Lecture 10: The Bush Presidency and Beyond

9/11 Attacks and the Response

  • On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced the largest terrorist attacks in its history.
  • Four airplanes were hijacked:
    • Two crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, causing their collapse and resulting in thousands of deaths.
    • One crashed into the Pentagon.
    • One, believed to be headed towards the White House, crashed due to a struggle between passengers and hijackers.
  • The scale of the attacks was unprecedented, dwarfing previous terrorist incidents in the U.S.

Identifying the Perpetrators: Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden

  • Initial investigations quickly identified Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda network as the responsible parties.
  • Bin Laden's Background:
    • Came from a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia.
    • Financed his own army in Afghanistan during the 1980s to fight against the Soviets.
    • Had a falling out with the U.S. after being allies during the Soviet-Afghan War due to the first Iraq war in 1991.
    • Had been living in Afghanistan since the 1980s.
  • The Bush administration demanded that the Taliban in Afghanistan turn over Bin Laden for investigation.
  • The Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist faction in control of Afghanistan, refused to comply due to their close alliance with Bin Laden.

The U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan

  • Following the Taliban's refusal to hand over Bin Laden, the U.S. declared war on Afghanistan and initiated an invasion on October 7, 2001.
  • Initial global support for the invasion stemmed from the shock and horror caused by the 9/11 attacks.
  • The primary goal of the invasion was to capture Bin Laden and dismantle the Taliban leadership.
  • However, the invasion failed to achieve these objectives, as Bin Laden and top Al-Qaeda leaders, along with most of the Taliban leaders, escaped into Pakistan.
  • The U.S. became entangled in a protracted guerrilla war with the Taliban, lasting for many years.
  • Bin Laden was eventually found and killed in Pakistan during the Obama presidency, separate from the conflict in Afghanistan.

Reactions to 9/11

  • Varied significantly across the political spectrum, revealing underlying ideological divides.

Jerry Falwell's Interpretation (Religious Fundamentalist View)

  • Attributed 9/11 to God's anger over societal issues such as:
    • Paganism
    • Abortion
    • Feminism
    • Homosexuality
    • The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
    • Efforts to secularize America
  • Falwell's perspective mirrored Islamic fundamentalist views by portraying the attacks as part of a religious struggle.

Howard Zinn's Interpretation (Leftist View)

  • Argued that terrorism was rooted in deep grievances against the U.S., stemming from:
    • The stationing of troops in Saudi Arabia
    • Sanctions against Iraq
    • U.S. support for Israel's occupation of Palestinian land
  • Zinn's analysis suggested that the attacks were a response to flawed U.S. foreign policies in the Middle East.
  • Discounted religious or fundamentalist motivations.

Counterarguments to Zinn's View

  • The attacks cannot be solely attributed to blowback from U.S. foreign policy, as other regions subjected to worse U.S. actions (e.g., Latin America) did not exhibit similar responses.
  • There existed a significant religious element, particularly Islamic fundamentalism.
  • Bin Laden himself framed the conflict through an Islamic fundamentalist lens.

Bin Laden's Justification: A Historical Perspective

  • Bin Laden argued that the West had been at war with the Muslim world for over 80 years, dating back to around 1921.
  • This timeframe corresponds to the aftermath of World War I and the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire.
  • Specifically, he pointed to the abolition of the caliphate by the Turkish government in 1924 as a major offense.
    • The caliphate symbolized the union of religious and political authority for over 1300 years.
    • Its elimination, influenced by Western intervention, was seen as an act of war against Islam.
  • Bin Laden viewed these events through the lens of Islamic fundamentalism, justifying the 9/11 attacks as a response to Western aggression.

The Appeal of Totalitarian Ideologies

  • Both religious and secular totalitarian ideologies (e.g., Islamic fundamentalism, Nazism, Communism) offer:
    • Answers about the afterlife (in the case of religious ideologies).
    • A sense of certainty and control in a complex world.
    • Strong, dictatorial figures who make decisions for their followers.
  • These ideologies appeal to individuals seeking structure and guidance.

