| Revision as of 09:23, 26 July 2005 view sourceFerkelparade (talk | contribs)9,600 editsm Reverted edits by 80.202.248.31 to last version by 172.136.12.145← Previous edit | Revision as of 10:52, 26 July 2005 view source 70.150.36.30 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{ |
{{wiktionary}} | ||
| The word '''bitch''' — originally used for the ] members of the ] species, especially ]s — is more often employed in a figurative sense as an insult for a ] woman, or a malicious, spiteful, domineering, intrusive, and/or mean person. The former specialised meaning is retained and in widespread use among dog ]s and breeders, but derogatory usage has become so prevalent in the last century that the term has acquired a ] ] and is often considered unacceptable by broadcasting regulations and ] manuals. | |||
| {{Infobox President | name=George Walker Bush | |||
| | nationality=american | |||
| | image name=GeorgeWBush.jpg | |||
| | order=43rd President of United States | |||
| | date1=], ] | |||
| | date2=Present (Current term expected to end on ], ]. He will be ineligible to run for re-election) | |||
| | preceded=] | |||
| | succeeded=] | |||
| | date of birth=], ] | |||
| | place of birth=], ] | |||
| | dead=dead | |||
| | date of death= N/A | |||
| | place of death= N/A | |||
| | wife=] | |||
| | party=] | |||
| | vicepresident=] | |||
| }} | |||
| '''George Walker Bush''' (born ], ]) is the current ] of the ]. A member of the ], he is part of the prominent ], which includes his grandfather (former ] ]), his father (former President ]), and his brother (], the current ]). | |||
| Before entering politics, he was a ], involved in the ] and professional baseball (he once owned as much as 12% of the ]).{{an|oil_and_baseball}} He was elected the 46th ] of ], and won the nomination of the Republican Party in the ]. Bush became ], defeating ] ] of the ] in a particularly close and ] ]. Bush was ] in 2004, narrowly defeating Democratic ] ] of ]. | |||
| By extension, the adjective "bitchy" — ''mean'', ''fretful'' or ''querulous'' — and the verb "to bitch" — ''to complain, especially habitually and without any helpful intentions'' — are also used, although they are widely considered less offensive than the noun. Both are however inappropriate in formal language. | |||
| ==Personal life, service and education== | |||
| Bush is the son of George H. W. Bush and ]. He was born in ], ] but grew up in ] and ], ], with siblings Jeb, ], ], and ]. (A younger sister, Robin, died of ] in ] at the age of three.) The family enjoyed the summers and most holidays at the ] in Maine. | |||
| =="Bitch" as an insult against women== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| The offensive usage of "bitch" first appears in the early ]; not particularly gender-specific — since its male counterpart ''dog'' was also in widespread use — it implied sexual promiscuity or ]ness, by analogy with female canids' behaviour during ]. | |||
| Like his father, Bush attended ] (September ]–June ]), where in the 10th grade he was voted 'class clown', and later ] (September ]–May ]). At Yale, he joined ] (of which he was president from October ] until graduation) and the ] secret society. He was a C++ student, scoring 77% (with no As and one D, in astronomy) with a ] of 2.35 out of 4.00. He played baseball and rugby during his freshman and senior years. Bush has joked that he was known more for his social life than for his grades. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in ]. | |||
| It is unclear how the extension to the meaning of a treacherous, malicious or grumbling person was carried out, but they seem to be wholly unrelated; the earliest usage of the term in the latter sense is recorded in the first decade of the ]. This soon became widespread, and in contemporary usage, "bitch" most commonly refers to a woman believed to be excessively touchy, controlling, or aggressive. | |||
| After graduating from Yale University, Bush enlisted in the Texas ] on ], ], during the ], with a commitment to serve until ], ]. He was promoted once, to ], on the November ] recommendation of Texas Air National Guard commander Lt. Col. ], shortly thereafter he went on binge and came back really hung over after the conclusion of the 20th century. He served as an ] pilot until 1972. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] song "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" (]), uses the word "bitch" in this way: | |||
| In September ], he received permission to end his six-year commitment six months early in order to attend ]. He transferred to inactive reserve status shortly before being honorably discharged on ], ]. <small>(])</small> | |||
| :Been a whole lot easier since the bitch is gone | |||
| It has been frequently alleged that Bush skipped over a waiting list to receive a National Guard slot, that he did not report for required duty from 1972 to 1973, and that he was suspended from flying after he failed to take a required physical examination and drug test. These issues were publicized during the 2004 Presidential campaign by the group ] and other Bush critics. See ] for details. | |||
| :Little Miss, Little Miss, Little Miss Can't-Be-Wrong | |||
| This usage — especially employed by a man to describe a woman, but also between women — the word "bitch" is highly offensive and ]. However, "bitch" has lost many of its sexist undertones in some groups when used of a friend. In modern ], it is often used as the female equivalent of male labels such as ] or ]. | |||
| Bush entered Harvard Business School in 1973. He was awarded a ] (MBA) degree in ], and is the first U.S. president to hold an MBA. | |||
| In certain groups "bitch" is also sometimes used by a man to describe any female with whom he routinely partners sexually, whether she is his girlfriend, wife, etc; this usage is common in certain hard variants of urban culture, such as ] and ]. This retains strong sexist undertones and is frowned upon by many, but generally has lost much of its derogatory quality. Many female hip hop artists have even adopted the term simply as a synonym for woman or girl, as in ]'s "Girlfriend wanna be like me, never / You won't find a bitch that's better", ]'s "Do the ladies run this motherfucker? / Put it down for the bitches all across the map", or ]'s "When real bitches get to rockin’, heads knockin". | |||
| On ], ], Bush was pulled over by police near his family's summer home in ], Maine. He was arrested for ], admitted his guilt, was fined $150, and had his driving license suspended for 30 days within the state. , News of the arrest was uncovered by the press five days before the 2000 presidential election. | |||
| ==Other Meanings and Misinterpretations== | |||
| Bush has described his days before his religious conversion in his 40s as his "nomadic" period and "irresponsible youth" and admitted to drinking "too much" in those years. He says that he gave up drinking for good shortly after waking up with a hangover after his 40th birthday celebration: "I quit drinking in 1986 and haven't had a drop since then." He ascribed the change in part to a ] meeting with The Rev. ]. , , | |||
| * The British ] artists ] titled one of their most famous tracks "Smack My Bitch Up". Most fans do not think it is a reference to a woman. Amongst ] users, the major artery used to inject the drug into the arm is referred to as 'your bitch'. When preparing for the injection, the arm is slapped to bring the vein closer to the surface. The euphoric undertones of the song and their similarity to the experience of heroin use further this interpretation. | |||
| * The middle of the backseat of a car, or the back seat of a motorcycle, is sometimes known as the "bitch" seat. Those riding in those seats are described as "riding bitch". | |||
