and domestic measures.
For the organizers to try and attract this criminal is an abomination to the integrity and intelligence of the citizens of this country and the world. I don’t believe they would approve if someone had invited Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei to speak on the inaccuracies of the Jewish Holocaust.
Have we as a society lost all of our moral direction and compass that we just allow war crimes and criminals to just keep on providing public input? Forget the fact that he has not been prosecuted at The Hague; this is merely for the fact that the United States is the only major country to not recognize the International Court (done so under the Bush presidency). How convenient to be torturing people against existing treaties, then to not recognize the courts that are in place to enforce those treaties.
Beyond the war crimes issues, the largest oxymoron shown here is that George W. Bush is the President that presided over and help cause the worst US economy since the Great Depression. He helped the financial giants of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc., create and execute the largest theft of private citizen’s tax money in the history of the Unites States.
This meltdown not only caused the current world depression, but the money was issued with virtually no strings attached and no fiscal responsibility to repay the American citizens, let alone dictate where the money would be used to help revive the economy. And yet, we are going to have him speak on Alternative Investments. At least Richard Branson (the other keynote speaker) has successful businesses. It has been well documented that George W. Bush was handed several family business that he subsequently ran into the ground prior to joining politics.
Let’s take a quick look at the history of President George W. Bush outstanding public serviceto the people of the United States and the international community.
- Gained the Presidency through legal technicalities on the 2000 ballot even though he lost the popular vote. Citizens protested and threw fruit and vegetables at his motorcade on the way to inauguration.
- Reduced the villagence on terrorist group watches by the spying agencies.
- Did not head warnings of 9/11 prior to the event actually occurring (mounting current calls for independent investigation into 9/11 are at a fervor pitch among intellectuals particularly architects and engineers in the US).
- Negotiated with the Taliban prior to 9/11 for an oil pipeline in Afghanistan.
- Reduced and/or removed family planning education in schools that advocated the use of birth control putting millions of young adults at increased chances of pregnancy and disease.
- Conditioned HIV/AIDS monetary assistance to Africa so that abstinence-only education is used. Abstinence-only education in general, and dramatically so in Africa, has been proven to be ineffective in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.
- Approved the use of torture techniques and secret foreign black sites in violation of every major treaty including the Geneva Convention.
- Invaded Iraq under knowingly false pretenses with inaccurate links to al-Qaeda and terrorism as well as WMD’s (Weapons of Mass Destruction). Current authenticated death tolls put the number of innocent civilian casualties to +/- 120,000. (This does not take into account the deaths of civilians that can be attributed to the downstream effects of the Iraqi invasion. Note that the crimes of Saddam Hussein are not forgotten or set aside. He was an equally murderous war criminal, but two wrongs do not make a right as our parents taught us.)
- Destroyed critical infrastructure in Iraq at the behest of major defense contractors and then immediately gave them no-bid contracts to rebuild these items within the first year of the conflict. Current estimates of the confirmed fraud of these companies are over $60 Billion.
- Approved further violations of the Geneva Convention with torture in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
- Enlisted over 18,000 private mercenary security and special ops private contractors with ties to his administration. Did not allow Iraq to prosecute members of the mercenary force that murdered thousands of Iraqi citizens.
- Suspended Habeas Corpus, the prominent basis of the legal workings of the US Constitution, with the Patriot Act during the paranoia after 9/11.
- Approved domestic wiretapping of US Citizens and data mining of all emails and internet sites by installing servers at all major internet providers. All these activities were illegal under US law.
- Approved the fabricated financial crisis in September 2008 months before leaving office. This caused the global depression severely affecting Cayman in particular. It was the largest government subsidy to the financial sector in the history of the US. The world economy is still being depressed by the crisis and its ripple-effect crisis.
- Implemented the worst economic plan that plunged the US budget from surplus at the end of the Clinton presidency, to the largest deficit in history.
- Had a final approval rating of 22% and a disapproval rating of 73% according to Gallup Poll. This represented the worst ever dating back to the start of the poll in the 1920’s
Consider the list above, and please research this on your own and find out for yourself the even further damning effects of Bush’s presidency. Recent history has proved that his actions against terrorists did not stop terrorism but has actually increased anti-American sentiment in the world. Note that the Arab Spring was mostly an uprising against dictatorships that were supported and/or at leasttolerated by the United States. Such dramatically supported militant governments by President Bush are the examples of Bahrain, Tunisia, Yemen, and Egypt.
This is not a conservative vs. liberal issue, nor is it an evangelical Christian vs. secular or Muslim issue. The fact is that this man and his entourage of cronies left over from the equally disastrous Regan years operated the economy and war machines at the behest of his corporate America friends and not for the best of everyday American citizens. The propaganda and media brainwashing, which has now come to light, caused Bush to be elected the second time and as the approval rating above notes, people finally wised up.
What does this all mean to Cayman? Well if you haven’t been paying attention lately, and most mainstream media has not, the international Occupy Movement is real and has not gone away since the major demonstrations of last year around the world. The movement has become more organized and mobilized. The actions can be seen as successful already by being put into the everyday conversations of the ideals of the movement, which include the incomparable shift in inequality in the United States, and the world, under the Bush administration.
This movement includes many people of various religions, ages, and income groups, but is particularly popular among the younger generations (40 and under). These are the next tourists, customers, and investors in the Cayman Islands. By Cayman continuing to guide its policies towards the old world order, it is missing an opportunity to be a global leader and join the movement.
One step to gain credibility is to publicly admonish the Cayman Alternative Investment Forum and object and prohibit people that have knowingly and publicly broken international war crime laws and whose fiscal policies have caused the Global Depression.
We have the opportunity to receive positive international press (are rarity these days) by making this stand instead of all of the negative press we receive almost daily from the ties to Mitt Romney and bad hedge fund administrators. Let’s stand together Cayman and make a stand for the real Christian values that our country and even Bush himself proclaims to defend, and stop the murderous war criminal and financial thief from speaking in our country.
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Category: Viewpoint
In my own umble opinion Gearge Bush was not a "good" president. My own opinion is that any opinion of a Caymanian about our Bush should be taken with a large bag of salt considering what they call leadership here.
George Bush may not have been a good president, but the the republican party and its ideals are one and the same with the Cayman Islands. Lets go Romney,daddy needs that 1% off shore accounts.
Ironic huh?
Ironic yes, but think of it… after the former Republican President urge the U.S. and world into war with Iraqi forces, what followed? A Global Recession! Since then Cayman has never been an expensive place to live and work. So one could argue that Republicans are on the Offshore center's side, seeing they do not want to tax the rich and soft on those who are invading taxes, but to whose benefit? Certainly not to the average Caymanian's benefit who has to struggle with less pay, expensive, and financial burdens, due to a recession that followed a Republican war for oil ! I understand our governments, the UK and local government are as well responsible, but you can't deny thatWAR didn't contribute to the global recession which negatively effected we the people. That is why I wouldn't blame my own Caymanian supporting Obama, because we went through four years of Peace, and I think no one wants to see another four years of War. It doesn't do Cayman any good !
how do you reconcile GWB being a 'murderous war crimial' with Obama's continuing use of drones regularly dropping bombs on innocent families to kill accused, not convicted, 'terrorists' based on questionable gossip more than actual fact.. He's no better than GWB, and Obama was the first president to order a murder-by-drone of an american citizen with no trial etc. Oh, and Gitmo's still open so i guess Obama's going to be sharing a cell with GWB, and won't be welcome at your next house party either
Don’t mistake what the “office of the president” has to do with what the person who is the president has to do. One is run the most powerful nation on earth. The other is get elected.
