|
state of the damn union
2003-01-29 @ 12:55 a.m.
ok, i can't resist, here's what i've written as a response to the state of the union address. and it's just the tip of the iceberg of all i'd really love to say. were i not working grad school stuff, i'd love to do a point/counter-point piece through the whole damn thing. George W. Bush's State of the Union Address was an appalling triumph for Orwellian-style doublespeak. His speech reminded me of the "opposites game" kids play, where you say the exact opposite of what you mean. Because the harsh realities of Bush's proposals are nothing like the sugar-coated rhetoric he touts them with. Bush's points on the economy alone were infuriatingly misleading enough for my eyes to roll nearly right out of my head. Bush doled out lip service to workers, small business owners and low-income families like candy in his address. He glossed over the recession, and went so far as to claim that last year's tax relief actually helped--rather than worsened--our dire economic straits. Bush's claim that "We must have an economy that grows fast enough to employ every man and woman who seeks a job," makes no mention of the horrific lack of childcare for working moms and dads at all income levels. I highly doubt he's ever had to choose between going to work and taking care of a child. He also made no mention of the fact that the current minimum wage is by far not a livable standard. Though Bush said his goal is for more employers to put up that "Help Wanted" sign, expert economists refute the White House plan, saying that the Democrats' proposal would create far more jobs. While Bush talked about holding corporate criminals accountable, I didn't hear a peep about his Administration refusing to release records of meetings with Enron, the big daddy of corporate scandal. Bush boasted that his tax relief plan would result in money showing up in workers' paychecks immediately, but he failed to specify which workers would actually see those dollars. Just as in last year's proposals, Bush's tax relief would be lining the pockets of millionaires, rather than middle-class and low-income workers--but you wouldn't know that based on his speech. A livable wage and funding for essential work supports--like childcare, housing, health care and transportation--would do a lot more for workers around the country than a tax relief plan the White House is pretending will benefit them. Bush also said he wants to put doctors and patients back in charge of their health in nearly the same breath he essentially expressed wanting to push low-income senior citizens into the HMO's he otherwise condemned, as the price for having a mediocre prescription drug benefit. And was anyone surprised that George W. made a push for the so-called partial-birth abortion ban? Yes, George, we know you needed tip your hat to your right-wing, anti-abortion supporters. But speaking of misinformation campaigns, has anyone told you lately that there's no such thing as partial-birth abortion and that you won't find the term in any medical dictionary? The only place you'll find its definition is in the ultraconservative rhetoric book. The State of the Union Address was another grand attempt by the Bush Administration to fool voters into thinking their leadership is helping us when, in fact, its hurting us. I'm guessing that the White House's campaign of misinformation is a deliberate ploy to cover up the awful truth of its proposals. I think Bush's advisors know he wouldn't have the support of a U.S. public that knew the whole story. Activists around the country will continue to dissect the White House's white lies. And the Administration can only keep fooling voters for so long.
<< - >>
|