George H.W. Bush: War Criminal, CIA Spy, Oil Tycoon, Embodiment of US Elite

Summary

The video script critiques the legacy of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, arguing against the mainstream portrayal of him as a moderate statesman. It highlights his involvement in war crimes, from the Iran-Contra scandal to the Gulf War, and his family's ties to the oil industry and the CIA. The script also suggests that Bush's actions set the stage for the rise of right-wing extremism and the current political climate, emphasizing his refusal to apologize for U.S. actions and his commitment to capitalism and empire.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ George HW Bush, despite being portrayed as a hero, is accused of leaving behind a legacy of war crimes and imperialism.
• 🗣️ The media's depiction of Bush as a statesman is challenged, with the script suggesting his patriotism was more about capitalism and empire than the average American.
• 🕊️ Bush's infamous quote 'I'll never apologize for the United States of America ever, I don't care what the facts are' is highlighted as emblematic of his imperial hubris.
• 🛑 The script outlines Bush's family history, including ties to the CIA, oil industry, and controversial actions such as grave-robbing and profiting from the Holocaust.
• 📜 Bush's political career is detailed, from his involvement with the CIA to his presidency, where he is said to have facilitated the Iran-Contra scandal and supported right-wing military dictatorships.
• 💥 The invasion of Panama and the Gulf War under Bush's presidency are described as brutal, with the latter causing significant civilian casualties and long-term damage to Iraq's infrastructure.
• 🗝️ The script suggests that Bush's actions set a precedent for future presidents, including his son George W. Bush, in terms of foreign policy and military engagements.
• 📉 The economic policies of Bush's administration are criticized for leading to 'shock therapy' neoliberal reforms that caused significant suffering and death in the former Soviet Union.
• 🔍 The script argues that Bush's presidency was not just about setting the stage for his son or Trump, but also about establishing the neoliberal era that has had lasting global impacts.
• 🚫 The portrayal of Bush as a principled moderate is contested, with the script highlighting instances of racism and exploitation of fear during his 1988 presidential campaign.
• 🌐 Bush is presented as a key figure in the establishment of American global hegemony and the promotion of capitalism, with his actions having far-reaching implications for the world order.

Q & A

When did former United States President George H.W. Bush pass away?

Former United States President George H.W. Bush died on November 30th, 2018.

What is the criticism against the portrayal of George H.W. Bush by the corporate media after his death?

The criticism is that the corporate media lionized Bush as a statesman who committed his life to his country, while ignoring his involvement in war crimes and his role as an elite custodian of capitalism and Empire.

What infamous statement did George H.W. Bush make regarding the United States never having to apologize?

George H.W. Bush made the infamous statement 'I'll never apologize for the United States of America ever, I don't care what the facts are' in response to the U.S. shooting down an Iranian civilian plane in 1988.

What is the historical significance of Prescott Bush's actions during the Holocaust?

Prescott Bush, George H.W. Bush's father, was reported to have profited from the Holocaust by working for and profiting from companies closely involved with German businesses that financed Hitler's rise to power.

How did George H.W. Bush's involvement with the CIA and the oil industry influence his political career?

George H.W. Bush's involvement with the CIA and the oil industry helped him build a fortune and establish political connections, which he later leveraged in his political career, including his role as Vice President under Ronald Reagan and as the 41st U.S. President.

What was the Iran-Contra scandal, and how was George H.W. Bush involved?

The Iran-Contra scandal involved the Reagan administration selling weapons to Iran to fund right-wing Contra death squads in Nicaragua. George H.W. Bush, as Vice President, was implicated in the scandal and later pardoned the conspirators, preventing an investigation into his own activity.

What was the impact of the U.S. invasion of Panama under George H.W. Bush's administration?

The U.S. invasion of Panama led to the overthrow of dictator Manuel Noriega and resulted in the destruction of thousands of homes and mass civilian casualties, with bodies of dead Panamanians reportedly shoveled into mass graves.

What false testimony was used to justify the Gulf War against Iraq under George H.W. Bush's presidency?

A 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl falsely testified before the U.S. Congressional Human Rights caucus about Iraqi soldiers removing babies from incubators, which was later revealed to be a PR stunt orchestrated by a PR firm on behalf of the Kuwaiti monarchy.

What were the consequences of the Gulf War for Iraq's civilian infrastructure?

The Gulf War led to the deliberate targeting and destruction of Iraq's civilian infrastructure, reducing the country's power generation level by 96%, and causing widespread devastation and a humanitarian crisis.

