On Wednesday, March 12, George W. Bush spoke to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Even as he admitted that we are going through a challenging time, Bush had the nerve to tell the audience that his economic strategy has worked.
He set it up by saying, "I remember meeting with some right after the [9/11] attacks and we were wondering whether or not our economy could withstand a terrorist attack -- after all, a recession was in place just as I came into office, then the terrorists attacked, then we had corporate scandals."
So, first the excuses, and now the lies:
Bush went on to say, "And a lot of folks were wondering whether or not this economy would be resilient enough to withstand those pressures. And it turns out it was. And I want to thank you very much for supporting the tax cuts plans that had good effect on small businesses all across the United States during that period of time. I think when people take a look back at this moment in our economic history, they'll recognize tax cuts work. They have made a difference."
Yes, George, your tax cuts have made a difference.
Your tax cuts have increased the gap between the rich and the poor in this country. Your tax cuts have helped the rich get richer, at the expense of the poor and the working class and the middle class.
Yes, George, your tax cuts have made a difference.
Just look at the precariousness of the stock market. Just look at the stagnant wages of the middle class, with our standard of living steadily declining due to inflation. Just look at the housing foreclosures. Just look at all our jobs being shipped overseas. Just look at the growing national debt resulting from your very expensive and unnecessary war in Iraq.
Yes, George, your tax cuts have made a difference.
And yes, George, history will have something to say about it. But by then you'll be comfortably retired on your Texas faux-ranch, and you will no longer have to pretend to care.
And maybe you will no longer have to pretend to be a Christian, because I really don't believe that the biblical Jesus would feel good about all this. Please reread the Sermon on the Mount:
Your Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Your Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
And your Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Amen.
http://www.maryshawonline.com
Mary Shaw is a Philadelphia-based writer and activist, with a focus on politics, human rights, and social justice. She is a former Philadelphia Area Coordinator for the Nobel-Prize-winning human rights group Amnesty International, and her views appear regularly in a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites. Note that the ideas expressed here are the author's own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Amnesty International or any other organization with which she may be associated.
Dubya keeps getting maligned as a liar when he is actually a delusional imbecile, or perhaps in his youth swallowed some LSD without the round trip ticket. He actually believes that trash!
As for his retiring to his brush farm in Texas, I think that unlikely. He'll be looking for someplace without an extradition treaty. Rumor has it that Uruguay will be his pick, and that sounds about right to me considering its 1945 immigration wave.
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John Sanchez Jr. (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 1055 comments)
on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 8:30:14 AM
I am not a George Bush fan and his handling of the domestic economy is laughable, however, those events that you label as "excuses" are certainly valid.
My point as both an author and student of economics and economic history is that we must not focus on George Bush as the Godzilla who ate America.
Both NAFTA and the WTO were entered into by Mr. Clinton. The gold standard was removed by Mr. Nixon. The pyramid that represents our mathematically impossible growth oriented economy was ushered in over 60 years and countless administrations.
I fear that continual bashing of a single lousy lame duck president takes Americas eyes off of the real economic issues that face us. Greater taxation is not going to repair our economic ills.
Curly, Mary and Moe are running for president. Not one of the three even suspicions there may be an underlying problem that will not go away with George Bush.
Dwelling on Bush will not help America, it only distracts us from recognizing that the current contenders for his job are ill prepared. Not to mention the 535 members of Congress.
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Mike Folkerth (120 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 566 comments)
on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 9:19:24 AM
Why is it that whenever someone makes a point about king george someone comes up with a slam against Bill Clinton. I would agree that Nixon had something to do with the mess we are in. I do remember his wage and price freeze when the workers went without raises and the prices continued to climb. Then we had the st ronnie tax cuts. The republicans have done everything in their power to distroy the working Americans.
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beccy (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 87 comments)
on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 3:29:23 PM
I respect your opinion here Mary. Sorry to say it is, as Mike above says, a waste of time to promote effort at belittling GW's legacy. His bed is made. As are Clintons, George I's, Ronnie's, Nixon's. Go back. This is a philosophy born eons ago that has finally come to roost in our abode.
Get your house in order. Rid yourself of debt. They will, I repeat, they will come after those with debt. They always do. Our food shortages will be severe. Our homeless will command a compassion we will have a difficult time balancing as many will be left out. 1929 will be pale by comparison if we don't act now with the attitude of community. Stay local. Grow food. Live together. Work together. Continue to write and share your thoughts and feelings. Get prepared.
George is a symptom. Not a cause.
peace
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mikel paul (10 articles, 1 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 365 comments)
on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 10:49:32 AM
The Bush tax cut, which was too little too late anyway, were about the only thing about Bush's economic policy that *did* benefit people.
Almost every other policy was wrong. For one thing, the country is hemorraging money because of an insane international policy. We should not be in the 2 wars we are in (Iraq and Afghanistan) and we *certainly* should not attack Iran. We need to close bases overseas and bring troops home. Most domestic policies are wrong too. This monster of a bureaucracy, Homeland Security, should be scrapped. All of this costs not just big huge bucks, but freedom too.
The economy is tanking as I am sure everybody knows; the dollar is falling like a bowling ball dropped from an airplane. The Bush economic policy is a main reason, but policies of administrations before it are not blameless.
Anyone who knows economics has seen this coming for a long time, decades in fact.
Seems only the believers (or is it the self-deceived) can stomach a Dubja speech, and applaud King George's lies.
Today during the Minneapolis march I witnessed a couple people in their cars giving the peace crowd a thumbs down.
Obviously wars and enormous national debt and corruption are good for their bottom line -- or is it their sense of superiority? The loss of security and wealth will trickle up, though, and hurt 'em in the end.
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Kathlyn Stone (39 articles, 213 quicklinks, 23 diaries, 595 comments)
on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 11:30:26 PM