Christian Fundamentalism and Support for Israel

  • A curious phenomenon is the strong support for Israel among Christian fundamentalists in the U.S.
  • This is unusual given historical anti-Semitism within Christian fundamentalism.
  • This shift is largely based on specific interpretations of the Book of Revelation.
  • These interpretations outline three conditions for the return of Jesus:
    • The existence of a state of Israel
    • The rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem
    • An attack on Israel by its enemies
  • Some Christian fundamentalists believe that supporting Israel will fulfill these prophecies.
  • The ultimate goal is not necessarily to protect Jews, but to precipitate the return of Jesus.
    • Jews would then have the option to convert to Christianity, or face dire consequences.

The 2003 Invasion of Iraq

  • The second war with Iraq in 2003 differed significantly from the first Gulf War.
  • Background: After the 1991 Gulf War, UN weapons inspectors monitored Iraqi military facilities to prevent the rebuilding of weapons of mass destruction programs.
  • Saddam Hussein periodically expelled the inspectors, raising suspicions.
  • However, after repeated negotiations, Saddam would allow inspections to resume.
  • By 2003, inspectors felt confident that Saddam did not possess WMDs.
  • Bush's Rationale: In 2003, Bush argued for war, claiming that Saddam was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.
  • International Opposition: The UN and most of the world opposed the war, believing there was no justification for military action.
  • Unilateral Action: The U.S. proceeded with the invasion without UN support, unlike the first Gulf War.
  • Lack of Evidence: After invading, the U.S. found no weapons of mass destruction.
  • Spin and Justification: Bush later attempted to justify the war by claiming Saddam's alliance with Al-Qaeda, but this was also unsubstantiated.

Ethical and Strategic Implications

  • Preventive Strikes: The Bush administration's justification echoes the concept of a preventive strike, which is ethically problematic.
  • False Pretenses: The war was based on false pretenses, undermining international trust and U.S. credibility.
  • Prolonged Conflict: The war lasted for many years, costing significant resources and lives.

Conflicts of Interest

  • The war was marred by obvious conflicts of interest, which were not adequately addressed.
  • Halliburton: A reconstruction contract was awarded to Halliburton, a company where Vice President Dick Cheney had previously served as CEO and from which he continued to receive payments.
  • Textbook Conflict: Cheney's involvement represented a clear conflict of interest, as his decisions as a public official directly benefited a company that was paying him.
  • Public Image: The lack of transparency and ethical considerations damaged the U.S.'s reputation on the world stage.

Misinformation and Public Opinion

  • Public support for the war in Iraq was initially based on misinformation.
  • Misconceptions: A significant percentage of Americans believed that Iraq was involved in the 9/11 attacks, which was false.
    • Clear distinction: 9/11 attackers were predominantly from Saudi Arabia, not Iraq.
  • The war in Iraq diverted resources and attention from the actual perpetrators of 9/11, Al-Qaeda.

Public Relations Disaster

  • The war in Iraq became a major public relations disaster for the U.S.
  • Global Fear: Public opinion surveys revealed that many people around the world feared the U.S. government more than Al-Qaeda.
  • Initial Backlash: Initially directed at Bush, the backlash later extended to the U.S. as a whole after his reelection in 2004.

Bush's Declining Approval Ratings

  • By the end of his presidency in 2008, Bush had the lowest approval rating of any president, including Nixon.
  • Factors contributing to his declining popularity included:
    • The ongoing war in Iraq
    • The handling of Hurricane Katrina
    • The economic crisis of 2008

The 2008 Election and Barack Obama

  • The unpopularity of Bush made it difficult for Republicans to win the 2008 election.
  • Obama's Victory: Barack Obama's victory was significant, given his background (African American, with the name Barack Hussein Obama).
  • Factors in Obama's Favor: The tanking economy and Bush's unpopularity created an opportunity for Obama to win.

Cynicism Towards the Political Process

  • A long-term trend of increasing cynicism towards the political process has been present in the U.S. since the 1960s and 1970s.

Obama and Trump: Outsider Status

  • Both Obama and Trump were seen as outsiders with minimal political experience.
  • Obama: Despite initial outsider status, he later adopted centrist politics.
  • Trump: Had zero political experience, which voters saw as favorable because people are tired of career politicians because of corruption.

Dissatisfaction with Traditional Politicians

  • Voters are increasingly dissatisfied with traditional politicians, viewing them as corrupt and out of touch.
  • The choices between complete outsiders and traditional politicians are unenthusiastic.

Declining Trust in Politicians

  • Trust in politicians is at an all-time low, reflecting a deep-seated dissatisfaction with the political system.