What is the 'Highway of Death,' and how is it connected to the Gulf War?

The 'Highway of Death' refers to the massacre of thousands of fleeing Iraqi soldiers and civilians on February 26th and 27th, 1991, during the Gulf War, as they tried to escape Kuwait and return to Iraq under heavy bombing by the U.S. and its allies.

How did George H.W. Bush's policies contribute to the rise of far-right movements and the current state of global politics?

George H.W. Bush's policies, including his war crimes, support for right-wing dictatorships, and neoliberal reforms, set the stage for the rise of far-right movements and the current challenges in global politics, including the election of Donald Trump.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ George HW Bush: The Controversial Legacy

The script discusses the complex legacy of former US President George HW Bush, who passed away in 2018. While the corporate media portrayed him as a statesman and a hero, the narrative argues that his presidency was marked by war crimes and imperial ambitions. It highlights his refusal to apologize for the US's actions, exemplified by the downing of an Iranian civilian plane in 1988, and his family's deep ties to the American ruling class, including the CIA, the oil industry, and Ivy League institutions. The paragraph also touches on Bush's early life and his family's controversial history, including alleged profiteering from the Holocaust.

05:02

🌍 Bush's Role in International Conflicts and the Cold War

This paragraph delves into George HW Bush's involvement in international politics, particularly during the Cold War. It describes his tenure as the Director of Central Intelligence and his alleged support for right-wing military dictatorships and death squads in Latin America. The script also discusses Bush's relationship with Saudi Arabia, including ties to the bin Laden family, and his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. The paragraph further details the 1989 invasion of Panama and the subsequent human rights abuses, setting the stage for Bush's most significant military action: the Gulf War against Iraq.

10:03

💥 The Gulf War and Its Devastating Aftermath

The script provides a critical account of the Gulf War initiated by President Bush in response to Iraq's annexation of Kuwait. It accuses the Bush administration of using fabricated stories to justify the war, resulting in extensive civilian casualties and the destruction of Iraq's infrastructure. The paragraph describes the use of depleted uranium weapons, the targeting of civilian areas, and the 'Highway of Death' incident, where retreating Iraqi soldiers were bombed. The aftermath of the war is portrayed as catastrophic, with long-term health and environmental effects, and the continuation of economic sanctions that led to further suffering for Iraqi civilians.

15:04

🔄 The Neoliberal Era and Bush's Lasting Impact

This paragraph examines the broader implications of George HW Bush's presidency, particularly his role in establishing the neoliberal order following the end of the Cold War. It discusses the economic reforms imposed on the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, which led to significant social and economic upheaval. The script also connects Bush's policies to the rise of far-right movements and the election of Donald Trump, suggesting that Bush's actions set the stage for current global political challenges. The paragraph concludes by reflecting on Bush's commitment to US imperialism and capitalism, and his refusal to apologize for the consequences of his policies.

20:05

🗣️ The Media's Portrayal and the Reality of Bush's Presidency

The final paragraph addresses the disparity between the corporate media's portrayal of George HW Bush as a principled moderate and the reality of his controversial presidency. It criticizes attempts to distance Bush from the political horrors that followed his tenure, including the rise of Trumpism and the use of racist tactics during his 1988 presidential campaign. The script also highlights Bush's involvement in counter-revolutions in Eastern Europe and the establishment of capitalist oligarchs, emphasizing that Bush's legacy cannot be separated from the current state of the world.

Keywords

💡George HW Bush

George HW Bush, the 41st President of the United States, is a central figure in this video script. He is portrayed as a complex political figure with a legacy of war crimes and imperialism, contrary to the mainstream media's portrayal of him as a hero and statesman. The script discusses his involvement in various military actions and political decisions that have had lasting impacts, such as the invasion of Panama and the Gulf War.

💡War Crimes

War crimes refer to serious breaches of the laws and customs of war that give rise to individual criminal responsibility. In the context of the video, this term is used to describe the actions taken by George HW Bush's administration during military conflicts, particularly the Gulf War, where civilian infrastructure was targeted, leading to significant civilian casualties and long-term suffering.

💡Imperial Hubris

Imperial hubris denotes an overbearing pride or arrogance associated with the exercise of power, particularly in the context of empires. The script uses this term to critique Bush's foreign policy, suggesting that his actions were driven by a belief in American exceptionalism and a disregard for international norms and the rights of other nations.

