L'agresseur de George Bush demande l'asile politique à la Suisse
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: EXCLUSIF | Le journaliste irakien qui a lancé ses chaussures contre le président américain veut se réfugier à Genève.

Le journaliste, qui a lancé ses chaussures contre George Bush, craint pour sa vie en Irak. Son avocat, Me Mauro Poggia, appelle Berne à lui octroyer l’asile afin qu’il s’installe à Genève. Le soulier volant fait des émules chez les commerçants. Sur Internet, jeux et produits dérivés se multiplient.

Mountazer Al-Zaïdi est devenu célèbre dans le monde entier depuis qu’il a lancé ses chaussures contre George W. Bush en décembre. La Tribune de Genève vient d’apprendre que le journaliste irakien souhaite obtenir l’asile politique en Suisse et s’installer à Genève. Emprisonné à Bagdad, il craint pour sa sécurité. >>> Fedele Mendicino | Lundi 19 Janvier 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: Schuhwerfer von Bagdad bittet Calmy-Rey um Asyl in der Schweiz

Der irakische Journalist, der den US-Präsidenten George W. Bush mit Schuhen beworfen hatte, sucht Hilfe bei Aussenministerin Michelin Calmy-Rey. Im Irak könnte sein Leben «zur Hölle» werden. >>> (bru) | Montag, 19. Januar 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch und Gebundene Ausgabe) – Versandkostenfrei innerhalb der Schweiz >>>

George Bush, positive attitude
leJDD.fr: A quatre jours de l'investiture de Barack Obama, l'heure n'est pas aux regrets du côté de George W. Bush. Le président américain multiplie les discours afin de positiver ses huit années à la Maison blanche. A l'occasion de sa dernière allocution, le futur retraité a mis en avant le sauvetage du secteur financier et l'absence d'attentats sur le sol américain depuis le 11-Septembre.

George W. Bush voit la vie en rose. Il y a encore quelques semaines, le président américain se disait "désolé" pour l'état de l'économie américaine et évoquait son "plus grand regret", à savoir "le fiasco du renseignement en Irak" et l'absence d'armes de destruction massive. Mais à quelques jours de son départ de Washington, George W. Bush a décidé de regarder ses huit années passées à la Maison blanche sous un angle nouveau. Pour mieux aider "l'Histoire à juger son action". >>> Par Marianne ENAULT | Vendredi 16 Janvier 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Relié) >>>

Don’t Misunderestimate Bush’s Record
THE SPECTATOR: Con Coughlin bids farewell to the 43rd President and says that, for all the verbal muddle and ideological fixations, his achievements were substantial

Oh, the fun we’ve had. Not since the Reverend William Spooner dumbfounded Oxford undergraduates have we been so entertained by the garbled syntax and grammatical infelicities that have been one of the more diverting features of the eight-year presidency of George W. Bush.

‘Tell me, was it you or your brother that was killed in the war?’, a question Spooner asked a former student after the first world war, could just have easily been posed by Dubya to an American soldier fresh back from fighting on one of the many front lines in the war on terror.

The debate over the achievements and failings of the eight-year presidency of George W. Bush will last for many decades, but what is not beyond doubt is the fine legacy of Bushisms that will be bequeathed when the 43rd President of the United States finally takes his leave of the White House next week.

My personal favourite is the President’s remark, made in the summer of 2004 when presenting the annual defence budget, that ‘Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.’ Which, given the damage done to America’s reputation by scandals such as Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, not to mention the thousands of unnecessary deaths caused by the Bush administration’s handling of post-Saddam Iraq, contains its own pathos.

Indeed, watching Bush’s performance during his final White House press conference, it was hard not to regard the president as a tragic-comic figure desperately seeking to justify a presidency that, at times, has lurched uncomfortably between the implementation of clear, decisive action and a bewildering inability to grasp the fundamental principles upon which a civilised nation should conduct itself in time of war. >>> Con Coughlin | Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

George Bush Defiant
THE TELEGRAPH: President George W Bush has defended his tumultuous time in office during a farewell address to the nation, asking the country to understand that he had always tried to do the right thing.


