Once again, a busy work day slowed my written output, and I'm just catching up. But after reading both this article and the transcript of Bush's "press conference" this morning, all I can think is "oh shit."
Dubya might not be as dumb as I sometimes think (to be honest, I'd probably back the dauphin in an intelligence contest with a signpost--but only after careful consideration). However, I seriously doubt he bothers to think about what he's saying from one moment to the next. For instance, he babbles on at one point about how "voting in itself" is a sign of success in Iraq--without any expression indicating that he's even aware of, oh I don't know--FALLUJAH, for instance...or the ongoing issue of prisoner/detainee abuse in Iraqi prisons...no, instead, it's all about how we had to get rid of Saddam, we had to get rid of Saddam, we had to get rid of Saddam RIGHT NOW because...
Well, because of what? There isn't a shred of evidence indicating he was capable of attacking, much less preparing to attack, the United States or one of our numerous "democratic" allies in the region like Jordan or Kuwait--note that "democratic" is in quotes for a reason.
Bush has requested, to date, approximately $280 billion dollars for Operation Folly in the Desert, of which $150 billion has already been spent. Oyster hit one out of the park here, noting the price tag above (he also compared it to the cost of other wars), following up with the observation that we haven't really accomplished squat in Mesopotamia. Earth to wingnuts: if the best Bush gets after another $200 to $400 billion dollars (or more) is "Baathism without Saddam" or "Islamic Fundamentalia," then the mission is neither accomplished nor a success. Oh, and when you budget $1.5 Billion dollars for an embassy, it's because you're putting enough reinforced concrete into the plan to stop a tank...which means that the country said embassy is housed in, um, well, hates our guts. Do you ever wonder why?
Bush doesn't. In fact, as far as I can tell, these days he's really beginning to look like he misses his days pre-1986, when a wagon was simply something to fall off of.
Oh, and in the interest of balance, Bush shows a lack of understanding on domestic issues as well--when asked about the out of control budget deficit, the best he can come up with is the lame response that he's got a plan...to which I say, put up or shut up. What the hell IS the plan? And, to further his babbling nature, he flat out lied about Social Security:
As dictated by just math, there is the - the system will be in the red in 13 years. And in 2042, the system will be broke. That's because people are living longer and the number of people paying into the Social Security trust is dwindling.
That's a LIE. Social Security will NOT be in the red in 2018. It WILL have to cash in securities (purchased US debt) that the agency at present buys with the surplus it accumulates (just for this reason) in order to meet obligations--sort of how, say, a person who quits a job would use a savings account to keep the rent payments up to date until they found a new job. As for 2042, no, the system won't be "broke." It WILL have to consider scaling back payments IF and ONLY IF long term growth projections for the entire US economy are as lame as predicted (and, if they ARE that lame, then perhaps the solution is to elect officials who will adopt economic policies that generate more growth--jeez).
You know, I really think Bush just doesn't give a shit what he actually says. I guess, in his mind, it doesn't matter anyway--it's just words.
Unfortunately it DOES matter. And by handing the keys to this mad, drunk-on-power idiot, we might well find ourselves being driven off the cliff...
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