💡Iran-Contra Scandal

The Iran-Contra scandal refers to a political scandal in the 1980s where the Reagan administration secretly sold arms to Iran, which was under an arms embargo, and used the proceeds to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. George HW Bush, then Vice President, is implicated in the video as being involved in this scandal, which is seen as a precursor to subsequent abuses of power.

💡Operation Condor

Operation Condor was a U.S.-backed covert operation in South America during the 1970s and 1980s, involving the systematic state terror and political repression by U.S.-backed right-wing dictatorships. The script mentions Bush's tenure as the head of the CIA during this period, suggesting his complicity in the activities of death squads and the overthrow of democratic governments.

💡Neoliberalism

Neoliberalism is an economic and political philosophy that advocates for free-market capitalism, deregulation, and reduction in government spending. The video associates George HW Bush with the establishment of a neoliberal world order following the end of the Cold War, which involved the imposition of economic policies that led to significant societal and economic upheaval in various regions.

💡Shock Therapy

Shock therapy refers to the rapid and drastic implementation of neoliberal economic policies, often following a period of socialism or state control. The script describes how, under Bush's leadership, the U.S. encouraged the implementation of such policies in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, leading to widespread suffering and economic instability.

💡Washington Consensus

The Washington Consensus is a set of ten economic policy prescriptions considered to be the standard reform package for crisis-wracked developing countries treating with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The video suggests that George HW Bush played a role in promoting these policies globally, which often led to economic hardship for the populations of the affected countries.

💡Racism and Dog Whistling

Racism and dog whistling refer to the use of coded language or symbolism that appeals to racist beliefs or prejudices. The script alleges that George HW Bush's presidential campaign utilized such tactics, particularly in relation to the Willie Horton case, to gain political advantage, reflecting a broader pattern of divisive and harmful political strategies.

💡New World Order

The term 'New World Order' is often used to describe a shift in global power dynamics following the end of the Cold War, with the U.S. emerging as the sole superpower. In the context of the video, it is associated with George HW Bush's foreign policy and the establishment of American hegemony, which the script argues has had lasting and detrimental effects on global politics and economics.

💡Capitalism and Empire

Capitalism and empire are key concepts in the video's critique of George HW Bush's legacy. Capitalism refers to an economic system based on private ownership and the pursuit of profit, while empire denotes the political and economic dominance of one state over others. The script suggests that Bush was a staunch defender and promoter of both, contributing to global inequality and conflict.

Highlights

George HW Bush's legacy includes war crimes and controversial actions rather than being a moderate hero.

Bush's patriotism was more about maintaining capitalism and empire rather than devotion to the working class.

Bush's infamous quote about never apologizing for the U.S. reflects his imperial hubris.

Bush's family history is deeply intertwined with the CIA, oil industry, and elite Ivy League institutions.

Prescott Bush's involvement with companies that profited from the Holocaust and his political career.

George HW Bush's early life and career in the oil industry, and his covert work with the CIA.

Bush's tenure as CIA director involved close collaboration with Latin American death squads.

Bush facilitated the Iran-Contra scandal and later pardoned the conspirators to prevent investigation.

The 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama under Bush's administration had severe civilian casualties.

False testimonies and propaganda were used to justify the Gulf War against Iraq.

The Gulf War led to extensive destruction of Iraq's infrastructure and severe humanitarian crisis.

The 'Highway of Death' refers to the mass killing of retreating Iraqi soldiers and civilians.

Post-war sanctions on Iraq resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands due to Bush's policies.

Bush's administration continued to support right-wing groups in the Middle East, including extremists.

Bush's presidency saw the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the neoliberal era.

Bush's policies contributed to the rise of far-right movements and the current global political climate.

Bush's racism and dog-whistling tactics during his 1988 presidential campaign.

Bush's role in the neoliberal reforms post-Cold War that led to significant suffering in Eastern Europe.

The commemoration of Bush as a skilled leader despite his controversial and impactful policies.