They hanged people at Nuremberg for waging wars of aggression – i.e. wars that werenot in self-defence. The question that must be asked of Bush and Obama is: did they wage a war of aggression? If the answer is yes, then unless the world has repudiated the Nuremberg Rules, they deserve the same treatment. Isn't that logical?
A smart lawyer might argue that waging a war of aggression does not make a person a "war criminal", because there is no law – at least in Cayman – that uses the term "war criminal". I'm not a lawyer, so I will leave that to the lawyers to thrash out. Good luck, fellows.
Bush may not be a war criminal by U.S. standards and UK standards, but he is to those who lost loved ones because of his profiteering war, and many Americans I know believe he is a war criminal, so there you go! BUSH IS A WAR CRIMINAL… NEVER EVER FORGET IT!
Your "facts" are imaginary or grossly exaggerated. Fact is, George Bush is not a war criminal under either the laws oi your country (whether UK or "Cayman Islands"), or the UN, or any other country other than a couple of Islamic states. It's interesting to note that Obama has continued all of Bush's post-9/11 foreign policies. You can expect more of the same in the future whatever the result of the US election.
It makes you ask the question, just who or what is in control over personalities in power? We see solo what the media (cnn, cbs, nbc, fox, abc, msnbc, etc… ) shows us. Why do we drink from the same well that has stunt the growth of our crops? Who said to us that everything cnn, fox, or cbs show to us or say to us is true? Why do we bless those who kill us and divide us and vote them back in? When will we ever learn that they are about their own interest and not ours? When will we learn to switch these propagandist off and look out for ourselves?
Whao!! Slow done here. Let me explain this thought in an anology. If you make a big mess; are you able to clean it up overnight?. Some mess are irreversible to clean up. In this regard, the mess GWB has left created a big stain and it will take decades to clean up.
actually the meltdown, to the extent caused by lose lending policies, can be traced backed to Billy Clinton, not GWB, It was Bill that forced Fannie Mae and Fanny Mac to lend to people it had no business lending to, and promoted home ownership (not a bad idea) as a way out of poverty, even if people have no money to for it back (bad idea.) So you're right it takes decades to clean up messes like this, but you're wrong whose mess it is.
I do not think Clinton helped George W. Bush to conjure up lies in order to sell a war plan to commit large scale atrocities. Look at the "star power" Clinton still has compared with that of Bush which is zilch. Enough said!!!
The financial meltdown happened in the year 2008; during George's Bush second term in office. Therefore the meltdown happened on George Bush's watch. He was so busy creating fear of "military terrorism" that he forgot to pay attention to the "financial terrorism" occurring on Wall Street.
We should be thankful to George W. Bush; for giving America its first black president-Obama. Evidently the majority of Americans desperately needed change and voted for someone who was obviously nothing like a "George W. Bush".
Ironic – we will have George “Dubbya”, and ” McKeewa” , BUSH, together on the island – wonder if, in the context of intellectual capacity, there is anything in a name.
Commonality of name and commonality of intellect: Both names notorious and both intellects ZERO. I understand both like a drink too.
I see nothing wrong with former president George W. Bush coming to Cayman. Even if he is a dumb-ass he has every right to travel where he is invited. Or welcome. And that's not many places. All the neo-conservatives can listen to him talk about something he knows little about. After all that's why they voted for him it will be a fun evening. With a right-wing fiesta/comedycentral theme. So don't worry. They have to pay a lot to listen to that bozo. You don't.
Excellent idea; Americans should strip him of this reputable title; one he never earned or deserved. A "bozo" coming to town is very fitting.
"They have to pay alot…"
Tax-Payer's money here maybe???
No!!! George W. Bush is "Not Welcomed!!!"; as he is still answerable for all the bad things that he has done.
I tend to agree. His US foreign policies divided the world on racial and religious grounds. The world is still mending, thanks to the current administration's diplomatic endeavors.
You are right. If you were a "white" "christian" you were viewed more favorably.
Abolutely. The Cayman Island's financial ranking in the world is steadily declining; GWB appearance will not matter.
Untrue. This is not about protecting our financial image, this is about standing up for what is right and just. George W. Bush is not welcome on our shores.
"protecting our financial image", lol, im sorry, haha, you really think the Cayman Islands has any type of credability as far as "financial image"? The Cayman Islands is a joke, it dances to the sound of loop holes and will always be associated with Bush types. Look around,lawyers, bankers,tax evaders, fraudsters and politicians dominate here. And, they are directly to blame for the quality of life most of us enjoy. By all means we have the right to speak our two cents , but please know the system you suck from.
The world opinion says it all about George W. Bush. His welcome is never without protest from countries he tries to visit. He is an embarassment and an unsuitable ambassador for the people of the United States. He represents a "failed leader" and should be treated as one.
George W. Bush did not cause this Financial meltdown. Its those greedy Investors on wall Street and the EU, who wanted to become bigger than the USA Economy. Don't blame Mr. Bush for protecting American soil and its people, blame the terriorist, who came on Sept. 11th to destroy Innocent people. I think you have been listening to too much Obama. When Bush left the WH the USA deficit was 3bio, Obama after 3 1/2 years has the deficit at 6bio and counting. He is taxing his people more than ever and expanding the Government bigger and bigger. Please be careful whom you are accusing. President George W. Bush is a Christian and I think you hate Christianity! Welcome to Cayman Mr. George W. Bush.
Obama killed Bin Laden, I guess he must be a war hero!
Gee, I thought it was Team 6 of the US Navy. Didn't see Mr. Obama in a snorkle mask.
That's because they hve been reading from the George W. Bush history books.
and the mission had been in the works for over 10 years based on small clues that ultimately lead to that compound – neither bush nor obama had anything to do with the mission or the killing of Bin Laden, it would have happened no matter who had been president when they finally got enough info, planning and prepartation to go. Ask yourself if you would be so ready to give credit if McCain/Palin were in the white house when it happened or would you say – correctly- they had nothing to do with it.
I beg to differ. Under Bush's administration, wholesale deregulation plagued the US Financial industry; hence the meltdown.
Unfortunately some still think that terrorism started on 9/11 and ended after the death of Saddam and Osama.Ufortunately terrorism is as an ideology; and as such, ideologies never die. Something GWB never accept.
We learn something… And seeing that it was an ideology, what efforts were made by the wealthy elite to educate and change these people's ideology??? None… rather, the people were regarded as mere mortals, and they lobbied and rallied together the American house and politicians to declared a dreadful war, killing thousands of innocent civilians just to satisfy their own new-world ideologies and special interest. And this was more about puppet Bush, and about the oil giants that plague the world and its environment today. This was an act of counter-terrorism against life, and it is not over. The elites are plotting as we speck to kill and destroy innocent women and children in Iran because one ideology is against another one.
