George W. Bush, Jr. grew up in an upper-middle class family in Texas. He regards his upbringing as conservative because, to quote his words, he did not indulge in the permissive cultural trend that swept the U.S. in the sixties taking American society by surprise. Evidences of his conservatism include his continuous calls for respecting parents and family, for refraining from premarital relationships, and his voiced displeasure at President Clinton's behavior, which he described as "frustrating."
George Bush, Jr. is considered to be even more conservative than George Bush, Sr. He very seldom speaks publicly about his private life.
The Compassionate Conservative.
Despite his extremely conservative character, Bush describes himself as a "compassionate conservative," insinuating that he is lenient and sympathetic when the situation calls for it. On the issue of marriage of gays, for instance, Bush has expressed strong opposition and categorical refusal, but he has demonstrated compassion by stating that, "everybody should be treated with respect and dignity." In this way, he is skillfully "maneuvering" to win the election war against rival Al Gore. To achieve this end, George Bush has followed two parallel lines - adhering to the principles of the strict rightist camp while bolstering his position as a moderate. Bush knows only too well that he badly needs the support of the conservative right to get elected, and so he acknowledges his membership among them at every opportunity. He also knows that America needs a balance between right and center, and not increasing conservatism. Seeking to toe the center line, Bush is often ambiguous if not contradictory, perplexing many members of the right who are now asking, "Will George Bush be a moderate like his father, or will he be a 'real' rightist?"
Bush Revives Star Wars.
George Bush, Jr. has revived the issue of Star Wars, which came into existence in 1981 as an initiative by former president Ronald Reagan. He believes America should have weapons capable of dominating future battlefields, and securing America's position as the world leader. In this scenario, America would be the only authority to define the concept of war. He opposes a full ban on nuclear testing which, according to observers, would lead to instability during this post-Cold War era as countries like Russia, China, France, Britain, India and Pakistan have large nuclear arsenals. The Senate actually refused to ratify the agreement on a full ban of nuclear weapons testing in 1999.
Bush also calls for a nuclear defense plan against China and Russia who he regards as the archenemies of the United States. He believes that deterrence should remain the first line of defense against nuclear attack.
Inexperienced In Defense
Matters.
George Bush, Jr. has been criticized for failing to provide details on his proposed defense program, reflecting the shallowness of his knowledge of foreign affairs. Al Gore uses this weakness in his favor, accusing Bush of being captive to the mentality of the Cold War era which regarded China and Russia as the archenemies of America and ignored regional conflicts outside of the domain of U.S. strategic interests.
George Bush's ability to discuss foreign policy is not acceptable to most Americans. He is quite eloquent on issues concerning education and the economy, but he has little to say when it comes to foreign relations. If you want to know his views on foreign policy, you must look at those of his advisers and his father's friends - most of whom are motivated by economic and not humanitarian interests. Karen Hughes, his public relations manager, described him in her recently published 253-page book as having few specific views regarding particular policies - instead, he has rather vague dreams about our moving towards a better country. An example of this would be his emphasis on the importance of reading yet his failure to name any book other than the Bible that he has actually read.
George W. Bush, Jr. justifies his advocacy of an extensive missile program comparing it to that called for by Clinton which he calls incomplete and lacking cohesion. He emphasizes that, as the prospective president of the United States, he simply wants to defend his country, and its overseas allies and interests.
Penny-pinching Policies.
When George W. Bush, Jr. talks about the environment, he warns that three scientists are still not quite sure that the greenhouse effect actually poses a significant problem. Bush will not spend a single dollar on the environment unless he is completely certain that there is a clear and present danger to it. When it comes to education, Bush says more tax dollars should not go into the coffers of schools before they can eliminate cheating in exams. As to health care, he believes that the government cannot be trusted, because bureaucracies are accustomed to squandering and abusing public funds. However, Bush will not hesitate before forking out billions of dollars to the Department of Defense, considered already to be one of the largest strategic establishments in the world