| Bush has said that he did not use illegal drugs at any time since 1974. He has denied the allegation (Hatfield 1999) that family influence was used to expunge the record of an arrest for cocaine possession in 1972, but has declined to discuss whether he used drugs before 1974. | |||
| * The ] (or impériale) is a tuft of hair under the lower lip (without a ], but perhaps worn with a moustache). The royale was historically worn by French officers as a ] or ] of ] ] or ]. In some circles, a royale is also known as a "bitch". | |||
| In taped recordings of a conversation with an old friend, author ], Bush said: “I wouldn’t answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don’t want some little kid doing what I tried.” When Wead reminded Bush that the latter had publicly denied using cocaine, Bush replied, "I haven't denied anything." , ''See also ].'' | |||
| * "Flipping a Bitch" is sometimes a term used for making a U-Turn in a car. | |||
| Bush married ] in ]. They have twin daughters, ], born in 1981. In 1986, at the age of 40, he left the ] and joined his wife's denomination, the ]. | |||
| ==Women reclaiming "bitch"== | |||
| Bush is 5 feet, 11 inches (180 cm) tall. His most common nickname is "Dubya", from the colloquial pronunciation of his middle initial. | |||
| Under the impulse of ], a trend towards "reclaiming" the word arised during the ], using it to celebrate the strong qualities traditionally denigrated by the use of the term. | |||
| A good example of this is the ] song "]" by ], in which Brooks celebrates being a "bitch" as one of many aspects of herself: | |||
| ==Business and early political career== | |||
| In ], Bush ran for the ] but lost to a ], Democrat ]. ], then the former Governor of California and unsuccessful 1976 Presidential candidate, endorsed Bush's opponent in the Republican ]. | |||
| Bush began his career in the oil industry in ], when he established ], an oil and gas exploration company he formed with leftover funds from his education trust fund and money from other investors. The ] hurt Arbusto and, after a name change to Bush Exploration Co., Bush sold the company in ] to ], another Texas oil and gas exploration firm. Under the terms of the sale, Spectrum 7 made Bush its ]. Spectrum 7 lost revenue and was merged into ] Corporation in ], with Bush becoming a director of Harken. | |||
| :I'm a bitch, I'm a ] | |||
| ] | |||
| :I'm a ], I'm a ] | |||
| After working on his father's successful ], he was told by a friend, ], that another family friend, ], wanted to sell the Texas Rangers, his ]-based ] franchise. In April 1989, Bush assembled a group of investors from his father's close friends; the group bought 86% of the Rangers for $75 million. (Bush later appointed one of these partners, ], to the post of Ambassador to ].) Bush received a two percent share by investing $606,302, of which $500,000 was a bank loan. Bush paid off the loan by selling $848,000 worth of stock in Harken Energy in 1990. As Harken Energy reported significant financial losses within a year of this sale (as did much of the energy industry due to the recession of the early 1990s), the fact that Bush was advised by his own counsel not to sell his shares later fueled allegations of insider trading. | |||
| :I'm a ], I'm a ] | |||
| ''See ] for more information.'' The federal ] concluded on March 27, 1992 by Assistant Director of the SEC Herb Janick that Bush had a "preexisting plan" to sell the Harken stock and that Bush had a "relatively limited role in Harken management" and that they did not believe insider trading took place. | |||
| :I do not feel ashamed | |||
| Integral recognition of the female character, with its inherent ambiguities, is expressed not only on by the caring side — ''lover'' and ''mother'', the roles traditionally assigned to women in the ] ], and their idealized extreme in sainthood — but also in their counterparts, whose satisfaction has been often denied. | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ] theory has pointed out that women are often identified by their relationships with others, whereas men are allowed a more independent identity. Social mores reflect this in the abnormal or inordinate character of a woman refusing to marry, as their primordial role was to provide comfort and satisfaction to the "master of the house". By beginning the chorus with "I'm a bitch" and ending it with "I do not feel ashamed", Brooks refuses to feel ashamed of her selfishness, vulnerability and independence, insisting that they can and do coexist with more stereotypically feminine qualities. | |||
| Bush served as managing general partner of the Rangers for five years. He was active in the team's media relations and in securing the construction of a new stadium, which opened in 1994 as ]. Bush's prominent role with the Rangers gave him valuable goodwill and name recognition throughout Texas. | |||
| =="Bitch" and sexual availability== | |||
| In ], Bush took a leave of absence from the Rangers to run for ] against the popular ], Democrat ]. On ], 1994, he defeated Richards, 53% to 46%. | |||
| The early — and largely still extant — usage of ''bitch'' as a sexually available person has been extended to imply subservience towards the user. In the context of ], a ''bitch'' is a lower-hierarchy prisoner, typically physically weak or vulnerable, who is dominated by more senior prisoners and forced to adopt a servile role. According to convention, these inmates are used as sexual slaves or traded as personal property. To call a male a "bitch" usually suggests that he is sexually passive in this manner, whether or not he is ]. | |||
| ==Variants: "Bitchy," "bitchin'", "to bitch", and "beeotch" == | |||
| As Governor, Bush forged a legislative alliance with powerful Texas Lt. Governor ], a longtime Democrat. Bush went on to become, in ], the first Texas governor to be elected for two consecutive four-year terms. (Until ], Texas governors served two-year terms.) | |||
| The adjectives ''bitchy'' and ''bitchin' '' and the verb ''to bitch'' evolved from the noun ''bitch''. All of these derivative forms tend to be less offensive than the noun form, especially where their meaning departs entirely from the insulting meaning of "bitch." | |||
| From this usage of ''bitch'' as "complain", the noun ''bitch-fest'' evolved, to indicate a group people complaining about something together. Used in its verb form, ''to bitch'' is significantly less offensive than the noun ''bitch''. It is not uncommon, for example, for someone to say that they are "bitching" about something, whereas it would be highly uncommon for someone to call themselves a "bitch." Also, although in some contexts "to bitch" does maintain some of its feminine specificity, it is relatively normal to say that a man is "bitching" about something. | |||
| During Bush's terms as Governor, he undertook significant legislative changes in the areas of criminal justice, ] law, and school financing. Bush took a hard line on capital punishment, and received much criticism from advocates wanting to abolish the death penalty. Bush's transformative agenda, in combination with his political and family pedigree, catapulted him onto the national political radar. As the campaigns to succeed ] as president began in earnest, Bush emerged as a key figure. | |||
| The adjective ''bitchy'' has a wider range of meanings, but it also tends to be less strong than the noun ''bitch''. Someone who is bitchy may be merely temperamental or moody. ''Bitchy'' is more likely to be applied to women. When used to describe a man, ''bitchy'' is somewhat feminizing. Alternately, when applied to articles of clothing, it suggests that they are worn to advertise sexual availability. | |||