You seem to be defending Bush's approach of counter terrorism with "military might". OK, but look where it has brought us today. Are we any safer? Some might argue that they are,and if so at what cost? Not a great traveller to the US but heard of the humiliating scrutiny one has to endure at immigration border contol.
Are you also aware that US homeland security cost the American tax payers dearly for "Big Brother" to "watch" over them. At the same token, its amazing how "terrorist" find the most economical way to impose destruction.
Terrorism is a battle tactic. The US is 'at war' with a battle tactic….
one cannot forget before 9-11, many Americans were happily and willing financially supporting terrorism, giving money to the provisional IRA enabling to buy the guns and build the explosives to blow up children filled shopping centres.
so hypocritical
It is all about labels. The "freedom-fighters" in Syria and the "insurgents" in Iraq and Afghanistan have little difference other than the West supports one group and opposes the others.
The ignorance abound regarding international issues never fails to amaze me … just read some of these posts – my goodness!
Hint: If you regard 9/11 as a random and or starting point of transglobal conflict and terror then you really have no place in this discussion – and this is more than just a personal opinion.
The only way I can begin to understand any of the activities of world leaders and former leaders including Cayman's own Bush is to comprehend it as a cartoon Whodatis. Intelligent people, and there are many have to view it in such a way for it to make any sense at all. For instance: as most thinking people realize there have been nothing but clowns and puppets as presidents for the U.S. Beginning with Reagan, the king of de-regulation, Obama was seen for awhile as the second coming and I remember well the tears of joy when he was elected. It did not take long for him to back off on every promise. Guantanamo is still an eyesore, the war in Afghnistan goes on, and there are no regulations in place to preventanother pilferring of the U.S. economy by Wall Street corporations the mainstream media is controlled by the same and the alternative in the next election is Mitt Romney. Need I say more?? The terrible irony is we still believe in free elections. But our choices are filtered and the candidates vetted by the people in charge and it isn't us. George W. Bush is by any crtieria you wish to choose a war criminal, yet he is still on the world stage, which happens to be our stage as well. Obama can sign off on the indefinite detention of American citizens, which he did recently, and people figthing illegal occupation of their lands are termed terrorists. Anyone at all, it seems, who dares to protest against the status quo of big business and the war machine is also a terrorist. This,unfortunately, is not a cartoon.- it is our world. We need to understand that and turn the channel stop, talking amongst ourselves and take a stand. We want adults as leaders. And, if they are not offered up refuse to support any of them. Witholding your vote is only alternative I see. Don't waste it for it's all you have. What would they do then? If we didn't vote. Because the way it appears now is that we chose them and therefore we must follow them. No. WE LEAD.
And if we lead, HOW do we lead is the question. And what do we do with these powerful elites that are running this whole showbang to control and sap our life and the lives of our children!? No force on earth can go away them – for they have more powerful artillery and standing armies to comply with their commands. HOW do we lead is the question? Or, a better question, HOW do "I" lead? Because at the end of the day, only "you" can decide to stop relying on the government,elite people, and man-made systems for your happiness and peace of mind. Only "you" can be naturally you, and make a world of difference without reacting to societal controls and standards to bog you down. You want change and to lead? Change must come from within! And only when you have won the victory over "self", ego, or negative qualities, only when you stop looking and comparing yourself with other people, only when you worry not what the politician do who is ensnared by his own karma, is when you will be able to lead, because whatever is lite from the inside, shines outwardly to the world. The political world my friend will never change for the better – seek no redemption in it. Comments made here is back and forth, tiresome on one person against another person and vice versa… there is no rest for these commenters, always one political news stirs them up to chat on another political news. What are they all stirred up about, but they have personalized everything. They say within themselves if so and so in power do this or that we would not be suffering now; or, if he only does this, we will be a better place. They go on andon, hoping to find a savior of society. But whilst they focused and drain so much energy on "them", they forget about themselves. My advise: Stop attacking politicians and start attacking your "self" and changing it for the better. Politicians will come and go, and earth will not be around forever… mark my words. The end will come! So start looking out for you and love people as much as you can. Let "government" be "you"! Make a difference before you die and stop wasting time chasing and hoping in fools, decieving no one else but yourself.
Peace
Very interesting post.
Your summation of the "democratic" reality in the bigger countries is spot on and what we must be wary of is the gradual integration of such a system within our own society.
For example, is a certain active, super-wealthy, mega-conglomerate slowly but patiently waiting to become our version of a Federal Reserve / central bank / invisible "lobbyist"?
Will we too become a society where it matters not on what side of the ballot box we tick? Has it already happened?
Democracy is not much more than a faded joke today, but sadly far too many people fail to see it. Either that or they are blinded by pride.
However, I do take some comfort in the fact that, due to the (relative) infancy stage of our situation, one is still able to identify the players and potential pitfalls therein.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated.
You can like him, or hate him (I tend towards the latter, bumbling incompetent alcoholic with a Napolean complex that he is), but the fact is, we live in a free democracy, and he can come here, people can listen to him should they so choose, or not, should they so choose. So it does not really matter what you think, particularly as he is no longer a leader. You just make your own choice about whether to listen.
You can even protest if you so wish (subject to whatever Cayman laws state about peaceful protest), hold signs showing disapproval, if there were enough people doing so, he would probably decide never to come here again. You are free!!
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Iraq war (initially I agreed with it to spare the Iraqi people from a mad man, subsequently not as a result of the obvious corruption, lies and fraud ), it did free the Iraqi people to make their own future, or mistakes. Just as it did in Libya. Just as the Tunisians and Egyptians did for themselves and now we have to watch and see how they deal with it. They now have the same choices that you do, and the same ability to protest, or agree.
In other times, they would have been shot for writing such thoughts..
Now there just has to be a joke out there about Two Bushes in Cayman. I can"t think of it yet, but it will come!
"Concerned Caymanian" (yeah right???), you talk about "war criminal"? What youshould talk about are the terrorists that walk amongst us. They are far more dangerous to society & yourself than former President G.W. Bush. I thank GOD every morning & every night that America (I'm proudly not American) had G.W. Bush as president at the time of the 9/11 attacks & after because he has made the world a safer place. I know that you & your liberal friends support the rights of terrorists being "free" to go around & blow up innocent people in the thousands without retaliation, but if you would take off your liberal tinted shades for a second & realise that it was evil terrorists that attacked America on 9/11 & the American president had every right to defend his people & track down the people responsible for such an evil act (I ask GOD to forgive you for defending their right to do such an evil thing, it would appear). Bush said at the time that "the war" was started by the terrorists, but it would "end in a way & time of America's choosing" & I support him 100% for his right to "retaliate & defend."
