I'm going to hell for this...

A while back I wrote that Bush is/was a good president.

Then, when confronted, I backed off, stating that he wasn't a bad president.

I'll admit that there are worlds of difference between the two, but let me resume my initial stance:

George W. Bush is a good president.

Some of my audience might accuse me of trying to be controversial (again). Let me assure you that such is not the case. I will back up my statements by pointing and laughing. Oh, and something resembling sanity.

The war in Iraq/every other act of violence during this administration: So far it has been this scenario: People with guns shoot at people with guns. W is down with the fair fighting. Unless you believe either a)the opponents are inferior (in which case we can claim "manifest destiny" or b)we are inferior (in which case you should not live in a poorly defended land... move).

Mr. Bush is defending U.S. interests abroad, such as securing oil, handing reconstruction contracts to (American) companies, etc. He should be applauded. He's also building a local structure that allows for stronger trade ties and a wider knowledge base in that area. In the long run this might spell the doom of the U.S. economy as Iraq might be in a better position to exploit all of that precious sand, or something. Only history will tell. Until then, Mr. Bush has a fan over here.

Well, how about the "terrorists" that have been found? How've they been treated down at Guantanamo? Who cares? Are these American citizens? We are waiting to confirm the jurisdiction of the military over enemies of state: people who would strike at the heart of America with little concern for innocence. And just what exactly does the President have to do with their treatment? People make him sound like a James Bond villain, down there whenever someone new is admitted because he likes to see them 'broken'.

Having been in the military, I can tell you that the first... no, wait... (counts on fingers)... okay, the sixth thing they pound into your noggin is that you treat prisoners with respect and humanity. I seriously doubt that Bush changed that, owing to how most of us remember the infamous "we were just following ze orders" defense former Nazis tried.

Immigration: Okay, this one is tough. Why? Because there is simply no way of knowing how it will all play out. You can suggest and point to graphs, but human behavior is incredibly unpredictable. Also, Mexico's situation might change enough to discourage emmigration. Or Columbia might be the new hot spot to immigrate to. So, right now, you can be for or against Bush on this topic, but it means very little about whether he's good, bad, or just ugly.

But I'll try to defend Bush's position anyway, because I'm for immigration. If I'm right about amnesty (not giving them U.S. citizenship, but not sending them away), then this is another good plan. Why? Because America needs cheap labor. Uneducated labor that is currently done by the overqualified. Owing to the state of our education system, these jobs are held by either those in high school or high school dropouts... but what if those jobs were held by immigrants? What if everyone in an American high school knew that? I think graduation rates would go up, and everyone wins.

Once again Bush is a good president.

Tell you what, I'm done for now, but you can point me to a link, and I'll explain why whatever it is Bush is being accused of is a good thing. Using only info on that site. And my brain.