| ==Presidential campaigns== | |||
| ] | |||
| In ], he declared himself to be a ]. He ] on, among other issues, allowing religious charities to participate in federally funded programs, cutting taxes, promoting the use of ], supporting oil drilling in the ], maintaining a balanced ], and restructuring the ]. In ], he stated that he was against using the U.S. armed forces in ] attempts abroad. | |||
| ''Bitchin' '' was a ] term used in the ] synonymous with the word "cool". | |||
| After winning the Republican nomination, Bush faced Democratic candidate ] ]. Bush took 271 ] to Gore's 266, including the electoral votes of 30 of the 50 ]. Neither candidate received a majority of the popular vote -- Bush took 47.9 percent; Gore, 48.4 percent -- but Gore received a ] of about 540,000 more of the 105 million votes cast. Most of the votes that neither Bush nor Gore won went to ] candidate ] (2,695,696 votes/2.7%), ] candidate ], (449,895/0.4%), and ] candidate ] (386,024 votes/0.4%). | |||
| ''Beeotch'' is a variant pronunciation of ''bitch'' first used by ] rapper ] in the early ]. | |||
| It was the first presidential election since ] in which the winning candidate received fewer popular votes than his opponent, the first since ] in which the winner of the electoral vote was in dispute, and the first ever to be directly affected by a ] decision. | |||
| ''Biatch'', ''Beyotch'', ''Beyatch'' and other creative misspellings are all variants based on the perceived pronunciation of ''Beeotch''. | |||
| ] | |||
| == Trivia == | |||
| The Florida vote, which favored Bush by a slim margin in the initial count, was hotly contested after concerns were raised about flaws and irregularities in the voting and tabulation processes. A series of contentious court cases ensued regarding the legality of county-specific and statewide recounts. After machine and manual recounts in four counties, and with Bush still prevailing, the ] ordered a statewide manual recount of all counties. The Bush campaign appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which, in its mid-December decision in '']'', overturned the decision and halted all recounts. Gore then conceded the election. | |||
| '''Bitch''' is also the name of a ] short story, featured in Switch Bitch. | |||
| In the final official count, Bush won Florida by 537 votes, giving him the state's 25 electoral votes and the presidency. ''See ] and ].'' Bush was inaugurated President on ], ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| In the ], Bush won a second term, an electoral majority by receiving more votes than any president in history, and also received 3.5 million popular votes more than his Democratic challenger, Senator ]. Bush was the first presidential candidate since his father, ] in ] to receive a majority of the popular vote. Bush carried 31 of 50 states for a total of 286 Electoral College votes. As in the 2000 election, there were charges raised alleging ], especially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In 2004 they did not lead to recounts that were expected to affect the result. After a ] -- the second in American history -- failed, a ] challenging the result in Ohio was withdrawn, because the congressional certification of the electoral votes had rendered the case ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| Bush was inaugurated for his second term on ], ]. The oath was administered by ] ]. Bush's inaugural speech centered mainly on a theme of spreading ] and ] around the world. Bush stated in his second inauguration on January 20, 2005: | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| "From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our ] advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?" | |||
| == Years as President == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==Presidency== | |||
| ===Foreign policy and security=== | |||
| {{mainarticle|Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration}} | |||
| ] Prime Minister ] and former ] Commission President ] at ] near ], Sweden on ], ].]] | |||
| During his first presidential visit to ] in June 2001, Bush came under harsh criticism from European leaders for his rejection of the ], which is aimed at reducing ] emissions that contribute to ]. | |||
| In 1997, while representatives of the ] and other countries were still negotiating the Kyoto Protocol, the ] had, by a vote of 95-0, opposed any global warming treaty that did not require binding commitments from ]s. Although the Kyoto Protocol was symbolically signed by ], the acting U.S. ] to the ], in 1998, the ] never presented it to the Senate for ratification. In 2002, Bush came out strongly against the ] as harmful to ], stating: "My approach recognizes that economic growth is the solution, not the problem." The administration also disputed the scientific basis for the treaty. In November 2004, ] ratified the treaty, giving it the required minimum of nations to put it into force without ratification by the United States. | |||
| Bush's imposition of a ] and on ] soft ] was controversial in light of his pursuit of other ] ], and attracted criticism both from his fellow ] and from nations affected. The steel tariff was later rescinded under pressure from the ]. | |||
| In July of ], Bush cut off all funding to the ] (UNFPA). Bush claimed that the UNFPA supported forced ]s and ]s in ]. | |||
| During his campaign, Bush's ] platform included support of a stronger economic and political relationship with ], especially ], and a reduction in involvement in "]" and other small-scale military engagements. However, after the ], the administration focused much more on foreign policy in the ]. | |||
| ]'' in a classroom after being informed of the attack on the ]. He was praised by some for not alarming the schoolchildren, and criticized by others for his apparent nonchalance.]] | |||
| Nearly a month after the attacks, on ], 2001, the United States and its allies commenced aerial bombing and launched a war against ] to topple the ], which the Bush Administration charged with harboring ]. This action had strong international support, and the Taliban government folded quickly after the invasion. Subsequent nation-building efforts in concert with the ] under Afghan president ] have had mixed results; bin Laden was not apprehended or killed, and (]) is still at large. A sizeable contingent of troops and advisors remains into 2005. See ] for details. ] were held on ], ]. There were allegations of flawed registration and validation, and 15 of the 18 presidential candidates threatened to withdraw, but international observers called the elections "fairly democratic" at the "overall majority" of polling centers. | |||
| ] in ], ], ]: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon."]] | |||
| On ], ], Bush withdrew from the ] ], which had been a bedrock of U.S.-] nuclear stability during the ], arguing it was no longer relevant. Bush has since then focused resources on a ] defense system. The proposed system has been the subject of much ]. Field tests have been mixed, with both some successes and failures. It is scheduled to start deployment in ]. A ballistic missile defense system will not stop ]s, or missiles transported by boat or land vehicle. Hence, many critics of the system believe it is an expensive mistake, built for the least likely attack, a nuclear tipped ballistic missile. Bush has also increased spending on military ] and the ] of weapons systems, but cancelled programs such as the ] self-propelled ] system. The administration also began initial research into bunker-busting nuclear missiles. | |||
| ], ] President George W. Bush, and ]i Prime Minister ] after reading statement to the press during the closing moments of the Red Sea Summit in ], ], ], ]]] | |||