Transcripts

[Music]

former United States President George HW

Bush died on November 30th 2018 and

while leaning Democrats joined the GOP

and celebrating the Republican leader as

a hero honoring him in a bipartisan

ceremony the real Bush left behind a

murderous legacy full of war crimes

across the planet the corporate media

lionized Bush a former oil tycoon and

director of the CIA as a statesman who

committed his life to his country but

Bush's patriotism was not rooted in

devotion to the average working-class

American people instead he was an elite

custodian of capitalism and Empire from

Iraq to Panama George HW Bush was

responsible for countless deaths and far

from being the moderate voice of reason

he is now being presented as in the era

of trumpism bush paved the way for

right-wing extremists to take control of

the US Empire he's so carefully

preserved if one had to succinctly

summarize George HW Bush in a single

moment it would be in the eve of his

presidency in 1988 on July 3rd of that

year the US government shot down an

Iranian civilian plane killing all 296

t6 children the United States adamantly

refused to apologize for this horrific

atrocity Bush was then vice president

under Ronald Reagan and was in the

middle of his own campaign for president

at a GOP event just a month later in

August Bush indirectly responded to the

u.s. massacre of Iranian civilians with

the following infamous words I'll never

apologize for the United States of

America ever I don't care what the facts

are this lone quote says so much about

the 41st US president it is a concise

representation of the imperial hubris

and chauvinism that Bush was the

physical embodiment of he refused to

apologize for the crimes of the US

Empire and did not give a damn

about the facts George HW Bush's family

life and world were the textbook

representation of the American ruling

class combining together the CIA the oil

industry elite Ivy League universities

and even Nazi Germany Bush was born in

1924 into an elite capitalist family his

grandfather Samuel Bush was a corporate

steel and railroad executive who oversaw

US government contracts with weapons

corporations during World War one hhw

father Prescott Bush was an even more

notorious figure in 1918 as a member of

Yale University's elite secret society

skull and bones Prescott and his peers

dug up the grave a former Native

American leader Geronimo and stole his

skull Prescott Bush then went on to

become a bank executive on Wall Street

and during the Holocaust the Bush family

patriarch even profited from the

genocide all Hitler regime as the

newspaper The Guardian reported in 2004

even after America had entered the war

and when there was already significant

information about the Nazis plans and

policies he worked for and profited from

companies closely involved with the very

German businesses that financed Hitler's

rise to power it has also been suggested

that the money he made from these

dealings helped to establish the Bush

family fortune and set up its political

dynasty although the assets of Prescott

Bush's company were seized by the US

government in 1942 under the trading

with the enemy Act this did not stop him

from pursuing a political career a

decade later in 1952 Bush was elected to

the US Senate representing Connecticut

George HW Bush followed in the footsteps

of his father he went to Yale University

and was also a member of the elite

secret society skull and bones after

graduation Bush moved to Texas and

entered the oil industry in 1953 he

co-founded the Zapata petroleum

corporation

and quickly became a millionaire in the

early 1960s before Bush officially

entered politics he also secretly

started to work with the CIA journalist

Joseph McBride noted quote Bush started

working for the agency in 1960 or 1961

using his oil business as a cover for

clandestine activities after over a

decade of building up his fortune in the

oil industry Bush then moved on to

politics he was elected to the House of

Representatives in 1966 representing

Texas but that was just the beginning

Bush then became US ambassador to the

United Nations and subsequently chairman

of the Republican National Committee and

then in 1976 Bush was appointed director

of Central Intelligence after secretly

working with the CIA for over a decade

Bush a staunchly conservative cold

warrior was now the chief of it

historian Greg Grandin wrote quote Bush

helmed the CIA when he was working

closely with Latin American death squads

grouped under Operation Condor this was

the height of the Cold War and after the

CIA had already violently overthrown

numerous democratically elected

governments throughout the global South

from Iran to Guatemala to Chile the u.s.

continued supporting far-right military

dictatorships and death squads

throughout Latin America this was also

at a time when Bush was developing

deeper ties to Saudi Arabia one of the

world's largest oil producers and a key

US ally in the Cold War with u.s.