"Concerned Caymanian" (yeah right), I have mercy on you, but I know that if the day ever came that those same wicked & evil terrorists used suicide bombers in the name of their religion to blow up innocent people that included a family member of yours you would think differently, & you would understand the fight that we all, including president Bush, are up against. We have seen nothing yet, & don't ever think that Cayman, beautiful, peaceful Cayman, is immune from their evil ways. "All infidels must die" & if you or any of your family are infidels then just maybe one day sooner than you or I hope you would beg for someone like president Bush to be around to help, because if there was ever one person that bravely stood up to the terrorists & terrorism it was G.W. Bush, & quite honestly we need more leaders like him. Not "war criminals" like you & your liberal friends falsly refer to him, but a brave defender of his people, & the world in general. Say what you want in reply, but if you remove your liberal tinted shades you know it's true. The world is a safer place because Bush took on the terrorists, & the world is a much more dangerous place now that we have no one to stand up to the ever increasing danger of the radical terrorists, whose sole purpose in life is to destroy YOU, me & EVERY person who does not believe in their GOD. How can you defend this? How can you defend such evil acts? Bush defended what is his, Bush defended his people because America was attacked. I hope that it does not take an evil act of terrorism "to kill all infidels" for you to see the danger you support. You seem to support a terrorists 'right' to kill rather than Bush's 'right' to defend his people & RETALIATE! Why do you criticize Bush yet say nothing about the EVIL acts of terrorism which caused Bush to act? I simply do not understand.
sorry, I was referring to "Concerned Citizen" not "Concerned Caymanian" but the message is the same!
What do youn think caused the terroroism
And what the hell did Iraq have to do with international terrorism.
Try changing the channel.
ter·ror·ism
[ter–uh-riz-uhm]
With respect, you arre missing the point. Yes, regime-change was effected in Iraq. But this was not the reason that we were taken into that war. We went for 2 reasons; becasue we were told Saddam had WMD and we were told he was ionvolved in 9/11. We now know that Bush knew full well that both of these things were untrue. he lied and hundreds of thousands of people died as a result. There are now witnesses and documents which show this very clearly. He should be tried for war crimes at the Hague for this (along with Blair, Cheney, Rumsfeld and possibly Rice).
Come on now, everyone is entitled to their opinion about G. W. Bush, and this poster is no exception. It does not mean I agree with the posters points. What I find hard to understand, so long after the events of his presidency, is why there is still so much energy devoted to this interlectual light weight. The guy is a has-been. He was a useless president, and left the USA in a far worse mess than when he arrived. BUT, its all history. You can't change what happened. You cannot erase the past. It is time to concentrate on the here and now, and the future. Neither of which GWB has any sway over. This article is about five years too late in being written.
because he has yet to face the charges
My favourite George Bush Jokes
Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and George W. Bush were set to face a firing squad in a small Central American country. Bill Clinton was the first one placed against the wall and just before the order was given he yelled out, "Earthquake!" The firing squad fell into a panic and Bill jumped over the wall and escaped in the confusion.
Al Gore was the second one placed against the wall. The squad was reassembled and Al pondered what he had just witnessed. Again before the order was given Al yelled out, "Tornado!" Again the squad fell apart and Al slipped over the wall.
The last person, George W. Bush, was placed against the wall. He was thinking, "I see the pattern here, just scream out something about a disaster and hop over the wall." He confidently refused the blindfold as the firing squad was reassembled. As the rifles were raised in his direction he grinned from ear to ear and yelled, "Fire!"
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While visiting England, George Bush is invited to tea with the Queen. He asks her what her leadership philosophy is. She says that it is to surround herself with intelligent people. He asks how she knows if they're intelligent. "I do so by asking them the right questions," says the Queen. "Allow me to demonstrate."
She phones Tony Blair and says, "Mr. Prime Minister. Please answer this question: Your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or sister. Who is it?" Tony Blair responds ,"It's me, ma'am."
"Correct. Thank you and good-bye, sir," says the Queen. She hangs up and says, "Did you get that, Mr. Bush?"
"Yes ma'am. Thanks a lot. I'll definitely be using that!"
Upon returning to Washington, he decides he'd better put the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the test. He summons Jesse Helms to the White House and says, "Senator Helms, I wonder if you can answer a question for me."
"Why, of course, sir. What's on your mind?"
"Uhh, your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"
Helms hems and haws and finally asks, "Can I think about it and get back to you?"
Bush agrees, and Helms leaves. Helms immediately calls a meeting of other senior Republican senators, and they puzzle over the question for several hours, but nobody can come up with an answer. Finally, in desperation, Helms calls Colin Powell at the State Department and explains his problem.
"Now lookee here, son, your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"
Powell answers immediately, "It's me, of course, you dumb cracker."
Much relieved, Helms rushes back to the White House and exclaims, "I know the answer, sir! I know who it is! It's Colin Powell!"
And Bush replies in disgust, "Wrong, you dumb shit, it's Tony Blair!"
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In a Veteran's Day speech, President Bush vowed, 'We will finish the mission. Period.' Afterwards, he was advised he doesn't have to read the punctuation marks.
i cannot believe the horrid comments against president george w. bush by the readers of cns very sad state of affairs for cayman…………shame on them…. did not know they were so left sided with their heads in the sad about reality and politics……
if Jesus was alive today the Republicans would label him a "leftist", a socialist or even a communist.
Listen to the things he said, like the Meek inheriting the earth or Luke 14.13, when you feast invite the poor, etc and you will be blessed.
I was watching Fox news last night and they were even calling Sesame Street leftwing propaganda for teaching kids to share with each other.
It is the writer's opinion (one which i mostly agree with), however you are free to write a response that bathes Bush in a radiant glow with a halo over his head if you wish, if you can find many good things to say about him while also considering the atroscities of the Iraq war (while Osama bin Laden was in Afghanistan or Pakistan).
Found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq yet?
Now it is easy now to decry the flawed idea that Iraq had WMD but I for one and a great many others were convinced that Iraq had WMD and had used them on their own population of Kurds.
And how did Iraq get those WMD's? Hint, they were given to Iraq by the US Center for Disease Control in Atlanta to use on the Iranians!
It is a free country, not everyone has to agree with you! Nor you with them!
Thank you for this Article
Interesting how those who are defending the Iraqi Invasion by U.S. forces, are defending the Turks and Caicos arbitrary takeover by the U.K. forces. "FORCE" is to these well-off few in Cayman society, the solution to every problem. And that is why the world will never be a better place. The powers that be want to shape the world into their own image- the image of the beast.
But wait Star, how you know its the same people defending the same thing? You got Physic powers or wa? Crawl the hell back under your rock and don't come out for another 4 years and 26 days!
No worries… there will be a day when karma will befall those who have done harm to other human beings. Whatever that was sowed in life, you will reap. It will come back to you. That is certain.
As for people purporting that it is Christian to fight in a war, fund a war, or indirectly participate in a war, the Bible plainly declares that "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickednessin high places." – Ephesians 6:12. It also declares that Christ Kingdom is not of this world and in Matthew 26:52, Jesus even went as far from preventing his arrest when Peter took out a sword to defend him, "for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Those statemen who claim that men and women should fight in battle for their country and that it is God's will, should not call themselves Christians. And those who participate in the evil deed should not think that it is God's will to kill another human being. Most of the wars are started by elite verus elite individuals in power. Rather, Christian people are to serve God and fight a "spiritual battle" of proclaiming the gospel and messages of love to the world. You can not claim you are a Christian and participate in the military to harm and kill innocent civilians. That is what happened in Iraq where over a hundred thousand civilians died from war related injuries.