| ====Iraq==== | |||
| Since the 1998 enactment of the ], stated U.S. policy had been to remove ] from power in ]. After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration argued that the Iraq situation had now become urgent. The stated premise was that Saddam's regime had tried to acquire ] and had not properly accounted for ] and ] material it was known to possess, potential ] (WMD) in violation of ]. There is debate between supporters and opponents of the war about whether the U.S. had any evidence that Iraq possessed WMD and whether they had any evidence of ties between Iraq and ]. , However, on ], ], the U.S. ] Final Report concluded that, "ISG has not found evidence that Saddam Husayn (sic) possessed WMD stocks in 2003, but the available evidence from its investigation—including detainee interviews and document exploitation—leaves open the possibility that some weapons existed in Iraq although not of a militarily significant capability." See ] and ] for full coverage. | |||
| Bush contended that Saddam might deliver WMD to ] such as Al-Qaeda. Beginning in ] and escalating in spring ], Bush pressed the ] to act on its ] mandates to Iraq, precipitating a ]. He began by pushing for UN weapons inspections in Iraq, which the UN instituted under ]. ] and ] led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. There were occasional lapses in cooperation and limits on inspections set by the Iraqi government, leading to intense debate over the efficacy of inspections. Four days before the commencement of full-scale hostilities, the United States advised U.N. weapons inspectors to leave Iraq, and they departed the country. After Saddam's capture, interrogators asked him, "If you had no weapons of mass destruction then why not let the U.N. inspectors into your facilities?" Saddam replied, "We didn’t want them to go into the presidential areas and intrude on our privacy." | |||
| Within the Bush administration, ] ] urged that the United States not go to war without UN approval. The administration examined the possibility of seeking a ] resolution to authorize the use of military force (in pursuance of of the ]), but abandoned the idea in the face of opposition from the majority of Security Council members and the public threat of a veto from ] (cf. ]). Instead, the United States assembled a group of about forty nations, including the ], ], ], and ], which Bush called the "]". | |||
| The coalition invaded Iraq on ], ], citing many Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq (, , , , | |||
| , | |||
| , | |||
| , | |||
| , | |||
| ), the current and past lack of Iraqi cooperation with those resolutions, Saddam's intermittent refusal to co-operate with UN weapons inspectors, Saddam's alleged attempt to ] former president ] in ], and Saddam's violation of the ] ] agreement. The coalition argued that these resolutions authorized the ]. Other world leaders, such as ] ], disagreed and called the war illegal. The primary stated goal of the war was to stop Iraq from deploying and developing WMD by removing Saddam from power. See ] for full coverage. | |||
| ] off the coast of ], where he delivers his famous ] speech to declare victory and the end of major combat operations in Iraq, ], ].]] | |||
| The coalition was highly successful against the ] Iraqi ], and soon controlled the entire country. After the declared end of major combat operations on ], ], however, an ] caused substantially more problems than U.S. leaders had anticipated. The American public's support for Bush's handling of Iraq declined as the combat wore on. In addition, a ] ] review found no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD, although the report did conclude that Hussein's government was actively attempting to acquire ] that would allow Iraq to produce WMD's as soon as U.N. sanctions were lifted. The report also found "no collaborative relationship" between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda. Bush has defended his decision, arguing that "The world is safer today." Other disputed issues have included questions about the ] of pre-war intelligence reports, ] of the ], relationship to the ], effect on the United States' relationship with European powers and on the role and function of the United Nations, debate over nation building, and the impact on nearby countries such as ], ], ], and ]. | |||
| The decision-making process of the Bush administration was the subject of a classified British document from ], 2002, known as the "]", which became public in May 2005. In it, the British Head of the ], Sir ], reported on his visit to ] in the summer of 2002: | |||
| :There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through ], justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The ] had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for ] material on the Iraqi ]'s record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action. | |||
| Critics charged that the "Downing Street memo" was a "smoking gun" showing that Bush was already committed to attacking Iraq at a time when he was publicly saying that he had not yet made up his mind on the issue. However, Bush disputed this aspect of the Downing Street memo, re-asserting that he had not made up his mind to go to war at the time in question. | |||
| Some ] said the phrase "fixed around the policy" was ambiguous, disputing that, rather than meaning the administration was ] the evidence, it instead simply meant "preparing" the intelligence for presentation. | |||
| From June until October, 2002, there were long, protracted ]s with members of the Security Council. The U.S. finally received a unanimous vote for ]. Then, there were further negotiations to secure a second resolution culminating in Colin Powell's presentation to the U.N. in February 2003. The information in the "Downing Street memo" does seem to fit the timeline for information gathering operations within the Bush Administration. | |||
| ====Military spending==== | |||
| Of the $2.4 ] ]ed for ], about $401 ] is planned to be spent on ]. Adjusted for ], this sum is the highest military budget since the late ], but is roughly comparable to the average during the ]. | |||
| ====Political ideology==== | |||
| Bush's political ideology is generally referred to as ] or ], the latter being a term he has used to describe himself; conservatives have criticized Bush for his willingness to incur large ]s. | |||
| In his 2005 ] he outlined his new ] set forth in the | |||
| . Supporters of Bush see this policy as a necessary rejection of "]" politics and a redefinition of America's role in the ] forum. Critics of Bush see it as a withdrawal of America from the international forum. | |||
| There is some evidence that Bush's foreign policy is heavily influenced by the ] ] ] (PNAC). In ], for instance, PNAC wrote to then President ] saying "American policy cannot continue to be crippled by a misguided insistence on unanimity in the ]" urging the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Many members of PNAC later had prominent positions in the Bush administration which invaded Iraq at a time when other permanent members of the Security Council opposed military action against Iraq. | |||
| ====Management Style==== | |||
| Bush is famous for placing a high value on ], and the result has been an administration with peerless | |||
| ]. However, critics contend that Bush is willing to overlook mistakes made by ]s, as long as they are loyal, and that Bush has surrounded himself with ]. | |||
| ===Domestic policy=== | |||
| ====Faith-based initiatives==== | |||
