George H. W. Bush [1924 - 2018]
Last Wednesday, George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States was laid to rest after an elaborate funeral that took place at the Washington National Cathedral. Honoured by a procession of dignitaries and family members, among them all living past and current presidents of the US, the Bush funeral was more of a celebration of life for a president who lived a life that qualified as that of a good politician and statesman. As a demonstration of their respect and love for the late President, Americans thronged to the Cathedral to the point that it was full to capacity.
The essence of the late president was captured by US presidential historian Jon Meacham who described him thus: “George Herbert Walker Bush was America’s last great soldierstatesman, a 20th century founding father.” Bush’s service to his country over six decades was almost unparalleled. He fought as a naval aviator in World War II; was Director of the Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]; served two terms in the US Congress; was chairman of the Republican Party; was the US Ambassador to China and to the United Nations; was Vice President to President Ronald Regan for eight years and was President of the United States from 1989 to 1993.
Internationally, he is perhaps best remembered for the First Gulf War of 1991. When the then Iraqi regime of President Saddam Hussein invaded and annexed Kuwait, Bush went about ending it by mobilizing a coalition of 40 countries. He launched the war only after obtaining the endorsement of the United Nations Security Council. After ousting the Iraqis from Kuwait, Bush also rejected a suggestion to occupy the latter, though he maintained a punitive regime of sanctions on the country. Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad alSabah said in his tribute that “[His support] will remain in Kuwait’s collective memory and will not be forgotten.”
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who served when Bush was president, said, “I believe it will be said that no occupant of the Oval Office was more courageous, more principled and more honourable than George Herbert Walker Bush.” Although he was rich, upper class and patrician, George Bush was also a gentleman with a dedication to traditional American values and humility.
The Bush era was significant in European history because it was during his presidency that the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Former Russian and German leaders paid tribute to him for the role he played in ending the Cold War without firing a shot. German foreign minister Heiko Maas said, “We are mourning a great statesman and a friend of Germany… [Bush] courageously seized the opportunity to end the cold war. He is also an architect of German unity. He supported it from the beginning without reservations.”
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev described Bush as a “true partner”, alluding to the fact that the pair signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991. “We had a chance to work together during the years of tremendous changes. It was a dramatic time that demanded great responsibility from everyone. The result was an end to the cold war and the nuclear arms race. With that treaty the world powers committed to the reduction of stockpiles of long-range nuclear weapons, a deal which heralded the end of the cold war.” Gorbachev punctuated his tribute by saying, “I have a lot of memories associated with this person.”
George H.W. Bush is better appreciated internationally because of what American leadership recently became. Even though he worked for the interest of his country, he also worked to make the world a better place by his pursuit of peace. His administration was not beset by scandals. Senator Alan Simpson, his longtime family friend, said, “He was a man of such great humility. Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C are not bothered by heavy traffic.”