Hence, anyone claiming that George Bush is a Christian, don't know what the word Christian really means.
cow itch cant wear shoes (:))>)
CONCERNED CITIZEN, you also have to acknowledge the FACT that Barak Obama, the President NOW, was a former employee for Goldman Sachs. Both Democrats and Republicans have their strings pulled by the elite. The ordinary American people are caught in electing them every four years. So let us set the record straight – this is not all about BUSH and ONE PARTY!
Bishop Desmond Tutu is a man of God,a noble peace prize winner,honorable African and a person of outstanding morals/ethics,that says it all…………………….Bush should be handcuffed on his arrival at the Owen Roberts International airport and immediately transported to the ICC or better yet , to a well secured lock up in a Middle East country,where justice would be rightly served for his ciminal activity against humanity!
Was not Danny Glover a Keynote speaker for some function in Cayman?
This is a man that outwardly praises & supports Chavez and went so far as to attend Chavez casting his vote in Venezuela.
Chavez vs George W Bush. There is no comparison and anyone with a fair and sound mind will agree that GWB is a "Saint" compared to Chavez and anyone who will attend any event to show support of this Dictator should not be allowed to deliver any speach in Cayman if GWB is not allowed to do so – SIMPLE!
Are you kidding me?!?
Lets reviews these individuals briefly:
George W Bush lead the USA to invade Iraq – with protest from most of the rest of the world and UN Security Council – and used false justification which they knew to be false – and as a result more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been murdered, in addition to thousands of soldiers that have died. Iraq is an ongoing violent disaster. Life was far better for most Iraqi's under Sadam – versus what they US has left them with.
And American got worse for 90% of Americans under his leadership.
Chavez has kicked out foreigners who were milking his country and not giving much in return (those running the oil companies etc), and upset some rich Venezuelans by taking thier land and wealth/businesses – in order to run a very successful (yes flawed, but still successful) redistribution program. That is taking from the rich and giving to the poor. This includes much improved access to education and health care for Venezuelans. He also has been very charitable to his neighbors in the Caribbean giving much aide to for example Haiti. He just got re-elected with a 54% majority and 80% turnout. Most Venezuelans are happy with him. Who are we to interfer?
DUH!!! Anon 18:17, "most Venezuelans are happy with him (Chavez)" because if they are "not happy with him" or oppose him they are DEAD! Get it?
Stiff-Necked Fool: watch The Revolution Will Not Be Televised- YouTube and don't believe everything you hear on the news.
This article is absolutely disgusting.
You have a problem man, you are much too liberal and Jihadist. George W. Bush is a very honourable man and should be treated with the respect he deserves. You are someone I don't think we need in our Community. You have a big big problem and you needs to take that elswhere. I think your problem with Mr. Bush's is his Christian values.
I am not the original viewpoint poster, but have no respect for Mr Bush's so-called Christian values – neither the Mr Bush who is the topic of this viewpoint, nor the one who resides here as Premier right now. In fact, when it comes to GWB in many ways, I find myself in agreement with the poster of this viewpoint, and it is what it is – his or her view, which we are all entitled to. Nor do I think, you have a right to dictate (another Bush trait) who has a right to be in our community or not.
This is by far the most misinformed article ever written on CNS. It so radical its like a Madow, Alex Jones rant. I almost expected you to say that Bush is a Reptilian Shapeshifter ( David Icke).
Since you are so certain that the the article is untrue, would you do all of us a favour and give us the "true" version of events? and identify the lies!
I think enough time has been wasted on this drivel. No one said the facts are wrong just the interperation cleary shows gross bias. Hopefully no one takes this article seriously. If they did they would be dumber for treating this a serious work.
No one in Cayman is qualified or has the right to bash another (former) leader of another country when we have the biggest laughing stock, uneducated bully, and most embarrasing leader ever and a whole posse of lame brained do-nothings in our own government.
bash them yes! all corrupt and pitiful people all of them!
you kill one and you go to jail for life. You kill 100,000 and you are a guess speaker in Cayman…go figure…
……..but terrorists have the right to go around blowing up innocent people in the name of their God? Where is your thinking man? If I kill someone, because he does not believe in my God is that right? If I kill thousands because they do not believe in my God is that ok? The 2 justified wars by Bush, fighting against the terrorists who attacked his country & people, did not kill 100,000 people, no where near that. But terrorists have murdered millions of innocent souls in the name of religion. Terrorist dictators have murdered millions of innocent souls, including their ownpeople if they have opposed them. The world is a better & safer place without them. Please bring war hero & defender of justice President George W. Bush to Cayman so just maybe I can congratulate him, and thank him because I sleep better at night knowing that he singlehandedly put a very small dent in the terrorists operation by getting rid of some of their leaders. The killing of innocent people by terrorists will never be wiped out in this life, but I thank God for President Bush's efforts in the fight on terrorism. I support Bush's fight against terrorism over a terrorists right to blow me up because I do not share his beliefs!
Bush invaded *Afghanistan* to get Osama/ go after the terrorists / Taliban
I realise Iraq and Afghanistan are probably one in the same to you – but they are indeed different my friend – and they are two seperate wars waged bythe USA under Bush.
Iraq justification was to remove Sadam because he supposedly had weapons of mass destruction – which all inteligence that Bush (and Blair) had access to showed to be false (the public was not aware of that inteligence at the time, but still many key agencies doubted that Iraq had WMD) –
over 100,000 Iraqis have indeed been violently killed since 2003 in the war started by GW.
If any one person is responsible for their deaths it is GW – followed closely by Blair.
Killing innocent civilians in retaliation for the murder of your own people is NEVER justifiable.
Bush went into Afghanistan to get Bin Laden because he was behind the 9/11 attacks & many other cowardly terrorist attacks on the U.S. & American citizens around the world, & that was a very justified war.
Obviously you will never be convinced but it is very obvious that there were WMD's in Iran, otherwise Saadam would have allowed the inspectors in immediately. Are you so dumb, naive & blind that you can't see that? For God's sake, the weak United Nations gave Saadam 8 deadlines to allow in their inspectors, which of course he did not keep, & they did nothing about it! Why do you think Saadam refused to allow them in to inspect? DUH! Bush gave him 3, & when he continued to play around & thumb his nose at the world Bush eventually decided it was time to treat Saadam like he has treated millions of his own people, it was time to invade Iraq to get rid of the evil dictator. Bush quite rightly felt that it was better to go & fight the evil over there BEFORE they came to America's shores & fight America on American shores.
I find this a waste of time because it is obvious that we will never agree, but quite honestly I prefer to support the fight AGAINST terrorism instead of supporting the fight for terrorism. Simply put, I support RIGHT over WRONG, & no one can ever convince me that terrorism is right, & that the support of terrorism is right, & I don't care which God they profess to do it in the name of! Of that we will ALWAYS disagree!
You are utterly amazing!
But not in a good way …
And… nine members of the Bin Laden family were not flown out of the United States on orders of the Bush administration directly following 9/11?? And… the Bin Laden's did not invest in George Bush Jr.'s oil company Arubusto?? And there are absolutely no financial connections between the Bin Laden family and the Bush family?? And the Saudis had nothing to do with 9/11 even though each hijacker was from Saudi Arabia?? Why do you think he looked so stunned when reading My Little Goat? He was thinking to himself: They did it!!! The Saudis!! So he flew directly to….not Washington….not New York. His father's ranch. Where they discussed who he could possibly blame. Iraq!!!! "They got the oil son."