| In early 2001, Bush worked with Republicans in Congress to pass ] changing the way the ] ]d, taxed and funded ] and non-profit initiatives run by ] ]. Although prior to the legislation it was possible for these organizations to receive federal assistance, the new legislation removed reporting requirements that required the organizations to separate their charitable functions from their religious functions. Bush also created the . Several organizations such as the ] have criticized Bush's faith-based initiative program, arguing that it involves government entanglement with religion and favoritism to religion in violation of the ]. | |||
| ====Diversity and civil rights==== | |||
| Bush is opposed to the ] recognition of ]s and supports the establishment of ]s ("I don't think we should deny people ] to a civil union, a legal arrangement" - ] ], ]), and has endorsed the ], a proposed ] to the ] that would define ] as being the union of one ] and one ]. Bush reiterated his disagreement with the ] ] that opposed civil unions, and said that the issue of civil unions should be left up to individual ]. In his ], ] State of the Union address he repeated his support for the constitutional amendment. | |||
| Even though Bush is opposed to same sex marriages, he became the first ] president to appoint someone openly ] to serve in a Republican administration. Besides appointing ] as the ] to ], he has also appointed five other people that are openly gay. | |||
| Some claim Bush has opposed most forms of ], but expressed appreciation for the ]'s ruling upholding the selection of ] applicants for purposes of ]. Bush has met with the ] as President, but has not yet met with the ] as a group since he became president, though he did address the NAACP at its 2000 convention in Baltimore as a presidential ], and he met with outgoing NAACP President ] on ], 2004. Colin Powell became the first ] man to serve as ] during Bush's first term in office. In 2005 he was succeeded by ], who became the first African-American woman to hold the post. | |||
| ====Economy==== | |||
| During his first term Bush sought and obtained ] approval for three major ]s, which increased the standard ] ] for ] couples, eliminated the ], and reduced ]s, and are scheduled to expire a decade after passage. Bush has asked Congress to make the tax cuts permanent. | |||
| According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, by 2003 these tax cuts had reduced total federal revenue, as a percentage of the ] (GDP), to the lowest level since ]. | |||
| The effect of the tax cuts and simultaneous increases in spending was to create record ]s out of a record surplus, in less than one term. In the last year of the ], the federal ] showed an annual surplus of more than $230 ]. Under Bush, however, the government returned to ]. The annual deficit reached record current-dollar levels of $374 billion in 2003 and $413 billion in 2004, though as a percentage of GDP these deficits are lower than the post-] record set under the ] administration in the ]. , | |||
| In an open letter to Bush in 2004, more than 100 ]s of ] and ] at U.S. business schools ascribed this "fiscal reversal" to Bush's "policy of slashing taxes - primarily for those at the upper reaches of the income distribution". Bush's supporters have countered that, primarily because of the doubling of the value of the ], "7.8 million low and middle-income families had their entire income tax liabilities erased by the cuts." | |||
| According to the "baseline" forecast of federal revenue and spending by the ] (in its January 2005 Baseline Budget Projections, ), the trend of growing deficits under Bush's first term will become shrinking deficits in his second term. In this projection the deficit will fall to $368 billion in 2005, $261 billion in ], and $207 billion in ], with a small surplus by ]. The CBO noted, however, that this projection "omits a significant amount of spending that will occur this year--and possibly for some time to come--for ] operations in ] and ] and for other activities related to the global ]." The projection also assumes that the Bush tax cuts "will expire as scheduled on December 31, 2010." If, as Bush has urged, the tax cuts were to be extended, then "the budget outlook for ] would change from a surplus of $141 billion to a deficit of $282 billion." | |||
| Private ] has decreased significantly under Bush according to the ]. After private employment (seasonally adjusted) peaked at 111,680,000 in ] ], it dropped to 108,250,000 in mid-2003. The 3.4 million ]s lost was the largest ever (since records begin in ]), and the percentage drop was the largest since ]-]. | |||
| The employment level remained below the pre-Bush level until ] ] when it reached 111,783,000 (preliminary). Considering population growth, that still represents a 4.6% decrease in employment. | |||
| ====Social Security==== | |||
| ]) toured the nation to promote his proposal for ] personal accounts.]] | |||
| Bush has called for major changes in ], identifying the issue as a priority early on in his second term. From January through April of 2005, he toured the country, stopping in over 50 cities across the union, pressing his argument that there is a "crisis", a view disputed by critics. Initially, Bush emphasized his proposal for partial ], which would allow individual ]s to invest a portion of their Social Security ] in personal ] accounts. One criticism of this approach was that it would actually worsen the imbalance between ]s and ]s that Bush was pointing to as a looming problem. The main idea behind this privatization of social security is to allow workers to actually own the ] they place into retirement. With the existing social security system, a person who passes on loses all ]s they paid for, and the benefits are non-transferable, even to family. Many Democrats and some Republicans have opposed changes that they view as turning Social Security into a ] program that would be politically vulnerable. See ]. | |||
| ====Health==== | |||
| ] of 2003, surrounded by senators and congressmen.]] | |||
| Bush signed the ], which added prescription drug coverage to ], subsidized pharmaceutical corporations, and prohibited the Federal government from negotiating discounts with drug companies. | |||
| Bush is ]; his aim, in his words, is to "promote a ]." | |||
| ====Education==== | |||
| In January of ], Bush signed the ], with ] ] as chief sponsor, which targets supporting early learning, measures ] performance, gives options over failing ]s, and ensures more resources for schools. Critics (including ] and the ]) say schools were not given the resources to help meet new standards, although the ] said in ], ] that in three years under the Bush administration the Education Department's overall funding would have increased by $13.2 billion . Some ]s are refusing to implement provisions of the act as long as they are not adequately funded. In January of ], '']'' reported that the ] had paid $240,000 to ] political ] ] "to promote the law on his nationally ] ] show and to urge other ] ]s to do the same." Williams did not disclose the payments. | |||
| The House Education and Workforce Committee stated, "As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act, signed by President Bush on January 8, 2002, the federal government today is spending more money on elementary and ] (K-12) ] than at any other time in the history of the United States." | |||
| ====Science==== | |||
| Some ]s are upset over increased immigrant restrictions brought on for ] reasons that have had the unintended consequences of decreasing immigration by foreign scientists. | |||
| On December 19, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law H. R. 4664, far-reaching legislation to put the ] (NSF) on a track to double its budget over five years and to create new ] and ] ] initiatives at both the pre-college and ] level. | |||