Leaving office with the highest disapproval rating since Richard Nixon, Bush said, "You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."

Recalling the 9/11 attacks, Mr Bush declared the United States will "never tire, never falter and never fail." >>> | Friday, January 16, 2009

NZZ Online: Bush zieht Bilanz: «Ich habe getan, was ich für richtig hielt»

In seiner Abschiedsrede an das amerikanische Volk hat US-Präsident George Bush Fehler in seiner achtjährigen Amtszeit eingeräumt. Er betonte zugleich, er habe immer im besten Interesse der USA gehandelt.

(ap/dpa) «Sie mögen nicht immer mit meinen harten Entscheidungen einverstanden gewesen sein», sagte Bush im Weissen Haus vor 200 geladenen Gästen am Donnerstagabend. «Aber ich hoffe, dass Sie zustimmen können, dass ich bereit war, harte Entscheidungen zu treffen.» >>> | Freitag, 16. Januar 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: Ein sichtlich gealterter Bush preist sich selbst

Die geladenen Gäste spendeten ihm Beifall, die Nation weint ihm kaum eine Träne nach: Mit einer letzten Rede hat sich George W. Bush am Donnerstagabend von den Amerikanern verabschiedet.

Einmal mehr drehte der 43. Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten in der letzten Woche seiner Amtszeit eine Ehrenrunde, ehe er nach der Einschwörungszeremonie seines Nachfolgers am kommenden Dienstag als normaler Bürger Bush nach Texas heimkehren wird.

Sichtlich gealtert werkelte Bush auch gestern an seinem Vermächtnis, ein Präsident, den ein historischer Unfall vor acht Jahren ins mächtigste Amt auf Erden gespült hatte – und der die Amerikaner zusehends nervte. Artig aber verwies der Texaner in seiner Ansprache auf die historische Dimension des Wahlsieges eines afroamerikanischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten und wünschte «dem designierten Präsidenten Barack Obama, seiner Gattin Michelle und seinen schönen Mädchen» das Allerbeste. >>> Von Martin Kilian, Washington | Freitag, January 16, 2009

LE MONDE: M. Bush défend son bilan et fait ses dernières recommandations

Jusqu'au bout, il sera resté le président du 11-Septembre. Dans sa dernière allocution à la Maison Blanche, George Bush a résumé, jeudi 15 janvier, les principaux thèmes d'une présidence qui s'achève sur un record historique d'impopularité : "Le Bien et le Mal sont présents en ce monde et entre les deux, il ne peut pas y avoir de compromis."

A cinq jours de quitter Washington pour retourner au Texas, dans le quartier résidentiel de Dallas où il résidait avant de devenir gouverneur et où il vient d'acheter une maison, M. Bush a fait une intervention de quinze minutes retransmise sur toutes les chaînes de télévision.

"Ce soir, mes pensées retournent à la première fois où je me suis adressé à vous depuis cette maison : le 11 septembre 2001", a-t-il dit. "Au fil des années, la plupart des Américains ont pu retourner à une vie comparable à celle qu'ils avaient avant le 11-Septembre. Cela n'a jamais été mon cas." >>> Washington, correspondante | Vendredi 16 Janvier 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Bushs Bilanz: Verlorene Jahre
SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: Nach acht Jahren tut George W. Bush das, was viele Amerikaner sich schon früher gewünscht haben: Er verlässt das Weiße Haus. Wie der 43. Präsident der USA scheiterte.

Wenn die Geschichte ihr Urteil auch noch nicht endgültig gesprochen haben mag, die Zeitgenossen haben es längst gefällt. Es ist ein harscher Spruch: George W. Bush gilt als einer der allerschlechtesten Präsidenten in der Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten. Nur 28 Prozent der US-Bürger sind gegenwärtig noch froh, ihn als Präsidenten zu haben. Richard Nixon, der mit Schimpf und Schande aus dem Weißen Haus gejagt wurde, hatte mit 27 Prozent nicht wirklich viel schlechtere Werte.