A first class article; even Michael Moore will be impressed. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie "Capitalism a love story"
lol… wow… so much rich republicans on this site, thumbings every comment that makes sense! cayman, your full of em
That's it I'm outta here. I can just about stand one incoherent Bush; but two; this is unbearable.
An excellent well written article. Kudos to the author; what a "brilliant mind", and about George W. Bush; well, never mind….
Has it been confirmed if this is a live speech or will it be teleconferenced? I think this needs clarification.
If he's actually travelling to Cayman for a live speech, I can't imagine the security required.
Why? Bill Clinton recently travelled here.
Excellent submission.
You couldn't pay me to attend this "summit".
If I am to show respect and spend money to hear someone speak, it has to be an individual that has shown himself to be smarter, wiser or nobler than myself.
GWB fails on all counts.
(Feel free to interpret that in your own cute little ways.)
Nevertheless, as was the case when his fellow war criminal buddy arrived (Tony Blair), we will see the usual run-of-the-mill supposed "high society" individuals lining up to have their photo taken with His Royal Daftness.
Not sure whether to laugh at or pity them.
* Richard Branson is at least an individual that one could respect and look up to for a number of reasons … unlike you-know-who.
** What irks me the most is that these hostings are being held in the name of "Cayman". Once again the authentic nature of this community has been hijacked and replaced with some soul-less, hollow 'front' that could not misrepresent it more if they tried.
WOW This person does not like this guy at all.
Well unfortunately opinions are like some special body part, each of us has one and unfortunately or fortunately all is does is produce a lot of crap.
To me while I am not exactly Mr Bush biggest fan I am no where near as misguided, dilussional or extremist as you are.
I got 2 words for you – GET THERAPY!!
Dred, you may hate the poster, but what he says is expressed by millions upon millions of people. This man spearheaded a campaign that killed over 100,000, i.e., one hundred thousand Iraqi civilians that was not reported by the news media in the United States, and all this for OIL with no evidence of weapons of mass destruction. I don't blame them one bit for disliking the man. Sorry Dred
Amen.
I only have one complaint regarding your post.
Wasn't the number of innocent civilians killed during the quest-for-oil, illegal invasion of Iraq closer to 600,000?
Apart from that, I could not agree with you more.
*Interesting how today CNN can't show enough bloodied and dismembered women and children in the war-torn streets of Syria isn't it? Contrast that to the media coverage of the US/UK led invasion of Iraq. It is all a political game, and sadly the majority of the masses fail to understand the rules.
So which number are you taking as real…AP 110,600 or a figure you pulled out of nowhere.
Let's also remember many Iraqis wanted the war. They were living in hell. They were being raped at will, killed at will by their own government.
Now this is opposed to Japan which were not rising up against their governemt. Their government made the calls they did.
Look we could go at this forever. You just have a tick up you know where for the man. I am just saying you should sit there at go at this man and not at the others who do far worse.
The man is no angel but thre are far worse out there and I do not see you saying anything about them.
Become a man and get over it.
The 600,000 figure is the one most quoted by independent, (non-western) entities of today.
The fact remains that Iraq had no WMD's, GWB and Blair clearly knew this to be the case, yet lied and contravened international treaties and policies in order to wage an illegal war, i.e. war crimes.
You see, they were happy to use the deliberate miseducation of patriotic, emotional western Christians as a catalyst of justification for their cleverly concocted evil (yes, evil) little plan. Unfortuantely for them, I am one of the few (although our numbers have dramatically increased in the years since) that saw through their little game of smoke and mirrors from the very beginning.
I clearly recall GWB's deliberate attempts at blurring the lines regarding 9/11 / Al Qaida / Iraq / Taliban / Saddam Hussein etc. (To this day most westerners are unable to distinguish between these entities.)
For those reasons I refuse to support the arrival of GWB to my country and by no means will I be financially supporting such a disgusting excuse of a human being.
In respect to the bad things that other world leaders have done and continue to do … that is IRRELEVANT to this discussion, Dred.
The individual in question that is coming to Cayman is George W. Bush!
Therefore, the discussion is focused squarely on him … not, Robert Mugabe or some other person.
Anyway, I think the best thing for us to do is agree to disagree on this issue. You are someone that I tend to agree and support here on CNS but it is clear that we are inherently opposed on this particular topic – and that's okay.
Take care.
Let me let you all in on a news flash….
Politicians lie…..
Politicians steal…..
Politicians cheat (on everything including their wives)….
Politicians issue orders that takes the lives of people directly and indirectly….
For some it ages them well beyond their years…..
For others they could careless…..
These are facts and I believe they are all but undisputable.
GET OVER IT……
If you do not want to go see him it's is YOUR CHOICE. That's it. End of story. Everyone has their opinion.
One US President order the bombs on Nagasaki and Heroshima which killed over 100,000 people in the blink of an eye. Destroyed homes, families men, women and innocent children. Hitler ordered the death of thousands of Jews. In Africa every day thousands die at the hands of millitaries and rebels.
Fact is we are living in a #$#$ed up world. Somehow we must simply get passed it.
Ok Dred,
I am in agreement with much of what you have said so it is hardly a "news flash".
However, I am curious to know how hosting a reception and paying big money to see what is clearly one of the most despicable and failed examples of a respectable world leader will contribute to us getting "passed it"?
GWB has absolutely nothing to contribute to right-thinking and properly informed individuals of this world.
However, if one is of a shallow complexion and is unable to decipher world issues for one's self, then by all means … go and take a photo with the war criminal.
Question: Would you take a photo with the one individual you referred to by name in your post?
Think about it.
NO. I would not but as ai said opinions are like a@@holes everyone has one and in fact many I know seem to have two becasuse they simply produce so much crap.
All I am saying is this:
1) It is easy for you to sit back with HINDSIGHT and judge someone for what they did or did not do.
2) The policies he used has been used so many times it's not funny.
3) Lying to the world and their people is one of the EXPECTED trates of all presidents and leaders
4) Why single him out? I am sure Bill Clinton did a few things wrong also and I have yet to hear anyone screaming about him.
Look I am not Republic or Democrat in fact I liked Bill a lot especially during the Monika scandal. "I did not have se#ual relations…." I mean that is the line of the century right there. He out and out lied about the matter and with all due respect we probably said inside "you go bill get your grove on".
Bush was never a "likable" president and neither was pappa Bush either.
All I am saying is YES he was not great. YES he probably should have done some things different BUT LET IT GO. It's him that has to make piece with his maker not you.
If he was still in a relevant I would say GO FOR IT but he isn't so just move past it.
If you want to go CRUCIFY someone go after the president who dropped the Nuclear Bombs on Japan. He DIRECTLY killed over 100,000 men, women and children. Go after HITLER who DIRECTLY killed thousands of Jews. Go after the African Millitaries and Rebels who kills DAILY hundred to thousands of people and rape women in front of their children. Go after the governments of the world like Suddam Husien who lived in mansions laiden in gold while his people died on the street of starvation. Go after Syria who is sanctioning murdering their own people in cold blood in the street. Go after Iran who did the same as the world watched. Go after Libya, hell why be specific how about the whole middle east for that matter. Isreal is no angle neither is Lebanon. NONE of them are.
