The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America has brought an end to an era that brought shame to our principles and ideals. After eight years of lies, blood and shame, we can expect good times to come because we can, yes we can, yes we can.

We can also celebrate the end to an age that future historians should label as the Bush Error. It was an era in which America entered a dark age, taking a step back in the progression of a civilization.

The current condition of the world should be a wake-up call to all that something is wrong, and the Bush administration is to blame. Unless you were part of the small minority that was making a profit as people suffered, there is no excuse to say the Bush Error was a wonderful time.

The Bush Error began when the political machines in Florida rigged the election, handing the spoiled son of a former president the most powerful office in the world.

There was a small window of time in which Bush was merely the subject of ridicule – but the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, making his will absolute. Using these atrocities, the administration was able to manipulate the masses into going along with anything. If anyone had any sense of reason left, they were demonized as an enemy of the state.

However, he pushed his luck too quickly, and soon the nation was split into a second Civil War. Both sides tore each other apart in a battle of ideology over ignorance.

In Washington, Republican politicians and members of the Bush administration gave their deceptive speeches about patriotism and Jesus when really they spent an entire four years Abramoffing.

The last eight years have felt like a nightmare under a laughable kleptocracy. Our civilization has crumbled as leaders sat back and played the world’s smallest violin.

Just to be fair, we should look at the accomplishments made by the Bush administration: ousting the brutal Taliban regime in Afghanistan and reestablishing diplomatic relations with Libya. That’s pretty much it. Nobody can count ousting Saddam Hussein as an accomplishment, since it was all done based on lies and deceit. Maybe it would have been more significant had it been done on Feb. 28, 1991.

Hopefully the dark ages have come to an end, as we have moved from electing a leader who could not even say a sentence to a leader who has written two books. Barack Obama’s election has reestablished hope and the right to pursue the American Dream.

Yet, if significant change doesn’t occur soon, then we can only accept the downfall of a nation that was supposed to have been a city upon a hill for others to look up to as a symbol of freedom, hope and justice.