backing the Saudi monarchy supported

right-wing Islamist groups many of which

were extremists to undermine secular

socialist and communist forces in the

Middle East and through both oil and

politics Bush and his family maintained

close links to Saudi elites including

the powerful bin Laden family historian

Greg Grandin likewise pointed out that

it was Bush who helped facilitate Ronald

Reagan's

escalation of the Cold War through the

infamous iran-contra scandal

Bush served as vice president under

President Reagan during this scandal in

which the Republican administration sold

weapons to Iran in order to fund

far-right contra death squads in

Nicaragua when Bush succeeded Reagan as

the 41st president he uses authority to

pardon the conspirators involved in the

iran-contra scandal thereby preventing

an investigation into his own criminal

activity many observers have noted that

by doing this George HW Bush helped set

the precedent that Donald Trump would

later exploit as president but this

paled in comparison to Bush's most

egregious crimes in 1989 the

administration of the newly inaugurated

President Bush invaded the tiny Central

American nation of Panama in order to

out dictator Manuel Noriega who had

himself been a longtime CIA asset who

for years worked closely with the United

States helping it to fund right-wing

death squads while he was trafficking

drugs the u.s. brutally bombed Panama

burning down thousands of homes leading

to the nickname little her Oshima

historian Greg Grandin noted that the

bodies of dead panamanians were shoveled

into mass graves but Bush's bloodiest

atrocities were yet to come in August

1990 Iraq militarily occupied and

annexed its southern neighbor Kuwait the

Bush administration wanted a war and

response and in order to sell this war

it spread blatant lies in October 1990 a

15 year old Kuwaiti girl testified

before the US Congressional Human Rights

caucus and claimed while I was there I

saw the Iraqi soldiers coming to the

hospital with guns they took the babies

out of incubators

took pinkie bitters and left these

children to die on the cold floor

horrifying human rights organizations

like Amnesty International obediently

echoed the Smith and George HW Bush used

it to justify a war on Iraq they had

kids and incubators and they were thrown

out of the incubators so the Kuwait

could be systematically dismantled it

was only after this war in 1992 that it

was revealed that this fifteen-year-old

girl was actually the daughter of

Kuwait's ambassador to the US and that

the lies she spread had been

orchestrated by a PR firm on behalf of

the Kuwaiti monarchy but remember Bush

had declared just a few years ago that

he didn't care what the facts are in

1991 the 41st US president launched a

war on Iraq and it was extremely brutal

under Bush's leadership the US military

deliberately targeted civilian

infrastructure devastating the country

just weeks after the end of the war the

United Nations published a survey

analyzing the civilian damage done by US

bombing the UN found that Iraq was quote

near apocalyptic that had been bombed

back quote to a pre-industrial age and

that the country was on the verge of a

quote epidemic and famine the US

military also used depleted uranium

weapons in Iraq leading to birth defects

high cancer rates and environmental

damage that Iraqis are still suffering

from to this day even the Washington

Post which supported the war

acknowledged for months after it that

the US and its allies quote sought to

achieve some of their military

objectives in the Persian Gulf War by

disabling Iraqi society at large and the

u.s. quote deliberately did great harm

to Iraq's ability to support itself as

an industrial society precision guided

weapons were used to specifically target

electrical plants oil refineries and the

transportation grid

the u.s. destroyed more than 100 bridges

along with roads railroads factories

phone networks and TV and radio stations

the Pentagon later admitted that it

intentionally demolished Iraq's

electricity infrastructure reducing the

country's power generation level after

the war by 96% knocking it back to the

level that Iraq had in 1920 a lieutenant

general told The Washington Post that

the psychological impacts that average

Iraqi citizens would suffer from after

losing their electricity was a quote

side benefit one of the most extreme

u.s. crimes was committed on February 13

1991 when the military used laser-guided

smart bombs to destroy a shelter full of

civilians 408 Iraqi civilians were

massacred in this u.s. attack and the

Pentagon itself admitted that the

almería shelter that it bombed was being

used by civilians seeking protection

even more blood-curdling was an atrocity

that was so heinous it earned the name

the highway of death

On February 26th and 27th the US and

allies Britain France and Canada bombed

Iraqi soldiers as they tried to flee

Kuwait and return to Iraq thousands of

fleeing Iraqis were massacred

there were even reportedly some

civilians among the soldiers as they

tried to flee including foreign workers

and Palestinians who were expelled by

the Kuwaiti monarchy they were all

bombed to pieces thousands died the

exact number of victims is unknown the

aftermath of the Gulf War was beyond

catastrophic a Harvard public health

team investigated and found that Iraq

had acute malnutrition and epidemic

levels of the preventable diseases

cholera and typhoid the Harvard team

also estimated that at least 170,000

Iraqi children under age 5 would die in

the year after the war

due to the effects of the u.s. bombing

the Washington Post noted quote planners

now say their intent was to destroy or

damage valuable facilities that Baghdad

could not repair without foreign

assistance the Bush administration

deliberately made the lives of millions

of Iraqis complete hell to try to force

them into such desperation that they

would overthrow their leader and even

when the 1991 Gulf War ended the Bush 41

administration's war on Iraqi society

continued the u.s. used the United

Nations Security Council to expand

crippling sanctions on Iraq which banned

all trade with the country these

sanctions which were further continued

under subsequent President Bill Clinton

led to the deaths of hundreds of

thousands of Iraqi children and other

civilians in response to these reports

of mass civilian devastation from u.s.