Go after our government who allows 20,000 plus permits annually when thousands need jobs and can't feed their children or pay their mortgage.
We need look no further than Hugo Chaves to see a dictator who lives the life while his people die around him. Openly rigging elections, threatening politicians and watching idly by as his followers makes attempts on his rivals lives.
What we live in is a wicked and cruel world. As bad as you think Bush is he is an angel beside many of our leaders today.
This is all I am saying. I know he is no angel and Lord forbid I make anyone think that but that huge writeup is a pathetic person's plea. He/she needs a life. There is plenty of evil in this world and this man went after someone who's policies were bad when some of our leaders DIRECTLY condem people to death for speaking out against the leaders which to me is FAR WORSE than what Mr Bush has done.
So go preech about something solid and real and stop hitting after someone who made bad decisions but did nothing that I can see in an evil way. Misguided yes, Not so intelligent yes. But Evil I don't think so.
So Dred, you are suggesting that the Jews should "get over" Hitler and the millions of women and children that were killed by his war machines? You need to think before you post anything on this site… now it looks like you want to shut people up for telling what is history and factual. You need to wake up, man! And please stop attacking whodatis, because whenever he talks history, we know he is not making up nonsense.
I am honestly confused.
Was your post meant to be a reply to mine or was it a 'mis-click' of the thumb?
I say that because there is something seemingly amiss between our posts … as if one of us has a personal vendetta against the other.
Very odd.
Just what we need . Another village idiot named bush.
And he will get about $100,000.00 for his speech.
And a condo at the Ritz?
the biggest joke in this is that Bush has nothing to say about finincial matters of substance. It has nothing to do with politics. Liberal and conservatives with any sense know this. He is an intellectual lightweight. Does anyone really think he has some great wisdom to share about economic matters? What a joke.
Perhaps we should get Sarah Palin to speak at the big science conference coming up as well.
I share the author’s sentiments, but I recognize that here in Cayman we are completely blinded by our love and worship of everything American, so it’s certainly no surprise to see negative comments on this story. It’s only defamatory if its untrue and I think that, unless your only media resource is CNN, everyone knows what the true position is or at least can verify for themselves the contents of this story, if they chose to.
But, I have to agree that we should certainly spend more time right now worrying about our own bad Bush and what he is saying and doing rather than what this other obviously blithering buffoon will say to encourage (or discourage, rather) investment in Cayman. There certainly are many similarities between the two Bushes, one of them being the ability to use the bible to incite hatred of anyone that oppose them.
"Have we as a society lost all of our moral direction and compas…"
Yup.
I am planning to attend and i am also planning to take an extra pair of size 12 shoes,i have been working out lately and my right hand is in great shape.
Have fun with the secret service guys, have they stopped by the house yet?
Unfortunately Cayman exists in an intellectual vacuum dominated by neo-conservatives, so this opinion piece is shocking to many. This view expressed in this piece is a very normal view of George W Bush to most educated and informed people across the globe.
Desmond Tutu calls for Bush and Blair to be tried over Iraq.
2nd September 2012 – BBC
Tony Blair and George W Bush should be taken to the International Criminal Court in The Hague over the Iraq war, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said.
Writing in the UK's Observer newspaper, he accused the former leaders of lying about weapons of mass destruction.
The Iraq military campaign had made the world more unstable "than any other conflict in history", he said.
Mr Blair responded by saying "this is the same argument we have had many times with nothing new to say".
'Playground bullies'
Earlier this week, Archbishop Tutu, a veteran peace campaigner who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 in recognition of his campaign against apartheid, pulled out of a leadership summit in Johannesburg because he refused to share a platform with Mr Blair.
The former Archbishop of Cape Town said the US- and UK-led action launched against Saddam's regime in 2003 had brought about conditions for the civil war in Syria and a possible Middle East conflict involving Iran.
"The then leaders of the United States [Mr Bush] and Great Britain [Mr Blair] fabricated the grounds to behave like playground bullies and drive us further apart. They have driven us to the edge of a precipice where we now stand – with the spectre of Syria and Iran before us," he said.
He added: "The question is not whether Saddam Hussein was good or bad or how many of his people he massacred. The point is that Mr Bush and Mr Blair should not have allowed themselves to stoop to his immoral level."
“Start Quote
Tony Blair
Archbishop Tutu said the death toll as a result of military action in Iraq since 2003 was grounds for Mr Blair and Mr Bush to be tried in The Hague.
But he said different standards appeared to be applied to Western leaders.
He said: "On these grounds, alone, in a consistent world, those responsible should be treading the same path as some of their African and Asian peers who have been made to answer for their actions in The Hague."
In response to Sunday's article, Mr Blair issued a strongly worded defence of his decisions.
He said: "To repeat the old canard that we lied about the intelligence [on weapons of mass destruction] is completely wrong as every single independent analysis of the evidence has shown.
'Chemical weapons'
"And to say that the fact that Saddam massacred hundreds of thousands of his citizens is irrelevant to the morality of removing him is bizarre.
"We have just had the memorials both of the Halabja massacre, where thousands of people were murdered in one day by Saddam's use of chemical weapons, and that of the Iran-Iraq war where casualties numbered up to a million, including many killed by chemical weapons.
"In addition, his slaughter of his political opponents, the treatment of the Marsh Arabs and the systematic torture of his people make the case for removing him morally strong. But the basis of action was as stated at the time."
He added: "In short this is the same argument we have had many times with nothing new to say. But surely in a healthy democracy people can agree to disagree.
"I would also point out that despite the problems, Iraq today has an economy three times or more in size, with child mortality rate cut by a third of what it was. And with investment hugely increased in places like Basra."
“Start Quote
Sir Geoffrey BindmanHuman Rights Lawyer
Human rights lawyer Sir Geoffrey Bindman told BBC Radio 4 the Iraq war was an illegal aggressive war.
He said a war crimes trial "should be and could be held on the basis a crime of aggression has been committed and the crime of aggression was starting the war.
"It's now almost certain that the war was illegal because it breached the UN Charter provisions which say that all member of the United Nations must refrain from the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."
Former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said he disagreed with Desmond Tutu and Sir Geoffrey.
"The use of force is allowed among other reasons when the United Nations authorises it, and the United Nations authorised it by resolution 1441.
Blair, didn't your grandmother taught you that two wrongs don't make a right!
To Presedent GEORGE W. BUSH : We love you man. Great leader of the free world, we the people will be honoured to have you here in the Cayman Islands.
Yeah yeah and becoming to spend money with us huh , oh I forgot he coming to look at the dividends of his and cheneys investments, well shiver me timbers.
Speak for your ******* self. I'd rather he didn't dirty our shores.
When the Caymans consider you dirty you know things are bad!
What constitutes a crime against humanity?
Killing a load of murderous bastards to steal their oil or f$&@ing up your own people financially at the expense of your own bank balance?
My feeling is thatthey are both guilty but let’s put our own house in order before we criticize others.
