Do you miss the Clinton years of peace, prosperity, and budget surpluses?

Question

I know I do.

Let's look at facts...
Clinton Administration developed the nation's first anti-terrorism policy, and appointed first national coordinator of anti-terrorist efforts.
Clinton Administration stopped the Al Qaeda millennium hijacking and bombing plots.
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to kill the Pope
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up 12 U.S. jetliners simultaneously
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up UN Headquarters
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up FBI Headquarters
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up the Israeli Embassy in Washington
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up Boston airport
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up Lincoln and Holland Tunnels in NY
Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up the George Washington Bridge

Clinton Administration stopped the planned attack to blow up the US Embassy in Albania
-- Tried to kill Osama bin Laden and disrupt Al Qaeda through preemptive strikes (efforts denounced by the G.O.P.).
-- Brought perpetrators of first World Trade Center bombing and CIA killings to justice.
-- Did not blame Bush I administration for first World Trade Center bombing even though it occurred 38 days after Bush left office. Instead, worked hard, even obsessively -- and successfully -- to stop future terrorist attacks.
--Named the Hart-Rudman commission to report on nature of terrorist threats and major steps to be taken to combat terrorism.
-Clinton Administration sent legislation to Congress to TIGHTEN AIRPORT SECURITY. (Remember, this is before 911) The legislation was defeated by the Republicans because of opposition from the airlines.

-Clinton Administration sent legislation to Congress to TIGHTEN AIRPORT SECURITY. (Remember, this is before 911) The legislation was defeated by the Republicans because of opposition from the airlines.
-Clinton Administration sent legislation to Congress to allow for BETTER TRACKING OF TERRORIST FUNDING. It was defeated by Republicans in the Senate because of opposition from banking interests.
-Clinton Administration sent legislation to Congress to add tagents to explosives, to allow for BETTER TRACKING OF EXPLOSIVES USED BY TERRORISTS. It was defeated by the Republicans because of opposition from the NRA.
-Clinton Administration increased the military budget by an average of 14 per cent, reversing the trend under Bush I.
-Clinton Administration tripled the budget of the FBI for counterterrorism and doubled overall funding for counterterrorism

-Clinton Administration detected and destroyed cells of Al Qaeda in over 20 countries
-Clinton Administration created national stockpile of drugs and vaccines including 40 million doses of smallpox vaccine.
-Of Clinton Administration's efforts says Robert Oakley, Reagan Ambassador for Counterterrorism: "Overall, I give them very high marks" and "The only major criticism I have is the obsession with Osama"
-Paul Bremer, current Civilian Administrator of Iraq disagrees slightly with Robert Oakley as he believed the Clinton Administration had "correctly focused on bin Laden.
-Barton Gellman in the Washington Post put it best, "By any measure available, Clinton Administration left office having given greater priority to terrorism than any president before him" and was the "first administration to undertake a systematic anti-terrorist effort"

Answer 1

Definitely. The huge controversy for 8 years was whether the President got a BJ. Cons are so obsessed with Bill's naughty bits.
In 1998, Clinton ordered the bombing of suspected WMD storage facilities in Iraq. 5 years later, we discovered the hard way that the bombing was successful.

Answer 2

Let's look at the facts: In the 1990s the terrorists were committing terror attacks on a smaller scale and training to commit them on a larger scale. Yes Clinton stopped a few but take a look at some of the tools used - - - pretty similar to the tools used today, except that nobody claimed civil rights violations. In the 1990s yes, we had prosperity - just like the 1980s and just like today. Except that we get less help from the Fed today than we did from '97-'99. We had budget surpluses for a short period because Rubin refinanced long bonds with then-lower-yield short bonds, which isn't possible today, because the Fed had to raise short term rates.

Answer 3

Peace? Ummmm.... when was that? was that when our embassies and men were being bombed? or when he let our guys get slaughtered in Africa then ran before the job was finished? or when he was launching missle strikes on Bosnia and Iraq?

Prosperity? ummm I don't know about you but my family took a big hit in the Internet collapse.

Budget surplus? Oh you mean when Bill raped and plundered the military making them lack needed equipment and forcing us to rely on out side contractors rather than having a self sustaining military. just so he could fund useless and broken social projects.

No can't say i miss any of that.

Answer 4

This was the last time when the world looked more kindly at the United States of America.
Because of the blunders and arrogance of the present administration, it may take another generation before our reputation in the world has been restored.
Kutte

Answer 5

I was graduating High School and had my choice of jobs that paid alot more than what I have to choose from now...

My Dad was making lots of money too... and we were what they used to call "upper middle class" which is now equivalent to a unicorn or a loch ness monster...

All these neocons try to tell you that Americans are getting richer on average... which is true... but it's because when you average those billionaire war profiteers in with the rest of the people the numbers are going up... but not for the poor and middle class.

Answer 6

With 20/20 hindsight, we know that the peace was a temporary situation. Clinton's inaction to multiple terrorist attacks on US interests world wide only emboldened them to hit us bad on 9/11. The negative consequences would be dealt with by Bush.

The prosperity was based on a lie. Well, not a lie, but a mistaken belief. I think Clinton himself called it a "New Paradigm." It was a bubble economy that had no basis in reality and popped in the few months before he left office. I'm not blaming Clinton for the bubble nor the bursting. It's just he was incredibly lucky to be the recipient of it during his term and again, have the negative consequences be dealt with by Bush.

Budget surpluses? Again, based on a bubble economy that later popped, federal revenues soared through the roof! Spending went up fast, but tax revenues went up even faster. Again, not blaming Clinton for the deficits that followed, merely extremely lucky timing on his part that the negative effects again hit Bush and not him.

Yes, I do miss them. I'd much rather deal with stupid stuff like Monica then the radical jihadists trying to kill us.

UPDATE - for those who say there were only "Projected Surpluses." I suggest you check the actual record. Clinton had actual surpluses in Fiscal Year 1999 and 2000. Just trying to keep the record accurate.

Answer 7

Yes

Answer 8

Peace? You mean when Al Qaida hit the USS Cole and killed 3 sailors or when Clinton sent troops into Bosnia that were supposed to be home in 6 weeks, then 6 months, then before he left office and THEY'RE STILL THERE? Or maybe the peace that came out of the original World Trade Center bombing in which 6 people were killed? Or the Khobar Towers bombing in Africa that killed over 500? Please could you refresh our memories or do the Clinton years you speak of only exist in the minds of Democrats?

Answer 9

Thanks to Billy Boy, 1/2 the girls in high school now believe it's ok to give head to any boy who want's it, because it's not really sex. Ah! The good old Clinton years!

Answer 10

yes very much so,and at least he had an affair with a women,not a toe tapper in the next stall,makes you wonder why the neocons impeached him