George W. Bush left us a present. The will to say no.

As the GOP in congress wag fingers at President Obama for not taking a harder line against Vladimir Putin and his antics, they run up against a bit of their own history that is making it hard for the U.S. to counter the Russian Bear. Here is a legacy of George W. Bush that radical right-wingers haven't thought about.  His invasion of Iraq and our subsequent near decade-long battle there has created not only a financial ruin within the Federal budget, but a lack of will for more war and more killing among the American public, normally willing to follow their leaders into conflict.



Both Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon worried about prolonged wars draining the American will to fight. And they both knew that that very will needed to held in reserve in case we had to face one of the powers from the Eastern Block. They both knew we could not dip too often into the bank and withdraw American support for more war, lest the funds in the bank run dry.



I call this the Chicken Little Syndrome. Remember the foolish foul who kept running around shouting, The sky is falling, the sky is falling."  He did so for so long and so loudly that soon no one believed him any more.  No matter how hard he shouted and how loud he raised his voice nobody took notice.  America is in that similar boat today.  No matter what the moral outcry from the White House and political leaders are concerning the situation in Russia over the Crimea, we just don't care.



We have spent our moral currency on a stupid, trumped-up war in the desert chasing imaginary Weapons of Mass Destruction. It was a war with no concrete reason. A war that cost us thousands and thousands of lives and trillions of dollars.  And we, as a people, are not interested in getting into harm's way again anytime soon. Recent polls show that less than 20% of Americans want to get involved with Russia's business. Hell, more than that want to lynch Obama over healthcare.



Russia knows this.  It is why Putin chose this time to act out in his region of the world. I predict China will do likewise with the island disputes with Japan. And America will sit back and do nothing, because we have no more stomach for fighting in foreign places over things that don't concern us.



Don't get me wrong; the people in Crimea and those camped out in the square in Kiev, all have a strong point of view about whom they want to answer to. (Admittedly those to views disagree by 180 degrees...and they both think democracy is on their side.) But Americans see those problems as troubles for Russia.  Not ours.  We don't want to see American blood poured over this regional mess.



So in a strange way, George W is to be thanked for keeping us out of the conflicts popping up around the globe. His ‘attack first, ask questions later’ philosophy has actually turned us to looking inward.   We no longer wish to police the world for the sake of every small time king or potentate's survival or overthrow. 



Feeding our hungry, caring for our ill, building bridges across our own rivers and schools for our children has become more important than foreign affairs.



Foreign affairs have cost us our moral shield...recalibrated out moral compass.  We gave it up when we invaded a sovereign nation back in 2002, then laid waste to their government and infrastructure. We have no truth and righteousness to stand on. Besides, we are sick and tired of war.  


Thank you Mr. Bush.  In a strange way, you gave America what it needed most.  The will to say, "No more war."