bombing George HW Bush's Secretary of

Defense Dick Cheney insisted that every

target was quote perfectly legitimate he

declared quote if I had to do it over

again I would do exactly the same thing

Bush senior's Secretary of Defense Dick

Cheney would go on to become Bush Jr's

vice president on the brains behind

george w bush's foreign policy and his

own second war on Iraq a decade later

moreover HW Bush's chairman of the Joint

Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell later

served as W Bush's Secretary of State

given the overlap between Bush 41's

administration on that of Bush 43 it is

no surprise that Bush jr. followed in

his father's footsteps launching another

devastating war in the Middle East which

destabilized the region and led to more

than 1 million deaths these crimes fly

directly in the face of the corporate

media's portrayal of George HW Bush as a

principled moderate and exposed the

cynicism behind the attempts to distance

him from the political horrors that

followed while Google made a doodle

dedicated to HW s passing and while

neoliberal centrist leaders of the

Democratic Party tried to rehab

Tate Bush as a resistance figure against

Donald Trump the reality is that he and

the Bush family only helps set the stage

for the rise of far-right trumpism even

the explicit racism and the dog

whistling to fascist and white

supremacist that Donald Trump has

weaponized is far from new HW engaged in

it as well

during his 1988 campaign for President

Bush and his supporters resorted to

using racist undertones to attack his

Democratic opponent Michael Dukakis

specifically they exploited the case of

Willie Horton a black man who was

imprisoned for murder and rape but who

escaped from prison after being

temporarily released on a weekend

furlough program in Massachusetts

far-right writer and Coulter a staunch

Donald Trump supporter who regularly

contributes to white supremacist website

described the HW camps racist

exploitation of the Willie Horton

scandal as quote Bush's finest 30

seconds

journalist Russ bellend the author of

the book old Nazis the new right in the

Republican Party also documented how

former Nazi collaborators from Eastern

Europe helped get Bush elected president

fascist staunch anti-communist who

immigrated to the u.s. from socialist

Eastern Bloc countries during the Cold

War later took leadership positions and

the Republican National Committee's

ethnic outreach groups and strongly

supported Bush a lifelong cold warrior

Bush was also president when US backed

counter-revolutions overthrew the

Eastern Bloc in 1990 and 1991 he

subsequently helped oversee brutal

neoliberal capitalist reforms that were

referred to as shock therapy and that

led to millions of unnecessary deaths in

the former Soviet Union under Bush's

leadership the u.s. pressured these

former socialist governments to engage

in mass privatizations selling off

state-owned industries and assets for

pennies on the dollar this US backed

neoliberal shock therapy established the

network of capitalist oligarchs who

control Eastern Europe still today this

was just one of the many policies that

George HW Bush oversaw that the world is

still reeling from in 2018 it was not

just war crimes and CIA spying oil

drilling and racist dog whistling that

define Bush's life in 1990 the 41st US

president harreld it in what he proudly

called a new world order capitalism had

won the global war on socialism and Bush

was the leader of the only remaining

superpower in the world the United

States of America was the global hegemon

and its military and corporations ruled

all American imperialism had triumphed

and would spend the next three decades

imposing the Washington Consensus on the

planet in this way George HW Bush did

much more than just pave the way for his

son and eventually Donald Trump to take

power even more importantly as Bush

stood there with the last Soviet premier

Mikhail Gorbachev Bush was being

anointed king of the neoliberal era the

seeds of which had been planted by his

predecessor Ronald Reagan that

neoliberal era died in 2016 with the

election of Donald Trump the resurgence

of far-right and fascist movements

across the globe and with the renewed

socialists left and the implosion of the

bipartisan centrist consensus after his

passing Bush was commemorated as a

skilled leader and he was indeed skilled

in the art of empire war mongering and

reaction Bush was the last competent

manager of the American ruling class he

came from the elite from the rich and

the powerful and he left them even

richer on his deathbed Bush was a

lifelong custodian of US imperialism and

capitalism and he served those systems

well he bears significant responsibility

for assuring in the New World Order that

followed him the one whose demons were

all grappling with today Bush 41

supporters have tried to absolve

for the state of the country and the

world that he left behind but George HW

Bush cannot be separated from it after

all he refused to ever apologize for his

country and cared little for

inconvenient facts I'll never apologize

for the United States of America ever I

don't care what the facts are for the

real news network I'm Ben Norton