I don’t know about the rest of you but I thought it was a defining moment in modern history when former President George W. Bush took the microphone and delivered a speech at the “Spirit of Liberty: at Home in the World” event in New York Oct. 19. I wish every single citizen in the country had been tuned into it. I’m still mentally applauding.

While Bush did not specifically point the finger at Donald Trump by name, the press almost instantly labeled it an anti-Trumpism address—by a prominent Republican who spent eight years in the White House. I wonder how Hannity and the rest of Fox News will try to spin this event.

This was not mere revenge for the shabby, insulting way in which Trump treated George’s brother Jeb during the GOP debates leading up to the 2016 election—although the Bushes are a proud family and this serves that purpose well. This was the emergence of George W. Bush, statesman. That’s something I wouldn’t have dreamed of calling him during his eight years in office—when I berated him at every opportunity, convinced he was one of the country’s worst-ever presidents. 

I still think that. But that was then, and this is now. Back then he was saddled with the likes of Dick Cheney as vice president, advisors such as Karl Rove, etc. And he followed the ingrained Republican standard routine of raiding the public treasury on behalf of the rich. And got us into a war in 2003 that we’re really never gotten out of.

But it was a far different man who made the speech Oct. 19—different from the popinjay who destroyed our economy and left office early in 2009. Today, I’m pleased to see George standing up against the deterioration of American society under Donald Trump—in all phases from brutality and cruelty in the streets to the ignorant and ill-advised destruction of international relationships. His speech was more than a redeeming moment. It sort of exemplified the maturation of a late-bloomer. 

So I stand beside two modern-day statesmen, despite their Republican roots and my own liberal philosophy—George W. Bush, who chose to fearlessly speak out in this nation’s crucial need for conscience, and Senator John McCain who despite the fatal prognosis of his advancing brain cancer has decided to go out with his boots on, standing tall in front of Donald Trump.

McCain has been a staunch “defender of the faith”—American morals and ideals. Captured and tortured in time of war, he stood up as a champion of American patriotism and has remained a principled individual over his years in public office. He is an American hero—something Donald Trump will never be, as he seem willing to destroy the very earth on behalf of his personal narcissism. He speaks disdainfully of McCain out of petulant frustration, in the manner of a 10-year-old unable to see the world past his own nose.

Following are excerpts from George’s speech. It was not overly long, but I’m editing it some anyway. In this day and age it’s tough to get anyone to listen to, or actually read, such things from beginning to end. To read it all go to http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/19/full-text-george-w-bush-speech-trump-243947

“We are gathered in the cause of liberty this is a unique moment. The great democracies face new and serious threats – yet seem to be losing confidence in their own calling and competence. Economic, political and national security challenges proliferate, and they are made worse by the tendency to turn inward. The health of the democratic spirit itself is at issue. And the renewal of that spirit is the urgent task at hand. . .

“For more than 70 years, the presidents of both parties believed that American security and prosperity were directly tied to the success of freedom in the world. And they knew that the success depended, in large part, on U.S. leadership. This mission came naturally, because it expressed the DNA of American idealism.We know, deep down, that repression is not the wave of the future. We know that the desire for freedom is not confined to, or owned by, any culture; it is the inborn hope of our humanity. We know that free governments are the only way to ensure that the strong are just and the weak are valued. And we know that when we lose sight of our ideals, it is not democracy that has failed. It is the failure of those charged with preserving and protecting democracy. . .

“No democracy pretends to be a tyranny. Most tyrannies pretend they are democracies. Democracy remains the definition of political legitimacy. That has not changed, and that will not change. . .

“We have seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty. At times, it can seem like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates into dehumanization. Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions – forgetting the image of God we should see in each other. . .We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism – forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America. We see a fading confidence in the value of free markets and international trade – forgetting that conflict, instability, and poverty follow in the wake of protectionism.

“We have seen the return of isolationist sentiments – forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places, where threats such as terrorism, infectious disease, criminal gangs and drug trafficking tend to emerge.

In all these ways, we need to recall and recover our own identity. Americans have a great advantage: To renew our country, we only need to remember our values. . .

“Our security and prosperity are only found in wise, sustained, global engagement: In the cultivation of new markets for American goods. In the confrontation of security challenges before they fully materialize and arrive on our shores. In the fostering of global health and development as alternatives to suffering and resentment. In the attraction of talent, energy and enterprise from all over the world. In serving as a shining hope for refugees and a voice for dissidents, human rights defenders, and the oppressed . . .

“Our identity as a nation – unlike many other nations – is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood. Being an American involves the embrace of high ideals and civic responsibility. We become the heirs of Thomas Jefferson by accepting the ideal of human dignity found in the Declaration of Independence. We become the heirs of James Madison by understanding the genius and values of the U.S. Constitution. We become the heirs of Martin Luther King, Jr., by recognizing one another not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

“This means that people of every race, religion, and ethnicity can be fully and equally American. It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed.And it means that the very identity of our nation depends on the passing of civic ideals to the next generation. . . 

“We need a renewed emphasis on civic learning in schools. And our young people need positive role models. Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children. The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them . . .

“It is the great advantage of free societies that we creatively adapt to challenges, without the direction of some central authority. Self-correction is the secret strength of freedom. We are a nation with a history of resilience and a genius for renewal.Right now, one of our worst national problems is a deficit of confidence. But the cause of freedom justifies all our faith and effort. It still inspires men and women in the darkest corners of the world, and it will inspire a rising generation. 

“The American spirit does not say, ‘We shall manage,’ or ‘We shall make the best of it.’ It says, ‘We shall overcome.’ And that is exactly what we will do, with the help of God and one another.”

DON’T GET ME WRONG, however, because of my current admiration for Bush and McCain. I still want to see a Democratic congressional majority after the 2018 mid-term elections—and a Congress with the character and capacity to over-ride a presidential veto . . . that will govern on its own on behalf of the people. The moronic, hell-bent executive orders of Donald Trump should not be allowed to stand as the final word in the governing of our democratic society. 

MEANWHILE, if my son were a soldier killed in action somewhere in Africa, the last thing in the world I’d want would be a meaningless, obligatory phone call from Donald Trump.

.

.