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usc
politics
Our First President, George W. Bush
College seniors around the nation have just a few months left before transitioning into the "real world" at a pivotal moment in American history. 
While 2009 sees us entering a struggling job market and an uncertain future, we students and others in our generation (the so-called "millenials") are also bidding farewell to our first president, George W. Bush.
Sure, most of us started teething during the Reagan-Bush years, and learned the various definitions of "sexual relations" from Bill and Monica, but I don't really remember following national politics closely until the 2000 election -- and what an election it was.
For many millenials, the Bush presidency has framed our adolescent lives. I was just starting high school when the Sept. 11 attacks happened. Our first observations of mass protest came in the run-up to the Iraq War (and, to a lesser extent, the recount battle of 2000). We are the first generation to grow up watching global warming become an issue with implications for our adult lives; same with trillion-dollar deficits and a broken National Debt Clock.
As evidenced by the exit polling from the last election, our generation is at the forefront of defining the new platforms of both parties, and the ways candidates communicate with us. Race relations, from Hurricane Katrina to the election of Barack Obama, have continued to play a fundamental role in the national dialogue and in some ways have defined a generational divide between younger and more experienced Americans.
Many of these issues have also defined the Bush presidency. At the very least, Bush's leadership -- and yes, I'll call it leadership -- has given us a first-hand barometer by which to judge future presidencies. President-elect Obama will be judged by what deficits (or surpluses!) he produces, whether America suffers another domestic terrorist attack following the reversal of key Bush Administration policies, and even by the type of rhetoric Obama provides compared to Bush's cowboy drawl.
The contrast was on full display in President Bush's final news conference yesterday, in which he gave a compellingly candid appraisal of his eight years in office and aggressively defended the most difficult decisions of his presidency. For my generation, this has been all we've ever known (beyond a few History Channel episodes about Lincoln and Roosevelt, of course):
Part 1 (h/t RCP; read the transcript here)
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
While 2009 sees us entering a struggling job market and an uncertain future, we students and others in our generation (the so-called "millenials") are also bidding farewell to our first president, George W. Bush.Sure, most of us started teething during the Reagan-Bush years, and learned the various definitions of "sexual relations" from Bill and Monica, but I don't really remember following national politics closely until the 2000 election -- and what an election it was.
For many millenials, the Bush presidency has framed our adolescent lives. I was just starting high school when the Sept. 11 attacks happened. Our first observations of mass protest came in the run-up to the Iraq War (and, to a lesser extent, the recount battle of 2000). We are the first generation to grow up watching global warming become an issue with implications for our adult lives; same with trillion-dollar deficits and a broken National Debt Clock.
As evidenced by the exit polling from the last election, our generation is at the forefront of defining the new platforms of both parties, and the ways candidates communicate with us. Race relations, from Hurricane Katrina to the election of Barack Obama, have continued to play a fundamental role in the national dialogue and in some ways have defined a generational divide between younger and more experienced Americans.
Many of these issues have also defined the Bush presidency. At the very least, Bush's leadership -- and yes, I'll call it leadership -- has given us a first-hand barometer by which to judge future presidencies. President-elect Obama will be judged by what deficits (or surpluses!) he produces, whether America suffers another domestic terrorist attack following the reversal of key Bush Administration policies, and even by the type of rhetoric Obama provides compared to Bush's cowboy drawl.
The contrast was on full display in President Bush's final news conference yesterday, in which he gave a compellingly candid appraisal of his eight years in office and aggressively defended the most difficult decisions of his presidency. For my generation, this has been all we've ever known (beyond a few History Channel episodes about Lincoln and Roosevelt, of course):
Part 1 (h/t RCP; read the transcript here)
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
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Dennis
8:00AM 8:00AM Jan 13th 2009
Luckily for you millenials, all future presidents will be a huge improvement over bush.
