FLAIT

Originally Posted: Dec. 2003

Until recently, I thought Bush was extremely stupid because nothing he did ever made any sense. And then it dawned on me. Turns out I missed something, something that's very scary.

Let me explain.

Bush's "Policy's":

What's his health care policy? What's his long term Social Security policy? What's his prescription drug and long term Medicare policy, besides largess for the pharmaceutical and HMO company's? What's his long term energy policy, besides drilling and more largess for corn farmers and the oil, gas and coal industry's?

What's his economic policy, besides the perception of "cutting taxes?" (of course it's all perception because there's no such thing as a tax cut. Tax cuts just mean higher college tuition, higher property taxes and longer lines at the DMV - which is what the GOP wants because it reinforces their rhetoric that government doesn't work. It also means more debt, but I'll get to that later.)

What's his environmental policy (after he angered the world for bailing on the Kyoto Treaty, he promised an alternative. The world's still waiting.)?

Bush's "policy's" were slapped together without any planning or thought - sound familiar? - and whatever sincere intentions he has behind them are directed solely towards big business. So there's no point having an honest debate about his policy's because there aren't any to speak of. It's all spin and no substance.

A Lack of Leadership and Imagination:

We have a staggering $374 billion deficit - accelerated by those feckless tax cuts - and a federal budget that is in such disarray, it looks like something off the balance sheet of some third world banana Republic.

During WWII our parents and grandparents rationed everything from food to fuel. Here we had 9/11, the "war on terrorism," a war in Iraq, brave soldiers putting their lives on the line everyday, and what sacrifice has Bush asked of us? Nothing, besides accepting his tax cuts and telling us to "go shopping" (for tax deductible gas guzzling SUV's no less). What's wrong with this picture?

Any slob can call for tax cuts. Give me a politician who has the guts to oppose them, or responsible enough to increase them during times like this.

A Senseless Iraq War:

I don't understand why Bush invaded Iraq because it made no sense at all.

If Saddam Hussein REALLY was SUCH a threat, why did Bush wait OVER A YEAR into his Presidency to call for a war? Whatever Hussein had on 9/12 he had on 9/10. So why wait so long to strike such a dangerous and imminent threat?

And the GOP who knocked Clinton everyday during his eight years in office, never once criticized him for NOT invading such a dangerous and imminent threat. How come?

Besides, in Feburary 2001 Colin Powell said, "(Saddam Hussein) has not developed any significant capability with respect to WMDs. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors."

So what we knew then has been confirmed: there was no threat. Heck, Bush wasn't even close!

Therefore, logic proves Bush made it up to sell his war (for more logic, see A Senseless War*).

Laser-guided bombs and the 82nd Airborne can only do so much to eradicate the threats against us.

The rest is done with a sagacious President who is geopolitically enlightened, and willing to engage the Arab world in a serious and honest dialog.

Unfortunately, that doesn't describe President Bush.

A (perceived) bully can only do so much (worse).

Unfortunately, that does.

The Revelation:

What finally dawned on me is that Bush's actions are all a ruse. He's trying to accomplish what the extreme conservative wing of the Republican Party has been trying to do for 20 years. They are as follows:

1) Become global isolationists, but act unilaterally:

Bush campaigned on an isolationists "bring the troops home" platform and knocked Clinton for "nation building" (ironic, isn't it?). So before 9/11, the only foreign country on Bush's globe was Mexico. The Israeli's and Palestinians might as well been on Mars.

With NATO at his disposal on 9/12, Bush initially went after al-Quaeda alone. His invasion of Iraq, also done alone for the most part, angered the world so much that he's considered more of a threat to world peace than Saddam Hussein was.

Instead of the world looking at us for direction and leadership, which they always did, even our allies look at us with apprehension now.

2) Industry deregulation and the weakening of the governments regulatory powers:

Just look at what's going on at the EPA, SEC and FCC and what Bush's appointees at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) have done; and more important, not done.

3) Appease big business:

Halliburton, Bechtel, big oil and big company's all benefit from huge tax breaks, corporate welfare and repeal of labor and environmental laws (not to mention convenient Iraqi rebuilding contracts).

And the biggest one of all...

4) To dismantle "The Welfare State," specifically Social Security and Medicare:

It's no secret that conservative Republicans have always had a passionate hatred for FDR's "New Deal" and LBJ's "Great Society" programs.

(The GOP Medicare bill incredulously has a provision that prohibits negotiating for lower drug prices [and I thought the GOP is for "free markets" and "competition." Ha!]. This legislation is a pay off to the pharmaceutical and HMO company's, and will ultimately lead to higher costs, more debt and privatization, which is exactly what Bush wants and what I'm in the process of proving.)

Which brings me back to this senseless war in Iraq.

As I've shown, this invasion had absolutely nothing to do with Saddam Hussein or his WMDs. But Bush knew that a war and rebuilding Iraq would cost a fortune and that Congress would be forced to pay for it. And that's why Bush was so belligerent; he didn't really want the UN's blessing or much international support because he wanted to make sure we were stuck paying most of the bill.

So between Iraq's enormous long term costs (and the bribes Bush gladly paid to the country's that did offer token support for the war), his feckless tax cuts, missile defense (don't forget that), and all the future debt he's racking up - all part of his grand scheme - there will come a day when Congress simply won't have the money to fund the social programs.

