Criticism of George H.W Bush
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Before, during, after - and continuing today there has been criticism of George H.W Bush, he has been criticized for a range of topics from breaking his 'No New taxes pledge', The Gulf War, handling of aids, Handling of Los Angeles riots, invasion of Panama, Early 90s recession, and a tepid response to The Tienanmen square Massacre.
No new taxes
Bush pledged 'No New Taxes' as the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans after he accepted the nomination on August 18.
Although he did oppose the creation of new taxes as president, the Democratic-controlled Congress proposed increases in existing taxes as a way to reduce the national budget deficit. Bush negotiated with Congress for a budget that met his pledge, but was unable to make a deal with a Senate and House. Bush later compromised as part of The 1990 budget agreement.[1]
Through out The presidential election campaign, Pat Buchanan repeatedly cited the pledge as an example of a broken promise in the Republican primaries. In the general election, Democratic nominee Bill Clinton, running as a moderate, also cited the quotation and questioned Bush's trustworthiness.[2] Bush lost his bid for re-election to Clinton, prompting many to suggest his failure to keep the "no new taxes" pledge as the primary reason for his defeat.[3]
Gulf War
American historian and Socialist activist Howard Zinn in his book 'A People's History of the United States' argues The Gulf War was about maintaining strategic and economic interests in The Middle East after The Cold War, especially access to oil. Rather than seeing the war as morally necessary, he framed it as an assertion of American global military power.[4]
Zinn highlights how Bush avoided any negotiations with Iraq.[5]
There had been several chances to negotiate an Iraqi withdraw from Kuwait right after the invasion, including an Iraqi proposal reported on August 29 by Newsday correspondent Knut Royce. but there was no response from the United States. When Secretary of State James Baker went to Geneva to meet with Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz, the instructions from Bush was "no negotiations'
Zinn also argues Bush got involved in The War to help boost his popularity.[6]
George Bush needed something at this point to boost his popularity among American voters. The Washington post (October 16, 1990) had a front-page story headline: "Poll Shows Plunge in Public Confidence: Bush's Rating Plummets": The Post reported (October 28): Some observers in his own party worry that the president will be forced to initiate combat to prevent further erosion of his support at home."
Iran-contra pardons
Bush pardoned six individuals involved in the Iran-Contra affair, including former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane. These pardons raised questions about accountability for actions. taken during the scandal.[7]
1992 Los Angeles riots
Bush faced criticism for waiting five days to visit Los Angeles during the riots and for his decision to send federal troops to restore order, which some viewed as an overreach.[8]
Invasion of Panama
Noam Chomsky argues that the official rationale of removing Manuel Noriega for drug trafficking and restoring democracy, was largely a pretext. In his view, Noriega had long been tolerated and even previously worked with U.S. intelligence.[9]
Zinn describes The Invasion of Panama as.[10]
Noriega's regime was corrupt, brutal, and authoritarian, but President Reagan and Vice-President Bush had overlooked this because Noriega was useful to the United States. He cooperated with the CIA in many ways, such as offering Panama as a base for contra operations against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua and meeting with Colonel Oliver North to discuss sabotage targets in Nicaragua.
Early 90s recession
The impacts of the recession contributed in part to the 1992 U.S. presidential election victory of Bill Clinton over Bush. [11][12]
Tepid response to The Tiananmen Square massacre
Bush’s response to the Tiananmen Square massacre was criticized because, although his administration condemned the violence and imposed limited sanctions, it continued diplomatic engagement with China, including sending high-level officials to Beijing soon after the crackdown, which some critics viewed as prioritizing relations with China over stronger action for human rights.[13][14][15]
Criticism of the Americans with disabilities act of 1990
Senator Jesse Helms argued that the law could impose significant costs on employers and small businesses by requiring workplace accommodations and accessibility changes. He critically labeled it "Lawyers Relief Act of 1989". [16]
Criticism the Clean Air Act of 1990
Zinn views the Act as limited and did not fundamentally challenge corporate power or the economic system that caused pollution.[17]
Contaminated drinking water had caused over 100,000 illnesses between 1971 and 1985, according to an EPA report. But in Bush’s first year in office, while the EPA received 80,000 complaints of contaminated drinking water, only one in a hundred was investigated. And in 1991 and 1992, according to a private environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, there were some 250,000 violations of the Safe Water Drinking Act (which had been passed during the Nixon administration).
References
- ↑ "Actions – H.R.5835 – 101st Congress (1989–1990)". Congress.gov, Library of Congress.
- ↑ Ifill, Gwen (August 22, 1992). "The 1992 Campaign: The Democrats; Clinton Says Bush Is Untrustworthy on Jobs and Taxes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-26. Retrieved December 12, 2023. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Ratcliffe, R.G. (6 December 2018). "The Economy and 'Read My Lips,' Not Ross Perot, Cost President Bush His 1992 Reelection". www.texasmonthly.com. Texas Monthly. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ↑ Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States (2003 ed.), HarperCollins, Epilogue: "Carter-Reagan-Bush".
- ↑ Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492–Present. Rev. ed. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2003, p. 596. ISBN 978-0-06-052837-9.
- ↑ Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, Harper Perennial Modern Classics, pp. 594–595.
- ↑ "The Pardons". Understanding the Iran-Contra Affair (Brown University). Retrieved 2026-06-20.
- ↑ "Riots in the City of Angels". Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Chomsky, Noam. (1991). "The Post-Cold War Era". In Deterring Democracy. Hill and Wang. Chapter 5.
- ↑ Zinn, Howard (2003). A People's History of the United States: 1492–Present (Revised and Updated ed.). Harper Perennial. p. 592. ISBN 978-0-06-052842-3. Search this book on
- ↑ Gallup. "Americans Today Remember a Better Economy in 1992 Than What They Felt at the Time." Gallup, https://news.gallup.com/poll/2629/americans-today-remember-better-economy-1992-than-what-they-felt-time.aspx.
- ↑ Washington Post. "Clinton Must Continue to Focus on the Economy." The Washington Post, November 8, 1992, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1992/11/08/clinton-must-continue-to-focus-on-the-economy/d0d22f75-bbb4-4cd0-96ce-9c46d85d065b/.
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. "The Tiananmen Square Incident, 1989." The source describes the Tiananmen crackdown, the Bush administration's condemnation of the violence, and the U.S. response, including suspension of some military ties and sanctions. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/tiananmen-square
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. "New Global Problems Emerge." The source discusses U.S. foreign policy after the Cold War, including Bush's decision to maintain engagement with China and the controversy surrounding the July 1989 secret mission by Brent Scowcroft and Lawrence Eagleburger to Beijing. https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/globaleproblems
- ↑ The Washington Post. "Bush Defends Sending Secret Mission to China." December 22, 1989. The article covers criticism of Bush's decision to send senior officials to China after the Tiananmen crackdown and Bush's defense of maintaining diplomatic communication. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1989/12/22/bush-defends-sending-secret-mission-to-china/6d37e7d4-b31b-4962-8258-e9bdd20e7d41/
- ↑ National Council on Disability (2010). Equality of Opportunity: The Making of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Report). National Council on Disability.
- ↑ Zinn, Howard (2003). "Carter–Reagan–Bush: The Bipartisan Consensus". A People's History of the United States. HarperPerennial. ISBN 978-0060528379. Search this book on
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