Bush selbst tröstet sich mit dem Verweis auf Harry Truman. Dieser ging auf dem Höhepunkt des Korea-Kriegs mit ähnlich niederschmetternden Umfragewerten aus dem Amt. Mit dem Abstand eines halben Jahrhunderts aber gilt Truman als einer der besseren Präsidenten der Weltmacht. Immerhin hatte er eine Sicherheitsarchitektur hinterlassen, die der Menschheit einen dritten Weltkrieg ersparte. Was aber hinterlässt Bush? >>> Von Reymer Klüver, Washington | Donnerstag, 15. Januar 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>

Miliband 'Kicks Bush in the Teeth'!
BBC: The idea of a "war on terror" is a "mistake", putting too much emphasis on military force, Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said.

Writing in the Guardian, Mr Miliband said the idea had unified disparate "terrorist groups" against the West.

He said the right response to the threat was to champion law and human rights - not subordinate it.

Mr Miliband is due to repeat the views in a speech later in Mumbai, India, the scene of attacks by gunmen last year.

Mr Miliband's warning comes five days before the end of US President George Bush's administration, which has led the so-called "war on terror".

The foreign secretary wrote that since 9/11 the phrase "war on terror" had "defined the terrain" when it came to tackling terrorism and that although it had merit, "ultimately, the notion is misleading and mistaken".

The phrase was first used by President Bush in an address to a joint session of Congress on 20 September 2001, in the aftermath of the attacks on New York and Washington.

Mr Miliband wrote that the phrase was all-encompassing and "gave the impression of a unified, transnational enemy, embodied in the figure of Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda" when the situation was far more complex. Miliband Regrets 'War on Terror'>>> | Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Laura Bush Was Angry at Obama’s Criticism of Her Husband

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Blair Awarded Top Medal by Bush
BBC: Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has received the United States' highest civil award - the Medal of Freedom - at a ceremony in Washington.

A week before he leaves office, President George W Bush bestowed the honour on Mr Blair for his work to "improve the lives of citizens".

The president praised Mr Blair and thanked him for his "staunch" support for the US after the attacks of 9/11.

Mr Blair's spokesman said the medal was a "great honour". >>> | Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Watch BBC video: George W Bush: 'This man believes in freedom' >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Ackermann fordert raschen Rückzug des Staates
WELT ONLINE: Deutsche-Bank-Chef Josef Ackermann hat kurz vor dem Weltfinanzgipfel in einem Brief an US-Präsident George W. Bush vor einem zu langen Engagement des Staates im Bankensektor gewarnt. Sobald Finanzinstitutionen und die Märkte wieder normal funktionierten, müsse der Staat wieder aussteigen.

Josef Ackermann, der Chef der Deutschen Bank, hat sich an US-Präsident George W. Bush gewandt. In einem Brief warnte der Topbanker vor einem zu langen Engagement des Staates im Bankensektor. "Hilfspakete dürfen nicht die Grundlage für eine dauerhaft größere Rolle des öffentlichen Sektors im internationalen Finanzsystem sein“, schrieb Ackermann in seiner Rolle als Chef des Weltbankenverbandes IIF.

Der im Internet veröffentlichte Brief ist an Bush und Vertreter der 20 wichtigsten Industrie- und Schwellenländer (G20) gerichtet, die am Samstag in Washington über die Konsequenzen aus der weltweiten Finanzkrise beraten wollen. >>> | 11. November 2008

KURIER: "Krise wird nicht mehrere Jahre dauern"

Europa entkommt der Rezession nicht, sagt IHS-Chef Felderer. Billigeres Öl wird die Konjunktur aber anheizen. 2010 ist wieder Wachstum möglich.

