I won't be on for a while, so sorry if this looks like a hit-and-run post. It isn't but it will be a while before I can get back to any responses.
British Sunday Times report on Mexican border wall
Bad idea guys, what happened to the Land Of The Free? In Europe (especially Belfast, where I grew up) we have had to deal with terrorism for decades. At the start, we believed as you do now - more security, less civil liberties. This created more fear (always a 'good thing' for a government, as more laws can be passed as 'protection'), more injustice (therefore more hiding places for terrorists) and generally a worse place to be. In the UK, we stepped back a bit, won a lot of ground. Unfortunately our version of the Glorious Leader doesn't understand history too well, so we are stepping back. The terrorists who carried out 9/11 entered the US legally, not over an undefended border. The terrorists who carried out 7/7 were British nationals. Your attackers came as guests, ours grew up here. What is there to be done about these sorts of attacks? Fences? Deportation? Where does the line get drawn? Why not show just how good democracy can be, and beat them that way?
Some things I think Bush got right, in a way.
Invading Iraq had two main good points. One was getting rid of Saddam, because he was a genocidal maniac. He wasn't any threat to us, but he was still a nasty bastard. He had no NBC weapons, his economy was wrecked, no threat. And we KNEW he had no NBC capability. The 'WMD' line was purely political, a good soundbite for the media to get the ball rolling.
The second reason, I believe, is better. Terrorists vs civilians (New York, London, wherever); terrorists win. Terrorists vs soldiers; soldiers win. And it's better to be fighting on someone elses terrain when you do have to fight.
There is a third, scurrilous, reason - 'He was mean to my daddy'.
Some things I think he got wrong.
No 2nd phase plans for Iraq - Oops. What did you/we think was going to happen? Dictators don't generally leave strong, capable subordinates alive, as it's bad for their position. Havoc was on the cards, and it was never planned for.
The ports fiasco - do you have any idea the damage that has done to America's reputation around the world? How much do you think your allies will listen to your demands for free trade etc since you blocked port sales from one foreign company (British) to another (Dubai). Both are allies, who have repeatedly backed America's stance in world politics.
The Great Southern Wall. America is a land of immigrants, and they are doing the work that no-one else wants to. For pay a lot less than any of you ae willing to accept. Why? Because they believe in the American Dream - or have you killed that?
In America, you have been lucky. You have had peace on your land for almost 150 years, you have the worlds biggest economy, and one of the best constitutions - the absolute equality of all men is one of the best beliefs there is. Don't throw it away.
Anyway, rant over. If you feel particularly strongly about anything I've said, feel free to PM me, or just post thunderous denunciations here.