George Bush Jr. is a Republican and the 43rd President of the United States. He was elected to this post twice, taking office for the first time in 2001. His presidential term ended in 2009. 8 years of his reign were marked by the beginning of the US war on terrorism in the world (which resulted in 2 large-scale military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan), the introduction the famous “axis of evil” phrase, a massive reduction in the tax burden for Americans, a mortgage crisis that led to a global liquidity crisis, in addition, unsurpassed statements, popularly called “Bushisms.”
Childhood
George Walker Bush was born in New Haven on July 6, 1946 to George Herbert Walker and Barbara Bush. The father at that time was a student at Yale University, later he was the director of the CIA, as well as the 41st President of the United States. The boy's childhood passed in Texas, in the cities of Houston and Midland.
Training
George Bush, Jr., at the age of fifteen, was assigned to a boarding school for boys (Phillips Academy), located in Massachusetts; after graduating, he followed in his father's footsteps by attending Yale University. Therehe studied mediocrely, but in 1968 he received a bachelor's degree.
Career
After completing his training, George W. Bush joined the Texas National Guard. There, until 1973, he served as an Air Force pilot. The next 2 years were spent studying at Harvard Business School, from where he graduated with a master's degree in business administration. Then he returned to the Midland again, after which he went into business. At the same time, unlike his father, he did not succeed in the oil business: he brought his already small business almost to bankruptcy. Here quite serious problems with alcohol had a certain influence - they accompanied George W. Bush Jr. until his fortieth birthday.
1986
The future president's life changed dramatically in 1986. Then he put an end to his alcohol addiction, after which his affairs went slowly uphill (Bush admits that his life lacked purposefulness until the age of 40). Then he managed to agree on the merger of his company with another, larger one, on favorable terms for him. Together with partners in 1989, he acquired the Texas Rangers (baseball club). Investment in this purchase in the amount of 600 thousand dollars of borrowed funds in a few years brought him 15 million dollars.
Governor of Texas
Soon, George Bush Jr. was also able to succeed in the political arena: in 1994 he was elected governor of Texas, and after 4 years he was re-elected to the same post. G. BushIn 1999, he announced his desire to run for the presidency of the country. A year later, he won a very contentious election that was accompanied by lengthy legal proceedings, as well as a scandalous recount of the votes received.
US President
The new president's initial program focused on US domestic politics, including massive education reform and tax cuts. The focus of his presidential administration's efforts shifted sharply after 2001, when the bloodiest terrorist attack in world history took place on September 11th. President George W. Bush then declared a "war on terror". After that, in 2001, an operation was carried out in Afghanistan, which ended with the overthrow of the Taliban regime. It is worth noting that the foreign policy of George W. Bush was then carried out on the basis of the "Bush Doctrine", which implies unilateral actions without the approval of the international community and inflicting preventive strikes on the enemy. Bush's antiterrorist policy also developed within the country itself, after which the powers of law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies were significantly expanded.
George W. Bush Domestic Policy
Bush in the domestic policy of the country advocated a reduction in interference in the life of society by the executive branch. The fact that the president understood the international situation very poorly, all the time became an object of ridicule, his popularity did not interfere and even served as a basis for comparing him with Ronald Reagan. The domestic political program of the president was very attractive to different groups of voters. In addition to reducing the tax burden, he also put forward a number of initiatives in the field of education and pensions, which were considered the strong point of the Democrats.
Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, US troops entered Iraq, which, according to George W. Bush, along with Iran and North Korea, was part of the "axis of evil." It is worth noting that the basis for the attack was the information that the regime of S. Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. But as a result, this was not confirmed. In May 2003, the combat phase of the operation ended, but no decisive success was achieved in the post-war settlement.
Among the significant elements of Bush's policy are also multilateral consultations on China's nuclear program, as well as participation in the settlement of the conflict in Israel. Bush was able to establish friendly relations with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, but this did not lead to a resolution of the contradictions that exist between Russia and the United States.
Second term of presidency
George Bush Jr., whose policies were constantly criticized abroad and at home, was re-elected for a 2nd term in 2004, then defeating John Kerry, a Democratic senator. During the 2nd Bush administration, the main directions of the country's policy did not change significantly. He continued the fight against terrorism in the country, as well as the policy of reducing taxes. President at foreign policydirection, he tried to overcome the disagreements that appeared with his European allies, which arose due to US actions in Iraq. In 2005, Bush attended the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in Moscow. By the end of 2005, observers noted a significant decline in his level of popularity among Americans, which was mainly due to his policy towards Iraq.
Lebanon-Israeli conflict
The Lebanese-Israeli conflict that occurred in 2006 became another reason for disagreement with Europe's allies: the United States supported Israel without joining the demands for a ceasefire. George Bush Jr., President of the United States, considered the confrontation between the Hezbollah group and Israel as part of the war on terrorism.
In 2006, the Republican Party lost the midterm elections, after which the Democrats took control of the two houses of Congress. Bush, under their pressure, was forced to fire the Pentagon's most unpopular minister, Donald Rumsfeld. Observers for the most part expected a change in Iraqi strategy, including the withdrawal of troops, but in 2007 the president announced the dispatch of new forces there.
Relations with Russia
It should be noted that 2007 was marked by an increase in tension in relations between Russia and the United States: the leadership of our country, headed by V. V. Putin criticized the American foreign policy, including the possibility of deployingEastern European countries of the missile defense system.
During the hostilities in South Ossetia, Bush condemned Russia's actions, calling Russia's military intervention a "disproportionate" use of force, and threatened our country with international isolation, as well as exclusion from the so-called G8. At the same time, Bush considered the news of the recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia irresponsible, condemned the Russian side and called on it to reconsider this decision.
Bush in 2008 supported John McCain in the presidential election. But McCain lost to Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee.
George Bush Jr., whose biography is described in this article, officially resigned as president on January 20, 2009, when the 44th, the new US president was sworn in during the inauguration in Washington.
Personal qualities
Among the personal qualities of George W. Bush, his unique ability to find a compromise was singled out - he demonstrated it even during his governorship. Bush, adhering to conservative views, avoided extremes. What he lacked in political knowledge he skillfully compensated for with his personal charm, and this played a major role in his tremendous electoral success. George is married and the father of 2 twin daughters.