Nach Ansicht von IHS-Chef Bernhard Felderer beruhigt sich die Finanzkrise bereits spürbar, doch steht der Realwirtschaft in Europa eine Rezession bevor. Bereits 2010 könnte es aber schon wieder aufwärts gehen und zwischen ein und zwei Prozent Wachstum am Kontinent geben. "Wenn Westeuropa keine stärkeren Probleme bekommt, wird 2010 ein Jahr der Wende sein, und wir werden in einem normales Fahrwasser kommen", meint Felderer. >>> apa / grü | 11. November 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Bush Vows to Stabilise US Economy
Watch BBC video: President Bush said it was ''an anxious time''
BBC: President George W Bush has promised Americans their government is working "aggressively" to steady the economy.

Speaking from the White House, Mr Bush said recent market turmoil was being driven by "uncertainty and fear".

He spoke as world markets tumbled amid rising fears of a global recession, despite interest rate cuts and huge cash injections by central banks.

He also defended a recent $700bn (£410bn) rescue plan for Wall Street, saying that it was big enough.

Mr Bush said the bail-out package he signed into law a week ago would "take time to have its full impact".

Offering no new remedies, he said: "We are a prosperous nation with immense resources and a wide range of tools at our disposal. We are using these tools aggressively."

Acknowledging mounting worry among people about their retirement and investment accounts, he pledged: "Fellow citizens: We can solve this crisis, and we will."

He said the US was working "closely with our partners from around the world" to stabilise the panic-stricken markets. Bush Vows to Stabilise US Economy >>> | October 10, 2008-10-10

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) / Free delivery >>>

Global Financial Crisis: Dark Days for America; Dark Days for the Rest of the Free World
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The banking crisis is upending American dominance of the financial markets and world politics. The industrialized countries are sliding into recession, the era of turbo-capitalism is coming to an end and US military might is ebbing. Still, this is no time to gloat.

There are days when all it takes is a single speech to illustrate the decline of a world power. A face can speak volumes, as can the speaker's tone of voice, the speech itself or the audience's reaction. Kings and queens have clung to the past before and humiliated themselves in public, but this time it was merely a United States president.
Or what is left of him.

George W. Bush has grown old, erratic and rosy in the eight years of his presidency. Little remains of his combativeness or his enthusiasm for physical fitness. On this sunny Tuesday morning in New York, even his hair seemed messy and unkempt, his blue suit a little baggy around the shoulders, as Bush stepped onto the stage, for the eighth time, at the United Nations General Assembly.

He talked about terrorism and terrorist regimes, and about governments that allegedly support terror. He failed to notice that the delegates sitting in front of and below him were shaking their heads, smiling and whispering, or if he did notice, he was no longer capable of reacting. The US president gave a speech similar to the ones he gave in 2004 and 2007, mentioning the word "terror" 32 times in 22 minutes. At the 63rd General Assembly of the United Nations, George W. Bush was the only one still talking about terror and not about the topic that currently has the rest of the world's attention.

"Absurd, absurd, absurd," said one German diplomat. A French woman called him "yesterday's man" over coffee on the East River. There is another way to put it, too: Bush was a laughing stock in the gray corridors of the UN.

The American president has always had enemies in these hallways and offices at the UN building on First Avenue in Manhattan. The Iranians and Syrians despise the eternal American-Israeli coalition, while many others are tired of Bush's Americans telling the world about the blessings of deregulated markets and establishing rules "that only apply to others," says the diplomat from Berlin. The End of Arrogance: America Loses Its Dominant Economic Role >>> By SPIEGEL Staff | September 30, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

All to Be Found on Capitol Hill: Lame Ducks, Dead Ducks, Crap Sandwiches, and Bums!
THE GUARDIAN: The controversy over the failure of the Bush administration's unpopular financial bail-out is infecting every aspect of government and the presidential election campaign.

Eminent reputations lie in ruins; the august institutions of Congress, the treasury, the Federal Reserve tremble; the presidency itself is shaken. In America's year of living dangerously, few will emerge unscathed.

The consensus view, if there is one in so divided a nation, is that the US has suffered a calamitous, across-the-board failure of leadership. The bankruptcy is political as well as economic. This conclusion is widely held among both supporters and opponents of the bail-out.

"Monday's crash and burn of the Paulson plan on Capitol Hill reveals a Washington elite that has earned every bit of the disdain that Americans have for it. This crowd can't even make sausage," snarled a Wall Street Journal editorial yesterday. Black Monday's shambles marked a "historic abdication".

Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives were excoriated for political cowardice, childish disputatiousness, and a selfish desire to get re-elected next month at any cost. It's clear, whatever they do next, the public simply does not trust them to do it right.

"A political establishment held in higher regard may have been able to hold together some kind of coalition of the willing," wrote Joel Achenbach in the Washington Post. "But distrust of the nation's leaders, from the leaders of Congress to the president, foreclosed that possibility." Congress Approval Rating Just 10% as Bush Goes from 'Lame to Dead Duck' >>> Simon Tisdall in Washington | October 1, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Bush Warning over Bailout Delay
George Bush says the cost of not acting will be higher than the $700 billion rescue deal >>>
BBC: US President George W Bush has warned the US economy is at a "critical moment", and vowed to get his Wall Street rescue plan through Congress.

He said the consequences would be "painful and lasting" if the $700bn (£380bn) deal rejected by the US House of Representatives was not passed.

He offered reassurances to citizens of the US and wider world that the current political deadlock would be resolved.

The New York stock market rallied strongly after Mr Bush's statement.

The Dow Jones index closed up 4.7%, recouping some losses from Monday's rout.

European stocks bounced up and down, while most Asian markets finished the day down.

The European Union earlier urged Washington to act and solve the credit crisis, amid fears America was lurching towards a financial crisis unmatched since the 1930s Great Depression. Bush Warning over Bail-out Delay >>> | September 30, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

US-Finanzkrise: Der Kongress rebelliert gegen George W. Bush
Video anschauen: Bush bittet erneut um Finanzhilfe: US-Präsident Bush hat an die Abgeordneten des Kongresses appelliert, das Rettungspaket für die Finanzwirtschaft doch zu verabschieden. Sein letzter Antrag war gescheitert. >>>

WELT ONLINE: Angst, Ärger und Wut: Das sind die Gründe des US-Kongresses, das Rettungspaket abzulehnen. Die Parlamentarier empört nicht nur die Eile, mit der sie das 700-Milliarden-Paket verabschieden sollen. Wütend sind sie vor allem auf den US-Präsidenten, der die gierigen Banker mit Steuergeld subventionieren will.

Um 8.45 Uhr Washingtoner Zeit wandte George W. Bush sich zum dritten Mal binnen sechs Tagen an die Öffentlichkeit. „Ich versichere den Bürgern unseres Landes und der Welt, dass der Gesetzgebungsprozess im Kongress nicht zu Ende ist. Es spielt keine Rolle, auf welchem Weg ein Gesetz zu Stande kommt, wichtig ist, dass wir ein Gesetz bekommen.“ Renten und Löhne könnten gefährdet sein, wenn das Gesetz nicht komme. An die Adresse marktorientierter republikanischer Abgeordneter sagte Bush: „Es ist nicht so, dass wir etwa die Wahl zwischen Staatsintervention und dem eleganten Funktionieren des Marktes hätten. Wir stehen vor der realen Gefahr des wirtschaftlichen Absturzes von Millionen Amerikanern.“

Bushs kurze Rede war die Reaktion auf eine der schwersten Niederlagen seiner Amtszeit. Mit 228 gegen 205 Stimmen hatte der Kongress am Vortag um halb zwei mittags den Kompromiss zum Notpaket abgeschmettert, den das Weiße Haus mit beiden Fraktionen des Unterhauses ausgehandelt hatte. Es war nach dem Scheitern des Krisengipfels mit Barack Obama und John McCain am Donnerstag der zweite Rückschlag.

