Making Presidential HistoryDavid Greenberg discusses what George W. Bush's legacy will be.

(Continued from page 3)

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New York: Wow David! I just lost tons of respect for you—you really do not love this country if you do not respect the flag and the office of the president of the United States of America. If you think name calling is healthy. Whose side are you on sir?

David Greenberg: This question is an example of the sort of name calling that I do not respect.

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Reisterstown, Md.: George Bush may indeed move history—just not the way he intended. Bin Laden successfully incited us into open aggression against the Muslim world. Conversely, Bush's off-kilter intervention in Iraq may yet embroil the Muslim world in all-out civil war. The immediate downside of that, for us, is that it affects our oil supply. But maybe that's a good thing, since burning oil is bad for the atmosphere, and we were running out of it anyway. Taking into account our dependence on it (my house will be worthless without gas for my car), the Bush Administration is accelerating tremendous change. I just don't think it's change they foresaw.

David Greenberg: Neocons warned against unintended consequences of sweeping policies. This may be one such unintended consequence.

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Philadelphia: Just gotta say to New York: Yes, we should show the office of the president respect. However, the man in that office prefers to go by Dubya, and flashed the Texas Hook'em Horns at his inaugeration, so I think we're okay using "W" or "Bushies" or just "Bush".

David Greenberg: Well said (if not well spelled). The general tenor of our political discourse has become much looser and more informal over the years. A certain amount of informality is fine and normal and shouldn't be seen as disrepectful. And people can also make distinctions between the office of the presidency and the person who occupies it. You can respect the office even as you lose respect for the individual.

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Arlo, Iowa: Mr. Greenberg:

What has the President, in your opinion, done right in his two and a half terms?

If the answer is "nothing" than you will be seen more as a political ideologue and not a historian.

I would like to hear from the later!

David Greenberg: Running out of time here, but the first thing that leaps to mind is the initial decision to go after the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after 9/11.

Am I still a historian? Please let me know!

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Freising, Germany: Iraq and Middle East politics may still be up in the air, but in a hundred years from now, if pessimistic forecasts come true, it may actually be global warming that most defines this administration.

David Greenberg: Provocative thought. Of course, if global warming is going to be the end of us, it will require the continued passivity of future administrations as well.

Now I'm really out of time. So long, folks. Thanks for the questions; I hope at least some of you found at least some of my replies to be interesting.

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