Opinion of George W. Bush's foreign policy

[Thank you for being a friend...]

We tried very hard in Afghanistan.  What happened there in 2021 was very painful for our country to watch because of all of our soldiers that had died there over the years, and all that we had put into that fight.  It was a worthy cause... but for now, we lost the battle.  That the Taliban is back in control of it is heartbreaking.

I throw my hands up about it all.

I try to be fair in analyzing George W. Bush's record, but it doesn't look good from the point of view of 2024, not at all.  I do believe that he truly felt he was doing as good a job as he could in keeping the country safe when it came to the homeland, but then again, that was his job - he wanted the responsibility and that's part of the job.

I would have not gone to Iraq until Osama bin Laden was killed and Al Qaeda was eliminated.  I don't object to the invasion of Iraq, but there was already another war and I believe that we needed to fight that one first with all our might.

Our soldiers certainly did everything they could in this fight, but it was going to always be a "long fight".  I don't agree at all with leaving Afghanistan, I think it will turn out to be a mistake in the long run to let go and allow the Taliban free rein to take the country back to where it once was.

We gave it all we could, these were long wars.

One thing is for sure: our soldiers did everything asked of them, and they deserve the nation's gratitude and also admiration.  Many of them, those that came home, are still struggling, and I hope they are receiving the best care right now.  I know several veterans - they have PTSD, and are now part of the mental health community and are differently abled (in wheelchairs), and all of that.  And I always believe what they did must be respected.  They believed in the mission, they joined the military to protect the United States, and they showed tremendous devotion to our country.