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Ken Johnson
11:46PM 11:46PM Jan 13th 2009
anyone who apologizes for the incompetence of Bush II is an IDIOT! PERIOD!
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chad
4:36PM 4:36PM Jan 16th 2009
Yes Dennis I do want to be over there 15 more years if that is what it takes. What you people don't seem to understand is that this stuff has been going on for a long, long time and in other countries also...SHOCKING, huh?
QUIT thanking guys like me after making "Mr. Big Boy Chad" comments. Don't you get it? WE DON'T WANT YOUR FALSE SUPPORT, we want you out of our way... Quit "supporting the troops" while slandering their cause. We are not victims of this President/war, we all signed the contract and willingly do our jobs. And overwhelmingly in the military support the mission. I can probably be safe in guessing you have not served. No problem,really, that is your right, that is fine by me, but stop treating the military like they are just pawns who go to war but know nothing about it. Has it ever occurred that we not only have the books, media, newspapers and everything else that you have BUT ALSO have the extra experience of actually being there? Trust me that counts for A LOT of extra insight! All I ask is this...listen to what we have to say and give it some thought and then leave us the hell alone, I don't even care if what I say changes your mind or not. Enjoy the fact that you haven't had to worry about terrorists EVER! My guess is that your biggest worries are comforts and luxuries. Go enjoy. Once again...we don't want your misguided support Mr. BIG BOY DENNIS... LOL. I don't need nor want your thanks. It is a waste of mine and your time...
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42yo Vet
1:05PM 1:05PM Jan 22nd 2009
As a vet, and as a American citizen - I am profoundly ashamed of the Bush administration. Yes I did serve in the military, yes I have put my life on the line for this countries interests (everyone should note that there is no living that has had to defend this country, only our interests and policies overseas - a substantial difference worthy of consideration.) I have friends and family serving in Iraq and Afghanistan - and completely disagree with why we are there, the fact that we remain there - and especially the fact that my family and friends have been placed in harm's way to install a form of government neither wanted nor asked for. To serve this country is an honor - it is the duty of all patriots, whether in uniform or not - and to waste those lives, that commitment, to ask the ultimate sacrifice based on lies and deception should make any American seeth with anger in my opinion.
As for you chad, with your condescending tone and presumption to speak for all who serve - wake up. You speak for yourself and no one else - that too is a fundamental principle of America. I am glad you are there, I am glad you choose to serve - but no not imagine that your motivations and viewpoint represent anyone but yourself.
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Tony
3:36PM 3:36PM Feb 5th 2009
Hello Millen, gen x here... "i think, i'm 29"
First off, President Bush was a great, wait Excellent President. Let me start out and say i grew up demon - crat. Hell i've partied with Marilyn Manson - really and i'm not a goth type person, just luck i guess but that's another conversation. I remember his Father's presidency, gulf war... then Bill Clinton. When you're eyes were opened to politics with Mr. Bush, mine was Clinton. Clinton was not a great president, he wasn't bad but alot of people wanted his head on a silver platter. Check the facts, our jobs are now overseas because he signed into power NAFTA (north american free trade agreement)and put our national Debt to over 8 trillion dollars. See, demon-crats snow ball everyone, by promising you and me they are for us more than republicans - it's not true. Maybe back in the 60's this was true but no more. They have hollywood and the media, so they will have the popular vote - we all watch tv and most worship these false gods so what they say most will blindly believe. Our economy was strong in the 90's because it was the golden age of borrowing, and Bill borrowed more from Social Security than anyother president in history. Mr. Bush could have continued hiking our taxes up, but he didn't. I never cared if Bill got a bj, heck i was proud of him but he has the moral fiber of a used car salesman, though i would love to get a beer with the guy! Then President Bush gets elected, inheriting an overwhelming national debt, and people forget we were almost at war with Afghanistan & Iraq while Clinton was still i nthere, heck he addressed the nation from the oval office - i think it was like 2 months before his leave? So his years of put off's and tree hugging left