Not a fan of the man……but this viewpoint is largely just bunch of leftwing nonsense…….war criminal?,,….you don’t know the meaning of the words!
that's right…rich americans don't go to prison!
The man is single handedly responsible for hte deaths of over 1,000,000 civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. He should be in prison for the rest of his life.
"The man is single handedly responsible for the deaths of over 1,000,000 civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan." Earlier posts say 100,000, now its one million. Why not 10 million that sounds much better. "single handedly" huh. Not even close, Congress approved it, both republicans and democrats, not to mention the milatary and intelligence communities, not to mention all the coalition countries that participated. Obama is using drone strikes almoston daily basis. A recent report claims that only around 20% of the casulties are actually militant targets. But none of you or the other posters want to talk about that.
I'm pretty sure that unprovoked military attacks on civilian targets and the sanctioning of torture are within the definition!
I'm so flabbergasted, I don't know what to say. Calling someone a war criminal I would think would be defamation of character. I'm surprised that CNS printed this.
I personally don't care about this Bush one way or another. The biggest harm I see is McKeever Bush. If Cayman should stand against a Bush, it should be against the one destroying this country. The other one is a has-been. He has no power whatsoever.
Freedom of speech is a b%tch isn't it ! 🙂
P.S. HE IS RIGHT. BUSH IS A WAR CRIMINAL!
Excellent comment, well argued and well put together. There is another irony in this man talking at this event on this subject, and it has a distinctly Cayman slant that you might not wish to draw attention to!
One of the reasons that banks and even nations were able to cripple the economy was that they used financial engineering devices to hide massive and corrosive debt, to dress up valueless loans as triple A assets. The majority of these "devices" were set up in Cayman, by Cayman lawyers, for US investment banks and harboured by many institutions in Cayman Though some of the banks have sunk, those destructive devices are still there, maybe you dont need anyone looking at your role in the mess we are all in!
I know exactly what you are talking about it is called complex type of securitization i.e. SPVs etc. Do not worry regulation will make this practice a thing of the past and it may be the ultimate to ultimate offshore practices.
All those who thumbed this one down, was it because you didnt like to hear the unsavoury truth, or did you think the comment wasnt true. If the latter, then you need to get hold of someone who knows the facts, believe me, I do!
Relax, he’s just coming for conch season!
Something tells me you have an axe to grind? Move on! get a life!
Oh get a life!!…do you really believe all the crap you are writing?
War criminal???…be for real and have some respect for a past President of the USA.
Where are you from??
Surely not Cayman or the USA
This is quite possibly the most ridiculous article ever posted to CNS. The author wishes Cayman to join the occupy movement – a movement defined by the following qualities:
Thanks to G.W. the US signed up to the KYOTO global warming treaty, democracy is spreading through the Middle East, and Africa has a properly funded programme to battle the spread of AIDS. G.W. was a real leader, his presidency was defined by constantly and defiantly doing the right thing. No flaming liberal with their baseless accusations can take that away. I for one am proud and happy to have G.W. come to our shores – it is a remarkable achievement for these islands. Its also a real shame that some people insist on imposing thier warped views on others, to say that G.W. is responsible for the economic meltdown illustrates just how little the author understands economics. If you want socialism instead of free markets go see how great Cuba is as a place to live.
SIgning up to agreement with no intention to ratify it is like signing a financial agreement with the UK and no intention to put it through the LA
Do some research instead of watch FOX.
You do the research-KYOTO was a disaster-with India and China exempted-welcome to the economic decline of Europe. Clearly you are a genius that only watches the BBC……
at no stage did I judge the Kyoto agreement. I merely said signing it was a farce, ratifying it is what counts as with most UN agreements. You bought it up so you must think it is great unless you are nothing to do with the post and just a troll
Think you may be overstating the case a LITTLE, but agree wholeheartedly in principal. This is the buffoon who dodged the draft, who as President, purportedly refused on a number of occasions to accept briefings by Federal Agencies that suggested there was a serious threat of a 9/11 type attack, and pronounced ” NUCLEAR ” as ” NUCULAR ” . This is the man who stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier, in a pilot’s combat jacket, in front ofa HUGE banner announcing ” MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ” , when hundreds if not thousands of US and Allied serviceman were yet to be killed in what was to be the dirty aftermath of the Iraq war.
Best of all is the idea that he is speaking at a BUSINESS conference. Almost every commercial operation in which he invested, or which he was meant to manage, went ” Tits-Up ” in very short order. Hard pressed to think of anything he has to offer, except some more blooper laughs. But of course he is laughing all the way to the bank – unless he is doing it for free ?
The Americans I know who live here are aghast that this man was actually invited to our island after what he has done.
Being aghast is more of a Brit thing.
Not Brit… English!
The war criminal is getting paid for this trip too!
Your nuts. Need your head checked.
What surprises me from this vitriolic attack on conservatives in general and George W Bush in particular is that the author chose to not sign their name to this opinion. It also surprised me that the author did not include the George H W Bush lead Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s but perhaps that didn't neatly fit into his overall thesis of liberal – good, conservative – bad.
As a conservative I must admit that George W Bush was a disappointment and the liberal choice of John Kerry to oppose his 2nd term was beyond belief to me, perhaps the liberal author could explain that choice. The detailed attack on Bush makes his reelection and the liberal defeat after 4 years of a Bush presidency somewhat mysterious, probably a right wing conspiracy of some kind.
I personally believe that George Bush was the America's reaction to the Bill Clinton sex scandal and without that sex scandal there would not have been a Bush presidency as Al Gore would have used Bill Clinton star power to win the election. I also believe that Clinton's 2nd term focus was not on the embassy bombings in Africa or the USS Cole.
No doubt this oinion will not be well received on CNS by the Green Party authors, so be it.
It further surprises me that Mister or Misses ANONYMOUS attacking the author of this opinion piece, has as well chose to not display his/her name to this comment. Wow… hypocrisy at its best.
What a rant.
We get that you do not like G. W. Bush.
It is incorrect to say Cayman is honouring Mr. Bush, we are not.
Mr. Bush is not coming on some state visit.
He is coming to work (give a speech) as a private citizen to an organisation that has requested him and are paying him to speak.
Mr. Bush has not been charged or convicted of any crime and is therefore not barred from acquiring the necessary work permit.
On the other side of the political coin, some may make similar statements about Mr. Obama for completely neglecting Syria etc, or almost any other powerful political world leader.
In my opinion, Republican US presidents have been much more friendly to the Cayman Islands than their Democrat counterparts.
In this regard, it would be a mistake politically and for the financial industry not to welcome Mr. Bush with open arms.
Wow. Sounds a bit fabricated.
MURDEROUS THIEF
He will be welcomed here because of all the friends of his association living and roaming free in this country.
Wow! I thought I was the only one who felt this way. I'm not alone!
Thank you for writing this! Sadly, about two-thirds of Cayman thinks he was a great man because he talked about prayer and Jesus all the time. Tragic.
But at least he is not responsible for the shoddy treatment of the Chagos Islanders. You gotta give him that.
Always interesting to hear of the Chagossians. Not many are aware that in the 1950s Little Cayman was on the same short list that culminated in the selection of Diego Garcia!
But he didn't help as all he has to do is close the base!