| Bush opposes, and has limited the funding of, embryonic ]. Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research was first approved under Clinton on ] ] , but no money was to be spent until guidelines were published. The guidelines were released under Clinton on ] ]. They allowed use of unused frozen ]s. On ] ], before any funding was granted under these guidelines, Bush announced modifications to the guidelines to allow use of only existing stem cell lines. While Bush claimed that more than 60 embryonic stem cell lines already existed from privately-funded ], scientists in ] said there were only 11 usable lines, and in ] that all lines approved for Federal funding are contaminated and unusable. Adult stem cell funding has not been restricted. | |||
| Some scientists have repeatedly criticized the Bush administration for reducing funding for scientific research and setting restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. In February ], over 5,000 scientists (including 48 ] winners) from the ] signed a statement "opposing the Bush administration's use of scientific advice". They stated that "the Bush administration has ignored unbiased scientific advice in the policy-making that is so important for our collective welfare." | |||
| On ], ], Bush announced the largest financial increase to ], ], calling for a return to the ] by ], the completion of the ] by ] and eventually sending astronauts to ]. . Although the plan was met with a largely tepid reception (), the budget eventually passed with a few minor changes after the November elections. In January ] the White House released a new which outlined the administration's ] policy in broad terms and tied the development of space transport capabilities to national security requirements. | |||
| ====Environment==== | |||
| Bush's environmental record has been attacked by most ]s, who charge that his policies cater to industry demands to weaken environmental protections. He signed the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002, authorizing the federal government to begin cleaning up ] and contaminated sediment in the ], as well as the Brownfields Legislation in 2002, accelerating the cleanup of abandoned industrial or brownfield sites. In December 2003, Bush signed legislation implementing key provisions of his ]; environmental groups have charged that the plan is simply a giveaway to ] companies. Bush has pushed for tapping into ] reserves in the fragile ], thought by many to be the last untouched ] left in the US. The majority of said oil is sent to foriegn countries, such as Japan, where larger profits can be made by domestic oil companies. Another subject of controversy is Bush's ]; opponents say that the initiative will in fact allow ] to pollute more than they do currently. Bush has opposed the ] saying it would harm the U.S. economy. Environmental groups note that many Bush Administration officials, in addition to Bush and Cheney, have ties to the energy industry, ], and other groups that have fought against ]s. However, Bush claims his reason for not supporting the Kyoto Protocol is that it is unfairly strict on the U.S. while being unduly lenient with developing countries, especially ] and ]. Bush stated, "The world's second-largest emitter of ] is China. Yet, China was entirely exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol." He has also questioned the science behind the ] phenomenon, insisting that more research be done to determine its validity. (See ].) | |||
| ====Immigration==== | |||
| Bush proposed an ] bill that would have greatly expanded the use of ] ]. His proposal would match ]s with ]s for a period up to 6 years; however workers would not be eligible for residency or ]. Bush opposes granting amnesty for ]s to an estimated 15 million undocumented, illegal aliens currently residing in the USA. | |||
| ===Major appointees=== | |||
| ====Cabinet==== | |||
| {| cellpadding="1" cellspacing="4" style="margin:3px; border:3px solid #000000;" align="right" | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|'''OFFICE'''||align="left"|'''NAME'''||align="left"|'''TERM''' | |||
| |- | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001– | |||
| |- | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2003 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2003– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' ||2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2003 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2004– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2001–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |- | |||
| |] || ''']''' || 2003–2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | || ''']''' || 2005– | |||
| |} | |||
| Bush's cabinet included the largest number of minorities of any U.S. federal cabinet to date, including the first Asian-American female cabinet secretary (Chao). This gives it the distinction of being both the most racially diverse, and, according to the ], the wealthiest cabinet ever. | |||
| There is one non-Republican present in Bush's cabinet: ] ], the first Asian-American cabinet secretary, who had previously served as ] under ], is a Democrat. | |||
| His cabinet included figures prominent in past administrations, notably ], who had served as ] under ] and ] under George H. W. Bush and Clinton, and ] ], who had served in the same position under ]. <br> Also, Vice President ] served as ] under George H. W. Bush. | |||
| ====Other advisors and officials==== | |||
| *] - ] (2005) | |||
| *] - ] (2001–2004), ] (interim director, 2004), ] (2004—) | |||
| *] - ] | |||
| *] - ] (2001–2005), ] (2005—) | |||
| *] Administrator - ] (2001–2003), ] (2003–2005), ] (2005-) | |||
| *] ] - ] (2001–2004), ] (2004); ] (]) | |||
| *] Chairman - ] (2001-2005), ] (2005-) | |||
| *] Director - ] (2001–2003), ] (2003—) | |||
| *] - ] | |||
| *Deputy White House Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor - ] | |||
| *White House counsel - ] (2001–2005), ] (2005-) | |||
| *Advisor - ] (2001–2002) Appointed in 2005 to rank of Ambassador. | |||
| *] - ] (2001–2003), ] (2003—) | |||
| *Personal aide - ] (2002-) | |||
| Among these appointees, Negroponte, Abrams, and Poindexter, along with ] (Special Envoy to the Western Hemisphere for the Secretary of State) were criticized for their roles in the ] and for allegedly covering up human rights abuses in Central and South America. | |||
| ===Major legislation signed=== | |||
| ;] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| ;] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| ;] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] (Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act) (see also ]) | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | |||
| :*]: United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] (CAN-SPAM) | |||
| ;] | |||
| :*]: ] (Laci and Conner's Law) | |||
| ;] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| :*]: ] | |||
| ==Public perception and assessments== | |||
| Bush has been the subject of both high praise and stringent criticism. His supporters have focused on matters such as the ], homeland security, and his leadership after the September 11 attacks. His detractors have disagreed on those very subjects and have also criticized the passage of the ], the ], and the ]. The magazine '']'' named Bush as its ] for ] and for ]. This award is traditionally given to the person considered by the editors to be the most important newsmaker of the year. | |||
| === Domestic === | |||
| ] | |||
| In the time of national crisis following the ], Bush enjoyed approval ratings of greater than 85%. They gradually dropped to lower levels, but stayed above 50% for two and half years . | |||