those hate mongers stewing, then they drop our towers down on 9/11. Now - think about this, you're President, you're country gets attacked like we did - what would you do. He had to make tough choices fast, could you have? He protected us here for the following years, God and Him only know how many attempts were made behind the shadows - i thank him! Ofcourse the war has put a strain on our economy, they usually do, but the pinnacle is our housing crisis - who do you think pushed those ARM loans? Republicans in senate/congress? Wrong! Hell Obama's head honcho is or was the top dog at Freddie Mac, the one who stuck us this hard in our asses - thanks Obama! It makes me sick to see people be so hateful towards Mr. Bush, he kept us safe and had a huge heart! We needed to rid the world of Hussein - he was hitler! America has ALWAYS been the big brother to the world and will always be, when a country needs help from tyrants, who do they turn to? History teaches us that! WW2? Look they started it, the world needed Hussein, Bin Laden gone and Mr. Bush did an excellent job. He followed his heart, not the freaks in Hollywood! I commend him for that!Could you look in the eyes of the kids that parents died on 9/11 and tell them you will not avenge they're deaths? Obama is a puppet, he is fake and i wish Mr. Bush was still in office - i felt safer! So as we close guantino bay and give 450 million to over-sea abortion clinics - yes that is what Obama has done already, where are we going from here?
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Jim
8:23AM 8:23AM Jan 13th 2009
I am glad to see that one "young" person understands what Bush went through during his administration. Was he always right? No, his spending was atrocious, but his willingness to stand up and see that our country was not attacked a second time stands heads above that mistake. I hope that history is fair to Bush and that he is credited where he should be credited.
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Zsuzsi Zetlin
7:08PM 7:08PM Jan 13th 2009
Totally agreed! Only people, whos parents already suffered WWII. misery and loss can understand Bush was the right president at the right time with his confident and strong policies to protect Americans,and unite the world against terrosism. Is is a shame that narrow minded, biased individuals cannot comprehand that! I am an immigrant to still the greatest country in this world, the USA, and proud of being American, and appreciate all the Bush Administration's efforts/protection. Another fact, Bush has done more for against AIDS,and for Africa, than any other US President ever dreamed of. Bush will be missed and I wish him and his family great health and happiness.
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tim
11:03PM 11:03PM Jan 13th 2009
Only idiots like those who support Bush can agree with this nonsense. Not only did this administration steal the election, they stole all of our tax dollars and then some(borrowing). They've wasted enough money on a war that was created only for cheney and his buddies to make billions of dollars with Haliburton. They derugalted the market so they could use their billions to ride the oil prices up and shorted everything as soon as they saw our economy was going to collapse due to all the wasteful spending and deregulation. Most of you idiots don't even understand what i'm saying because you are all caught up in the lies of patriotism and gay marraige bullshit. This administration came in to power to do one thing: steal as much money from the american people as possible not caring what kind of economic and moral damage they've caused! Thousands of lives have been lost, but the war must go on because of BIG DEFENSE CONTRACTS! This is not about freedom, patriotism, or justice. It's about robbing us for everything we've got. I love this country with all of my heart and hope to never see a ruthless republican in power again. NOW we can go back to the good democratic years like we had with Bill Clinton; heck we might even end up with a SURPLUS again. But you morons are all confused by the lies these theifs of republicans tell. But in another 8 years all you ignorant fools will forget about how bad these people are and let them steal an election again.
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Andrea
5:18AM 5:18AM Jan 14th 2009
Whether or not Bush was a good president is not what we should be worried about. It is about those ignorant comments posted below that disturb me. Bush de-regulated the market? How so? Bill Clinton back in 1998 approved a bill where Wallstreet and the housing could interact with one another..hence, those people who couldn't afford a house, could now do so, and not to mention how most of that money ended up coming out of people's retirement...What does Bush have to do with the housing market? nothing!