In Washington this strategy is called "starving the beast." Stop feeding it the money it needs, and it'll slowly fade away and die ("compassionate conservatism." Ha!).

Bush knew that he could sell a war in Iraq war because A) his GOP base would support it, no questions asked, and B) the American public is so misinformed and uninformed about their government, current events and what goes on in the world, that they'd buy it too. And Asst. President Karl Rove made sure that whoever opposed it were ridiculed and made to look unpatriotic.

So Bush went to war, and risked the lives and limbs of our brave soldiers, so he and his party can make an end-run attempt to force drastic cuts in social spending. What other reason is there?

Not only is that grounds for impeachment as far as I'm concerned, but it would mean life behind bars as well.

The Fraud:

The Bush White House doesn't make policy to address problems. They take problems and manipulate them to justify actions that only advances their radically conservative hidden agenda.

Therefore, what Bush does is only half the problem. What should be alarming are his intentions AND the clandestine way he's going about achieving them.

His lies, manipulation and spin would make Clinton proud because he's gotten this far without leaving fingerprints. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Of course mindless and gullible sycophant Republicans who are unable to think for themselves - many of whom post on these boards - will never admit that Bush is a con man who snookered them into supporting his "policy's" and this senseless war in Iraq.

In fact, the GOP has attached such a tight leash to the noses of their base constituent's, they'll continue to carry Bush's water for him no matter what. But it's that leash that Bush will definitely try and pull to a second term.

So don't think for a minute that a poor economy, an exploding deficit, and causalities in Iraq puts Bush's reelection chances into question. Because he has his core base - about 10 million extreme conservatives - who know EXACTLY what he's doing.

Then there's another 30 million or so average Republicans who THINK they know what he's doing. They fell for Bush's hawkish style - how many brave soldieries have to die in Iraq to prove that? - and his tax cuts. Little do they know, that it's all a smoke screen.

The other 10 million voters will be conned by a $200 million barrage of TV ads that will wrap Bush in the flag and accuse the Democrat nominee of being, what else? A "big government, tax and spend liberal" who's "soft on" (fill in the blank) that will "take your guns away" and will - are you ready for this one? - "cut Social Security."

Repeat nauseating Republican rhetoric long enough, and the weak-minded believe it.

The Truth Behind George W. Bush:

I get the impression that Bush has only contempt for his opponents, whether it's the Democrats, John McCain, the UN or Jacques Chirac. I have no doubt that he not only curse's them out behind closed doors, but is giving them the finger while he's on the phone with them (remember what he called Adam Clymer of the NY Times during the campaign? Says a lot about him).

Bush doesn't give a hoot about anyone but his own "regime" and their sycophant base of supporters. If he really did care, he wouldn't be knowingly and willingly shackling future generations with a mountain of debt (and I thought the GOP was the "Party of Responsibility." Ha!).

And he certainly wouldn't have risked the life of one soldier if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

You can also be sure that escalating health care costs, higher college tuition and our crumbling infrastructure do not keep him up nights. In fact, he admits that he goes to sleep early (he also admits that he doesn't read newspapers which is an embarrasing admission!).

Is this what we want in a President?

We SHOULD have a President that DOES care enough to stay up late trying to come up with creative ideas and solutions that make things better for us and the next generation.

We should have a President who knows about everything from international trade to the effects of acid rain; from the complexities of the financial markets to the basic understanding of the human genome; who not only understands the inner workings of Social Security and Medicare, but who wants to strengthen them for the long term, not take them apart; and who is well read in European and world history, and obviously American history.

Unfortunately, Bush isn't even well read in "Cat in the Hat."

Conclusion:

Even though Bush is void of any intellectual thought, creativity or enlightenment he shouldn't be underestimated. Because along with Co-President Dick Chaney and Asst. President Rove, they are secretly strategizing to achieve their party's drastic and irresponsible goals. And that's what's scary.

George Bush isn't President of the United States. He's President & CEO of 10 million extremely conservative Republicans. And that's why he must be defeated next year.

Or else this pompous, arrogant, hypocritical, haughty, dogmatic, duplicitous, deceitful, feckless, obtuse, inept, ignorant, incompetent, impractical, irresponsible, belligerent, reckless, selfish, senseless, shortsighted, sanctimonious and criminal White House will take us further down a path I don't want to go. And neither would anyone with half a brain.

So I've been right all along, Bush is a clueless dope. But I didn't realize until now that he's also very dangerous.


Note: A few months after posting this, I changed my mind. I don't think the Iraq war was about "staving the beast" or even oil, at least not directly. While higher deficits and Iraq's oil fields might be indirect "bonuses" for Bush, Cheney and the GOP, this war was about arrogance. Nothing more and nothing less.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz and Pentagon offical Doug Feith are so arrogant and so haughty that they assumed Iraq would be "easy" and taking out Saddam Hussein would give Bush the "Ronald Reagan" like legacy he wanted. And since they know everything, are never wrong, and never make mistakes, no one was going to tell them otherwise - the hell with the wars costs, its aftermath or its consequences.

If arrogance was dirt, this White House would be the biggest mountain in the world.