| During the ] midterm congressional elections, Bush had the highest approval rating of any president during a midterm election since ]. In an unusual deviation from the historical trend of midterm elections, the Republican Party retook control of the ] and added to their majority in the ]; typically, the President's party loses Congressional seats in the midterm elections, and 2002 marked only the third midterm election since the ] that the party in control of the White House gained seats in both houses of Congress (others were ] and ]). | |||
| In ], Bush's approval ratings slowly fell, except for a spike upward at the time of the invasion of Iraq. By late ], when presidential opponents typically begin their campaigns in earnest, his approval numbers were in the low to middle 50s. Most polls tied the decline to growing concern over the ] and a slow recovery from the ] recession. Polls of May ] showed anywhere from a 53 percent approval rating to a 46 percent approval rating. A ] showed Bush's approval rating a 46% for the month of March, 2005, the lowest Bush had ever received. As of July 2005, Bush's approval rating remains at a Presidential low according to a ]. | |||
| Bush's many mistakes while publicly speaking have spawned a new term in America, ]. This is the term used is a word, phrase, or other grammatical configuration unique to the style of President George W. Bush. | |||
| ] ] during the ], ], ].]] | |||
| === Outside the United States === | |||
| Bush has been an unpopular figure in many places outside the United States as a result of his perceived unilateralism, and his perceived insenstivity on key global issues. His popularity fell significantly after the ], which many saw as ]. Polls of Europeans highlighted a "transatlantic split over the war in Iraq". A survey in 2004 found a negative view of him held by a majority of people in ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. In Muslim countries Bush's unfavorability ratings are particularly high, often over 90%. Among the non-U.S. nations polled in a worldwide study, Bush's popularity was highest in ], where 62% reported favorable views. Before the 2004 election, Kerry was preferred to Bush, sometimes by a wide margin, in 30 out of 35 countries polled. After the election, majorities in most countries said that they expected Bush's second term to have a negative impact on peace and security. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *'']'' | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==Media== | |||
| {{multi-listen start}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=George W. Bush Speech - September 11, 2001.ogg|title=George W. Bush's speech on September 11, 2001 about the attacks|description=|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=George W. Bush Speech - September 12, 2001.ogg|title=George W. Bush's speech on September 12, 2001 about the attacks|description=|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen end}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * Graphs of approval ratings, | |||
| * Time-analysis of Bush's popularity. | |||
| * Collection of Bushisms | |||
| * Cornell University article | |||
| ==Further reading and information== | |||
| *Ken Auletta (], ]). , '']'', LXXIX, 53 | |||
| *James Bovard, ''The Bush Betrayal'', (2004) ISBN 140396727X | |||
| *Robert Bryce, ''Cronies: Oil, The Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate'', (2004) ISBN 1586481886 | |||
| *George W. Bush, ''A Charge to Keep'', (1999) ISBN 0688174418 | |||
| *George W. Bush, ''We Will Prevail'', (2003) ISBN 0826415520 | |||
| *John W. Dean, ''Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush'', (2004) ISBN 031600023X | |||
| *Justin A. Frank, ''Bush On The Couch'', (2004), Regan Books. ISBN 0060736704 | |||
| *Ben Fritz, Bryan Keefer & Brendan Nyhan, ''All the President's Spin: George W. Bush, the Media, and the Truth'', (2004) ISBN 0743262514 | |||
| *], ''The Right Man'', (2003) ISBN 0375509038 ISBN 0812966953 | |||
| *H. Gillman, ''The Votes That Counted: How the Court Decided the 2000 Presidential Election'', (2001) ISBN 0226294080 | |||
| *], ''Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President'', (1999) ISBN 1887128840 | |||
| *] and L. Dubose, ''Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush'', (2000) ISBN 0375503994 | |||
| *], ''A Matter Of Character: Inside The White House Of George W. Bush'', (2004) ISBN 1595230009 | |||
| *Stephen Mansfield, ''The Faith of George W. Bush'', (2003) ISBN 1585423092 | |||
| *Richard Miniter, ''Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush Is Winning the War on Terror'' (2004) ISBN 0895260522 | |||
| *B. Minutaglio, ''First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty'', (1999) ISBN 0609808672 | |||
| *E. Mitchell, ''W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty'', (2000) ISBN 0786866306 | |||
| *], '']'' (2004) documentary motion picture | |||
| *], ''Bush Country : How Dubya Became a Great President While Driving Liberals Insane'', (2004) ISBN 0312324723 | |||
| *Michel Ruppert ''Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil'', (2004) ISBN 0865715408 | |||
| *Bill Sammon, ''Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House'', (2002) ISBN 0895261499 | |||
| *Bill Sammon, ''Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry, and the Bush Haters'', (2004) ISBN 0060723831 | |||
| *Webster Griffin Tarpley and Anton Chaitkin, ''George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography'' ( | |||
| *], ], (2004) ISBN 074325337X | |||
| *Ian Williams, ''Deserter: George Bush's War on Military Families, Veterans, and His Past'', (2004) ISBN 1560256273 | |||
| *], '']'', (2002) ISBN 0743244613 | |||
| *Bob Woodward, '']'', (2004) ISBN 074325547X | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{wikiquote}} | |||
| {{Wikisource author}} | |||
| {{commons|George W. Bush}} | |||
| ===Official=== | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ===Speeches=== | |||
| * | |||
| ===Transcripts=== | |||
| * (August 3, 2000) | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * (]) | |||
| * (]) | |||
| * (]) | |||
| * | |||
| * November 13, 2001 | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * (The Oval Office, February 7, 2004) | |||
| * – June 25, 2004 – Real player video feeds | |||
| * – June 25, 2004 – transcript | |||
| * (September 2, 2004) | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{anb|oil_and_baseball}} The White House (2005). . Retrieved June 21, 2005. ''"Owner, oil and gas business"'' ''"Partner, Texas Rangers Baseball Team"'' | |||
| {{start box}} | |||
| {{succession box | before = ] | title = ] | years = 1995–2000 | after = ]}} | |||
| {{succession box | before = ] | title=] ] ]| years=] (won), ] (won)| after=—}} | |||
| {{incumbent succession box| before=]| title=]| start=], ]| }} | |||
| {{end box}} | |||
| {{USpresidents | before=] | after='''Incumbent'''| years=]-}} | |||
| {{potuslists}} | |||
| <!--Categories--> | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| <!--Interlanguage links--> | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 10:52, 26 July 2005
The word bitch — originally used for the female members of the canid species, especially dogs — is more often employed in a figurative sense as an insult for a promiscuous woman, or a malicious, spiteful, domineering, intrusive, and/or mean person. The former specialised meaning is retained and in widespread use among dog aficionados and breeders, but derogatory usage has become so prevalent in the last century that the term has acquired a profane connotation and is often considered unacceptable by broadcasting regulations and Standards & Practices manuals.