Oh and Iraq...More people died in the Bay of Pigs during Kennedy's term...shouldn't he be an incompetent president too? Oh..and the cost of the War on Iraq cost less.
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Mr.Right
3:04PM 3:04PM Jan 14th 2009
I think Tim is a complete idiot. if people didn't like bush, why did he get elected twice? and oh, by the way. al gore is retarded. he was sued for promoting all that fake global warming shit and you know it. bush didn't steal the election. if you're going to blame someone blame yourself for not lying to the masses well enough to get the jackasses (democrats) elected. just go cry in your hole while we watch the world burn under our new socialist dictator.
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giles chauvin
10:19AM 10:19AM Jan 13th 2009
gee jim,
he's already credited with ignoring the warnings about 9-11, from condi rice's own words.
sorry you missed that.
and yes, it is a pity that young people of today only know the world from reagan on.
y'all should have seen what it was like to live in america during the post war boom.
everything else since is just killing time.
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William B. Bizzell II
10:56AM 10:56AM Jan 13th 2009
bill
My candidate for heroine of the past thirty-odd years has to be . . . . .Laura Bush !
By having only girls, she guaranteed that we wouldn't have had another George the Third !If we had, I'd have wanted my money back!
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KUNZSP
11:09AM 11:09AM Jan 13th 2009
President Bush changed the world with the
ouster pf Saddan and is therefore the
greatest president in modern history. I
am not convinced that Obama has a valid
birth certificate and until this issue
is resolved, it would be in the best
inerest of our country to give Bush another
term. Phyllis Kunz
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presscottbush
12:19PM 12:19PM Jan 13th 2009
sorry but there is a 2 term limit. thats the law now uphold it like a good american. obama birth maybe suspect but presidents are limited to 2 terms for a reason. remember the laws dont brake them dumbass!
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presscottbush
12:18PM 12:18PM Jan 13th 2009
the law is 2 terms. now uphold the law like a good american should! obama's birth place maybe suspect but
the law is 2 terms for a president for a reason. remember the laws don't brake them dumbass!
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Hmarie
10:55AM 10:55AM Jan 14th 2009
Indeed he changed the world. Suggest reading "Unintended Consequences" by Peter Galbraith before you go on believing the changes in the Middle East were for the better. He said he was "disappointed" that there were no WMD found in Iraq. How about "appalled" that he let himself be convinced to go to war in the country that had the least to do with 9/11, and never finished the task in Afghanistan (so now we have try and pull that one out of the fire). And the utter ridiculous comment about landing Air Force One in Baton Rouge - it took him days to even fly OVER the city (he was busy in Crawford and then California) while people were dying at the football stadium, and still, much of the problem is still there.
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John
11:39PM 11:39PM Feb 8th 2009
Please tell me your joking. George Bush was a best an average President. I'm not here to rant and rave about what a horrible person he was, he wasn't. Glad they found Sadam. What's the saying - even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. If finding Sadam made him great how's the search for Ayatollah Khomeini factor in? Good man. Decent job. In way over his head. Plus more important, he completely ignored the will of the people.
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le wilhelm
12:55PM 12:55PM Jan 13th 2009
To the liberal posters on this page who continue to Bush Bash. Haters he's all but gone. And so it's Obama Time. I wish Obama great success and hope the nation feels that he is wonderful and there are no Obama bashers at the end of his reign.
Oh Bush Bashers, your so boring; i's over you won, please put a cork in it as you celebrae the coming of Obama. Quit all the hate -- Why? Because your man is in now. And by spewing hate at Bush now, you are causing people to want to turn on Obama. We need to unite as a country, don't you get that bashers and haters of Bush. Bush is gone. Celebrate OBAMA!!!
I all ready see signs of people turning against the in coming administration. Sen. Clinton's numbers ae way down from a few weeks ago. I truly believe this is a result of the Bashers and haters of Bush that populate the net like an infestation of bedbugs.
