After eight bloodthirsty years, the tenure of former president of the United States, George Bush, finally came to an end on January 20 when Democrat Barack Obama took the presidential oath.
With the historic election of the first Black man to lead the US-empire, the dubious legacy of Bush has begun to slide from the media spotlight.
According to a January NBC/Wall St Journal poll Bush left office with an approval rating of just 27%.
On January 15, in his last address to the nation, Bush asserted that he was proud of his role. "I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right", he said.
Despite his deep unpopularity, anger at his government's neoliberal economic policies and widespread criticism of the US's ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush pleaded to remembered as a president who stayed true to his principles.
"You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made", Bush said. "But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make tough decisions."
Most US citizens might at least agree that Bush was capable of making the wrong decisions, repeatedly.
But for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush's plea for understanding must seem especially ludicrous as they struggle to expel US-led troops from their borders.
Many commentators have suggested that Bush's bogus "war on terror" could be more aptly referred to as a war of terror — a war that has seen state terrorism used under the guise of democracy and freedom.
Bush will be reviled for his role in sending US, Australian and other coalition troops to invade Afghanistan in 2001.
After eight years of occupation, the coalition forces barely control the capital of Kabul as a resurgent resistance movement continues to build support throughout the country.
The puppet government of Hamid Karzai has lost what little legitimacy it ever held amongst the Afghan population. Thousands of Afghans have been killed by Western forces in this invasion — many tens of thousands more have been made refugees.
A quick end to the conflict in Afghanistan seems unlikely as Obama signals his support for an Iraq-style troop surge.
Socialist youth organisation Resistance will continue to agitate for the withdrawal of Australian forces and all other foreign troops from Afghanistan.
In 2003, Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq under the spurious grounds of locating weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
When this lie was exposed, his administration shifted its rhetoric: the war had to continue so the US could bring democracy to Iraq.
In January 2008, London based polling agency Opinion Research Business released its estimate of the total war casualties in Iraq. They calculated that around 1,033,000 Iraqis have died since the US-led invasion. This is "democracy" George Bush-style.
Of course, the invasion was never about WMDs or spreading democracy. The US's aim in Iraq has always been to secure Iraq's massive oil reserves and assert military dominance over the Middle East.
Bush leaves office with the blood on millions of his hands.
Throughout the dark days of the Bush presidenc,y Resistance played an active role in the movement against the invasions Afghanistan and Iraq.
Resistance organised a nationwide student walkout dubbed "WAG: Walkout Against George" in September 2007 to mark Bush's visit to Australia for the APEC summit in Sydney. We were the backbone of the giant "Books not Bombs" walkouts against the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Resistance will continue to campaign against these unjust and cruel wars. Our aim is to end the destructive, repressive capitalist system that makes wars for profit inevitable.
Goodbye George, hopefully the next pair of shoes that are hurled in your direction hit home.
[Andrew Rice is a national coordinator of the socialist youth organisation Resistance.]