By extension, the adjective "bitchy" — mean, fretful or querulous — and the verb "to bitch" — to complain, especially habitually and without any helpful intentions — are also used, although they are widely considered less offensive than the noun. Both are however inappropriate in formal language.
"Bitch" as an insult against women
The offensive usage of "bitch" first appears in the early 15th century; not particularly gender-specific — since its male counterpart dog was also in widespread use — it implied sexual promiscuity or lewdness, by analogy with female canids' behaviour during estrus.
It is unclear how the extension to the meaning of a treacherous, malicious or grumbling person was carried out, but they seem to be wholly unrelated; the earliest usage of the term in the latter sense is recorded in the first decade of the 20th century. This soon became widespread, and in contemporary usage, "bitch" most commonly refers to a woman believed to be excessively touchy, controlling, or aggressive.
The Spin Doctors song "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" (1991), uses the word "bitch" in this way:
- Been a whole lot easier since the bitch is gone
- Little Miss, Little Miss, Little Miss Can't-Be-Wrong
This usage — especially employed by a man to describe a woman, but also between women — the word "bitch" is highly offensive and sexist. However, "bitch" has lost many of its sexist undertones in some groups when used of a friend. In modern slang, it is often used as the female equivalent of male labels such as dickhead or asshole.
In certain groups "bitch" is also sometimes used by a man to describe any female with whom he routinely partners sexually, whether she is his girlfriend, wife, etc; this usage is common in certain hard variants of urban culture, such as rap music and hip hop. This retains strong sexist undertones and is frowned upon by many, but generally has lost much of its derogatory quality. Many female hip hop artists have even adopted the term simply as a synonym for woman or girl, as in Missy Elliott's "Girlfriend wanna be like me, never / You won't find a bitch that's better", Rah Digga's "Do the ladies run this motherfucker? / Put it down for the bitches all across the map", or Eve's "When real bitches get to rockin’, heads knockin".
Other Meanings and Misinterpretations
- The British techno artists Prodigy titled one of their most famous tracks "Smack My Bitch Up". Most fans do not think it is a reference to a woman. Amongst heroin users, the major artery used to inject the drug into the arm is referred to as 'your bitch'. When preparing for the injection, the arm is slapped to bring the vein closer to the surface. The euphoric undertones of the song and their similarity to the experience of heroin use further this interpretation.
- The middle of the backseat of a car, or the back seat of a motorcycle, is sometimes known as the "bitch" seat. Those riding in those seats are described as "riding bitch".
- The royale (or impériale) is a tuft of hair under the lower lip (without a goatee, but perhaps worn with a moustache). The royale was historically worn by French officers as a badge or adornment of military rank or status. In some circles, a royale is also known as a "bitch".
- "Flipping a Bitch" is sometimes a term used for making a U-Turn in a car.
Women reclaiming "bitch"
Under the impulse of second-wave feminism, a trend towards "reclaiming" the word arised during the 1990s, using it to celebrate the strong qualities traditionally denigrated by the use of the term.
A good example of this is the 1997 song "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks, in which Brooks celebrates being a "bitch" as one of many aspects of herself:
Integral recognition of the female character, with its inherent ambiguities, is expressed not only on by the caring side — lover and mother, the roles traditionally assigned to women in the patriarchal division of labour, and their idealized extreme in sainthood — but also in their counterparts, whose satisfaction has been often denied.
Feminist theory has pointed out that women are often identified by their relationships with others, whereas men are allowed a more independent identity. Social mores reflect this in the abnormal or inordinate character of a woman refusing to marry, as their primordial role was to provide comfort and satisfaction to the "master of the house". By beginning the chorus with "I'm a bitch" and ending it with "I do not feel ashamed", Brooks refuses to feel ashamed of her selfishness, vulnerability and independence, insisting that they can and do coexist with more stereotypically feminine qualities.
"Bitch" and sexual availability
The early — and largely still extant — usage of bitch as a sexually available person has been extended to imply subservience towards the user. In the context of prison sexuality, a bitch is a lower-hierarchy prisoner, typically physically weak or vulnerable, who is dominated by more senior prisoners and forced to adopt a servile role. According to convention, these inmates are used as sexual slaves or traded as personal property. To call a male a "bitch" usually suggests that he is sexually passive in this manner, whether or not he is gay.
Variants: "Bitchy," "bitchin'", "to bitch", and "beeotch"
The adjectives bitchy and bitchin' and the verb to bitch evolved from the noun bitch. All of these derivative forms tend to be less offensive than the noun form, especially where their meaning departs entirely from the insulting meaning of "bitch."
From this usage of bitch as "complain", the noun bitch-fest evolved, to indicate a group people complaining about something together. Used in its verb form, to bitch is significantly less offensive than the noun bitch. It is not uncommon, for example, for someone to say that they are "bitching" about something, whereas it would be highly uncommon for someone to call themselves a "bitch." Also, although in some contexts "to bitch" does maintain some of its feminine specificity, it is relatively normal to say that a man is "bitching" about something.
The adjective bitchy has a wider range of meanings, but it also tends to be less strong than the noun bitch. Someone who is bitchy may be merely temperamental or moody. Bitchy is more likely to be applied to women. When used to describe a man, bitchy is somewhat feminizing. Alternately, when applied to articles of clothing, it suggests that they are worn to advertise sexual availability.
Bitchin' was a valley girl term used in the 1980's synonymous with the word "cool".
Beeotch is a variant pronunciation of bitch first used by Oakland, California rapper Too $hort in the early 80's.
Biatch, Beyotch, Beyatch and other creative misspellings are all variants based on the perceived pronunciation of Beeotch.
Trivia
Bitch is also the name of a Roald Dahl short story, featured in Switch Bitch.
Category: