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Team America: World Police accurately summed up the USA under GWB. Lack of understanding of issues followed by reflexive, poorly thought out responses executed by incompetent agents.

That and you can see Dubya's strings...

Sorry, Kirsty, but did you actually write "George W Bush's vision"? Surely some mistake?

The movies Syriana and Rendition seem to epitomize George Bush. They are an accuarate reflection of his thought processes. And he personally had to approve some of the antics prtrayed in them.

Perhaps Michael Moore's movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" may prove a lasting memorial to GWB's tenure of the White House.

The Hummer

I think that, on the surface, America has become more insular and prone towards religious fundamentalism. Having said that it obvious that there are a significant number of intelligent Americans with more liberal, views that did not vote for Mr Bush in either election (even the one he actually won). As a world power, I think that the Americans perceived culture mindset, has turned many non Americans off the idea of America being the policeman of the world and many Americans are conscious of the affects that the Iraq war has had on their standing as honest brokers of peace.

There is no real real artistic image that sums up for me the present 'state of the union', unless something emerges from the dreadful financial state that American economic policy has caused.

In a nut shell I am worried that the Americans perception of themselves has been seriously damaged by Mr Bush and may cause a move backwards toward the Apple Pie and Jesus frontier spirit that most people have been fooled into believing what Americans are really about. They are just human beings after all, aren't they?

Sean Appleby-Simpkin.

Re Bush
The Michael Moore film Farenheit 911 says it all.
The fact that Bush wasted 27 minutes that day - not only the seven minutes reading to kids but 20 more at a photo op afterward - was the most outrageous thing a President has done since Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the Supreme Court.

I can understand why Newsnight might be sending its journalists to New York at the moment, but why on earth it should be flying out 3 or 4 'art critics' at the taxpayers' expense beats me. Have a nice dinner or two together, and raise a glass to all of us back here.

The culture does reflect Bush in many aspects. Go watch "24". Even if cultural trends may not reflect it consciously, they do unconsciously.

However, the arts are lagging behind the news and similar immediate things. (Most news media outlets have not gone into depth involving the bad things Bush has done- but then again, do they ever go into depth?)

This is one of the reasons that my favorite show on TV is "Doctor Who", which, in addition to the great acting, writing and effects is untainted by the current violent, retributive, punishment at all costs trend in the USA.

I believe that for the most part the arts inherently liberal and personally am unfamiliar with conservative artist. Freedom of speech as guaranteed by the American Constitution allows writers and artists to use the arts to criticize the government and that has kept Democrats from fleeing the country during eight years of George W. Bush鈥檚 trampling of other freedoms. We鈥檝e only to look at documentaries by Michael Moore or the HBO documentary 鈥淗acking Democracy鈥� and the works of Bob Woodward. Jon Stewart鈥檚 鈥淒aily Show鈥� and Stephen Colbert鈥檚 鈥淐olbert Report鈥� are fine examples of art pointing out that the emperor has no clothes. MSNBC鈥檚 Keith Oberman and Rachel Maddow are other examples.

The culture of the United States has changed under George W. Bush by the Religious Right鈥檚 use of fear to justify abridging American rights and to promote a particular form of Christianity. The fact that a candidate鈥檚 religion is even a concern flies in the face of why many colonists came to the New World in the first place.

Bush is leaving office having begun two unfinished and seemingly unwinnable wars and the worst economic crisis in 70 years. It remains to be seen how the current economic situation influences art in the United States. It certainly did during the Great Depression when Hollywood continued to thrive and art took on the tenor of the times. How much the arts are affected will be determined by the depth of the recession.

..can art reflect the credit crunch?..

yes take the pile of bricks in the gallery and build a house with it. :)

For a summary of the Bush administration, one need look no further than Ground Zero just to see what an impact President Bush's foreign policies and actions have had, both for the American people and globaly. Film, no. Art, no. Iconic testament to failure to engage policies in an inclusive, consultative and analytical way - yes.

When GWB was elected in 1999 I was working with several US colleagues in the UAE. One asked why I cared who got elected, "because he's now the leader of the Western democracies"? I also had the sinking feeling that we would experience 8 difficult years. Unfortunately, it has been much worse than I could have imagined! The result has been universal suspicion and more than a little distrust of all Americans. As someone who still counts US citizens as my friends, this saddens me. If the negative image of the US as a country is part of the cultural experience, then GWB has become an icon of all the events of the past 8 years?

Nigel CL (8)
Hi,
All our commentators are American and based here, so we haven't flown anyone out.
Enjoy the programme!

Unfortunately, American misdealings in the Middle East go back farther than the election of George W. Bush. The American thirst for oil and their belief that Israel's existance is tied to the Second Coming have influenced American foreign policy. Alternative energy sources will ease the influence of oil, but the Religious Right will continue to have a vested interest in the Middle East.

If a person has any knowledge of the Book of Revelations, it's easy to see that Bush has purposely led America and the world into financial chaos...for at least two reasons. (1) He has a plan for the "New World Order" to be ushered in. That title is a sanitized term for "The Beast System" mentioned in Revelations, chapter 13. He soured the American taxpayer on the Republican Party, PURPOSELY so the "One from the East" will become elected. The Bible tells us that "A man from the East" (Mid-East) will emerge who speaks with flatteries and an eloquent tongue, "who will deceive even the most elect."
(2) By Bush creating such havoc among the world's economic structure, the "One World Economic System" will soon become a reality. Obama has already stated that he would "distribute" everyone's wealth around. The overall plan is to water down the world's economic system, so everyone is equal in wealth. Next comes the I.D. implanted chip!

yes bush jr has changed culture..

he signed the " SECURITY AND PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP OF NORTH AMERICA".....at baylor uni, waco texas 23march 2005..

which is really "THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION"...usa,canada and mexico join in a union(like the EU) ...with a new currency..which will be taking place in the next presidental term...

so yes he has

kind regards
nomorefakenews