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Jeremiah
1:53PM 1:53PM Jan 13th 2009
Now is the time to memorialize President George W. Bush with the proper legacy memorials. I'd like to suggest we designate Guantanamo Bay as the site of the George W. Bush Presidential Library. No other site better epitomizes his vision of what America is all about and symbolizes his recent conversion as a socialist for the rich with the Wall Street bailout. His masterful leadership has managed to do what no other communist regime was ever able to accomplish, prove that capitalism is nothing more than a giant Ponzi Scheme designed to direct all wealth into the hands of the few. His simultaneous destruction of the basis of our economy and democracy as he has relentlessly pursued one party rule will become a textbook case debunking the myth of free enterprise and representative government. As the cataclysm he has engendered gains momentum the police state machinery and centralization of power that he has left behind will provide the basis for a new America. One that removes pesky civil liberties, a judicial system that is independent and provides and reserves everything for a hereditary ruling class.
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SassyFrassy
5:34PM 5:34PM Jan 13th 2009
THE REALITIES OF FISCAL BLINDSIGHTEDNESS
Comment: LET'S TALK ECONOMICS--and what has led to our "meltdown"
prior to 911 when DEMOCRATS WERE IN OFFICE the Usa sent our law enforcement to Yeman to arrest Osama bin laden. The Yeman ambassador promptly got into a 'turf battle" with USA law enforcement to claim the USA LAW ENFORCEMENT was "infringing" on YEMAN ambassadors "turf".
So what happened OUR USA LAW ENFORCEMENTS WERE TOLD by DEMOCRATS--to go home empty handed. The DEMOCRAT Administration didn't know at the time their irresponsible actions had paved the way for terriorist to make plans and lay groundwork for 911.
The Wall Street journal at that time printed a small article on it and to the recent it has been discussed but apparantly NOT ENOUGH.
I submit for your reading NY Times 1999 - MUST READ!
Well, it???s about time, the mainstream ???brainwashing media??? is finally coming out with the truth on this meltdown???
I think if they would???ve come out with the truth right away instead of letting obama camp point fingers at the Bush Admin. THE Gallup polls etc would HAVE LOOKEDA whole lot different FROM RIGHT NOW!
I just hope the ???American People??? Get it ~ before it???s too late!
Look! The New York Times is catching up to the American people..it???s important for ALL Americans to know who is responsible for this Economic Meltdown we are experiencing???in fact, some of you might remember that I posted the notice from Bill Clinton himself [I posted again, what Bill said at the bottom of this post]
Who???s administration
caused the problem??? See below.
Amazing
foresight!! Take a gander at this while they try to lay blame for the whole meltdown???
9 years ago???this one is priceless and worth the read- right out of New York Times
September 30, 1999
Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending by steven A Holmes where the DEMOCRATS admitted that faulty lending pracitces along with ACORN activities have brought use to the crossroads our Nation is today.
HERE IS WHAT BILL CLINTON HAS TO SAY:
Bill Clinton knows who is responsible for this NATIONAL CRISIS!
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: “I think the responsibility that the Democrats have may rest more in resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress or by me when I was President to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”
ANNCR: You’re right, Mr. President. It didn’t have to happen.
SO here we have it DEMOCRATS BROUGHT ON 911 AND CAUSED OUR MELTDOWN thru their FAULTY LENDING PRACTICES and now are once again all for this FLEECING OF AMERICA thru this bailout bandwagon!
Just found out days ago that this bailout will derail the economy by encouraging businesses to engage in the same kind of IRRESPONSIBLE risky business practices knowing full well that when the irresponsible business practices are overdrawn the PUBLIC WILL once again be left PAYING FOR IT.
The US in the bailout by year 2017 will be around 3 trillion in debt and if the US cannot pay the US will be completely bankrupt.
How many remember that Obama said what he wants to do in US will take lots of money!.
Well, with the DEMOCRATS track record for irresponsible spending that would hasten the bankrupting of the usa.
We need to make sure our Nation makes sure WASH DC slams on the brakes to spending. The WE THE PEOPLE need to make sure we LEGALLY and LEGISLATIVELY let everyone in WASH DC know that WE THE PEOPLE want everyone of our freedoms iron-clad protected and that WE THE PEOPLE will have "long" long memories on elections " if WASH DC doesn't want to keep our freedoms flag allegience and constition protected.
WANT TO KNOW what happened to all those SO CALLED ACORN AND DEMOCRATS properties they claimed they wanted? WELL THEY ARE ALL BOARDED UP. MEANTIME our economy is still reeling from the effects of the DEMOCRATS CONSTANT IRRESPONSIBLE ACTIVITIES.
NOW THE BAILOUT which gives all businesses a blank check to engage in every conceiveable irresponsible business manner knowing the public will be forced to pick up the tab when the company runs out of money.
This will bankrupt our Nation, people and we will wind up like CUBA. Only we will be owned by foreigners whom subscribe to sharia law.
here is what the ACLU THINKS how stupid AMERICAN'S ARE SPELLED OUT BY NORMAN THOMAS ONE OF THE FOUNDER'S OF THE ACLU
quote American's will never knowingly accept Socialism but under 'liberalism' accept every fragment of the Socialistic agenda; until one day they wake up in a Socialist nation and "wonder" how it all happened. by norman thomas one of the founders of the ACLU.
We need as a nation to make sure we legally and legislatively never leave WASH DC alone until everyone of our freedoms are iron-clad protected and WASH DC slams the brakes on spending and makes everyone and we mean everyone in the bailout pay money back and have WASH DC make sure they apply ceilings and require accountability for every penny of bailout money that goes to these companies.
What we need to investigate is how the DEMOCRATS can count on the USA continuing to be as "stupid as the ACLU THINKS AMEIRCANS ARE' so that the ACLU and DEMOCRATS can further their communistic/socialist/marxist agenda.
Obama in 2006 campaigned with his cousin to have placed in kenya for the purpose of "safe-havening terrorists. Which if they would have won it would have been impossible to try terriorists for any crimes anywhere because they would have had to be shipped back into kenya where they would be safe-havened. As a result of the loss of that election, there was a pre-planned blood bath where all the christians were killed.
Now as a result of our refusing to tie our exit to political progress Pakistan is now a SHARIA LAW state Nation.
A few days ago found out that the SHARIA LAW wants to have the banking industry operate under SHARIA LAW RELIGION rules. Sharia law requires that "anyone" can be punished by death for attempting to claim that the islam/muslim/sharia law murders and criminal activities are bad.
What it would mean if accepted it would maditorily require the release of all those criminals from prison and put them back out on the street to commit more crimes because sharia law exempts them from being tried for their crimes to non-muslims.
As of yesterday the UN voted to pass a agreement to SHARIA LAW which would mean that "anyone" would be punished by death for claiming the murders and criminal activities of the islam/muslim/sharia law are bad. What that means is they consider it criminal and punishible by death to anyone whom is Christian or any other religion, other than Muslim.
So, now we must face the fact that they "really" don't like us at all.
Now as a result of not tying our exit to political progress it means we will have to work harder than ever before to keep our freedoms protected.
Go see for yourselves how you can help the American Center for Law and Justice protect our freedoms because they need signature support. Guess what if they don't get it??? there won't be anyone to protect WE THE PEOPLE anymore.
Pres. Bush did a lot for a Nation whom most still aren't even aware of these events transpiring.
Whom was the orator, or president or author whom said ---Tolerance becomes wrong and EVIL when given and applied to criminals.
Whom as it whom said---all that's needed for tyranny to reign is for good men to do nothing?
So, we put it to you WE THE PEOPLE has our Society gotten so warped that we need to be reminded as to how these apply to our Society??
feel free to cut paste print re-print refute rebuttal or just plain comment
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