Diesmal traf er auch die Demokraten. Mit „Nein“ stimmten zwei Drittel der Republikaner (133 von 199), und zwei Fünftel der Demokraten (95 von 235 Demokraten). Gegen das Paket stimmten die Mehrheit der republikanischen Abgeordneten aus George W. Bushs Heimatstaat Texas, ein Drittel der Demokraten aus Barack Obamas Heimatstaat Illinois und alle Abgeordneten aus John McCains Heimat Arizona. Gegen das Paket stimmten eine Reihe der engsten Verbündeten der Demokraten-Fraktionschefin, Nancy Pelosi. Mit „Nein“ stimmten auch etliche parlamentarische Finanzfachleute. Ein Drittel der demokratischen Mitglieder des Bankenausschusses und die Hälfte der Republikaner dort sagte „Ohne uns“. Aus dem Haushaltsausschuss gesellten sich ihnen aus beiden Parteien Mitglieder der Fachgruppen für Banken und für die Regulierung der Kapitalmärkte dazu.

Beide Parteien schafften es nicht, eine eigene Mehrheit für das Notpaket zu mobilisieren; und beide Seiten wollten das auch nicht. Das Bush-Notpaket war politisch viel zu heiß für einen Alleingang mitten im Wahlkampf. Der Kongress rebelliert gegen George W. Bush >>> Von Torsten Krauel | 30. September 2008

NZZ Online:
«Von allen guten Geistern verlassen»: EU nennt Ablehnung des Hilfspakets verantwortungslos

EU-Handelskommissar Peter Mandelson hat die Ablehnung der milliardenschweren Finanzhilfen im US-Kongress als verantwortungslos verurteilt. «Die Abgeordneten sind von allen guten Geistern verlassen», sagte Mandelson am späten Montagabend. Auch der britische Premier Brown zeigte sich enttäuscht. >>> | 30. September 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Bush Says Bail-out Will Be Passed
George W Bush courtesy of the BBC. What does his facial expression tell YOU?
BBC: President George W Bush has said that legislators will "rise to the occasion" and pass the proposed $700bn (£380bn) Wall Street rescue plan.

He said disagreements remained as "the proposal is big and the reason it's big is because it's a big problem".

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said lawmakers would stay in session until a deal was reached.

But rebel Republicans remain unhappy at the plan to buy mortgage-backed assets from US banks.

However there were some positive signs later on Friday, when Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said progress was being made on a financial rescue bill.

She said Congress was "back on track" in its efforts, and that lawmakers would continue to work over the weekend to reach agreement.

And Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat Representative and chairman of the House Financial Committee, said: "I am convinced that by Sunday we will have an agreement that people will understand on this, on this Bill". Bush Says Bail-out Will Be Passed >>> | September 26, 2008

Watch BBC video 1: President Bush on the ongoing bail-out talks >>>

Watch BBC video 2: Senators Harry Reid and Chris Dodd lay out their terms >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Bush Warns of Dire Economic Consequences if the Bailout Plan Is Rejected by Congress

THE TELEGRAPH: President George W. Bush summoned Barack Obama and John McCain to the White House as he warned a failure by Congress to agree to a $700 billion bailout plan would lead to a "long and painful recession"

In a prime-time television address, Mr Bush said America's "entire economy is in danger" and implored Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill to act swiftly and vote for the package. "It should be enacted as soon as possible," he said.

He stressed: "Without immediate action by Congress, American [sic] could slip into a financial panic and a distressing scenario would unfold."

Mr Bush warned that "the market is not functioning properly" and that with a "widespread loss of confidence" major business sectors were at risk. More banks could fail, triggering a recession, pushing down houses [sic] prices and "millions of Americans could lose their jobs". He added: "We must not let this happen."

In the long run, he said, Americans had good reason to be confident in their country's economic strength. "Despite corrections in the marketplace and instances of abuse, democratic capitalism is the best system ever devised."

Shortly after the speech, Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said that the majority Democrats had reached an agreement on the financial bailout plan and there would therefore be enough votes to pass it and send it to Mr Bush.

"We now have between House and Senate Democrats an agreement on what we think should be in the bill, and we have a meeting scheduled at 10 am tomorrow to meet with the Republicans."

Mr Bush explicitly endorsed several of the changes that have been demanded in recent days from the right and left. But he warned that he would draw the line at regulations he determined would hamper economic growth.

"It should be enacted as soon as possible," the president said.

His move was aimed at explaining the package to the American public. Bush said the goal is to help the government buy up troubled assets so that credit can start flowing again and the economy will rebound.

He said the rescue is aimed at helping the country, not individual companies. Financial Crisis: George W Bush to Meet John McCain and Barack Obama on Economy >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | September 25, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Dollar Tumbles as Bailout Hangs in the Balance: The dollar slumped against the pound and the euro after President George W Bush's warning of the possibility of a "long and painful recession" unless Congress supports a bail-out of Wall Street. >>> By Angela Monaghan | September 26, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Bush, Despite Being Part of the Problem, Hails Financial Rescue Plan
President Bush on ''a pivotal moment'' in the US economy >>>
BBC: The US is set to take "unprecedented measures" to tackle the crisis gripping US financial markets, President George W Bush has said.

But he warned the moves, which include spending of billions of dollars to buy up bad debts, would risk "a significant amount" of taxpayers' money.

Legislation for the plan will be pushed through as soon as possible, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said.

The US took action after a week of turmoil on global money markets. Bush Hails Financial rescue Plan >>> | September 19, 2008

BBC:
McCain Criticizes Bank Assistance: US Republican presidential candidate John McCain has said he is against the state bailing out struggling banks and financial companies.

Mr McCain said the US Federal Reserve should get back to its core business of managing money supply and protecting the strength of the US dollar.

His comments came as the US treasury secretary announced a bank rescue plan. >>> September 19, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Fannie Mae und Freddie Mac: Bush will Hypothekenfinanzierer verstaatlichen
WELT ONLINE: Zur Rettung der durch die Immobilienkrise schwer angeschlagenen US-Hypothekenfinanzierer Fannie Mae und Freddie Mac bereitet sich die US-Regierung nach Zeitungsangaben darauf vor, die Unternehmen komplett unter staatliche Kontrolle zu stellen. Die Aktien beider Institute stürzten daraufhin ab.

Wie die „New York Times“ und die „Washington Post“ am Freitagabend berichteten, soll das Management abgesetzt und die Finanzierer mit einem Notpaket aus Steuergeldern vor dem Absturz gerettet werden. Die Geschäftsführungen seien bereits über die Pläne informiert worden, hieß es unter Berufung auf namentlich nicht genannte Regierungsbeamte. Die Führung der Unternehmen solle zunächst einem Verwalter übertragen werden. Bush will Hypothekenfinanzierer verstaatlichen >>> | 6. September 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Bush Calls for Offshore Drilling
Watch BBC video: President Bush calls on Congress to lift the ban >>>
BBC: President George W Bush has called on Congress to end a 27-year ban on drilling for oil in US coastal waters, to reduce dependence on imports.

Mr Bush said existing restrictions on offshore drilling were "outdated and counter-productive".

His move comes as US consumers are calling for action to tackle high oil prices that have pushed prices at the pump to more than $4 (£2) a gallon.

US energy needs are set to be a key issue in November's presidential poll.

Republican John McCain favours offshore oil drilling, whereas his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, opposes it. Bush Calls for Offshore Drilling >>> | June 18, 2008

Cross-posted at A New Dark Age Is Dawning >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US)

Bush’s Empty Rhetoric on the Need for a Stronger Dollar
TIMESONLINE: President Bush issued a call for a rise in the value of the US dollar on currency markets yesterday in a signal of mounting official alarm in Washington about the effect of the slumping greenback on the world’s largest economy.

In an exclusive interview with The Times on the eve of the United States-European Union summit in Slovenia, Mr Bush expressed concern about the dollar’s continuing weakness and said that he favoured an appreciation in the US exchange rate.

“We want the dollar to strengthen,” he said on Air Force One as it crossed the Atlantic bound for the summit.

The President did not suggest that the United States was preparing to back its rhetoric on the dollar with any formal intervention in the exchange markets. He said that the “relative evaluations of economies will lead to that dollar strengthening”. President Bush Betrays Fears over Economy with Strong Dollar Call >>> By Gerard Baker and Tom Baldwin on board Air Force One | June 10, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)