For
the last four years, Democrats and their amen corner in the old media
have been trying to lay all the blame for the financial crisis of 2008
on poor old George W. Bush. They want folks to believe that that since
the crisis happened on "his watch," that Bush's policies therefore caused the crisis.
Since we're all about thinking here at American Thinker, that seems to be an example of the error known as post hoc ergo propter hoc -- "after this, therefore because of this." However, in the "thinking" of your garden-variety progressive Democrat, the translation from the Latin is: "after Bush, therefore because of Bush."
Back in the Olden Days, this kind of thinking was considered fallacious -- a failure in logic. Even the old media understood. But here's the deal: the crisis didn't happen only on Bush's watch; it also happened on the Democrats' watch. That's because Democrats controlled both houses of Congress for the final two years of Bush's tenure. Nevertheless, during the 2008 campaign, all Democrats talked about were the "last eight years," as though they hadn't also been in power. Actually, Republicans controlled both houses for only four and a half years of Bush's time in office. If one were to adopt the post hoc thinking of Democrats, one might say that the financial system was doing just fine until Democrats took over Congress in January 2007. Indeed, the Great Recession began about a year after Democrats won the 2006 midterm elections.
Although the financial crisis didn't happen merely because George W. Bush occupied the White House, Democrats would have you believe it. Notice that when Democrats bring up some variation of "going back to the policies that caused the mess in the first place," it stops right there; they don't go on to say what those policies were. The reason why Democrats don't elaborate is because many of the factors that "caused the mess" were created by Democrats -- and some of them had been in effect for decades.
Since we're all about thinking here at American Thinker, that seems to be an example of the error known as post hoc ergo propter hoc -- "after this, therefore because of this." However, in the "thinking" of your garden-variety progressive Democrat, the translation from the Latin is: "after Bush, therefore because of Bush."
Back in the Olden Days, this kind of thinking was considered fallacious -- a failure in logic. Even the old media understood. But here's the deal: the crisis didn't happen only on Bush's watch; it also happened on the Democrats' watch. That's because Democrats controlled both houses of Congress for the final two years of Bush's tenure. Nevertheless, during the 2008 campaign, all Democrats talked about were the "last eight years," as though they hadn't also been in power. Actually, Republicans controlled both houses for only four and a half years of Bush's time in office. If one were to adopt the post hoc thinking of Democrats, one might say that the financial system was doing just fine until Democrats took over Congress in January 2007. Indeed, the Great Recession began about a year after Democrats won the 2006 midterm elections.
Although the financial crisis didn't happen merely because George W. Bush occupied the White House, Democrats would have you believe it. Notice that when Democrats bring up some variation of "going back to the policies that caused the mess in the first place," it stops right there; they don't go on to say what those policies were. The reason why Democrats don't elaborate is because many of the factors that "caused the mess" were created by Democrats -- and some of them had been in effect for decades.
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