| "For Bush to grant himself this title
[War President] is an
insult to my grandfather and the inspired leaders who led this
country in wars that were just. To put it simply, George W. Bush
has not earned the right to be called a War President." -
Franklin D. Rossevelt's grandson, James Roosevelt
Jr., 10/29/2004 Army staffer: Halliburton case 'worst abuse' "WASHINGTON - An Army contracting officer who
led the FBI to widen its investigation of Pentagon contracts to
Halliburton told NBC News that she had never seen a worse case of
contracting abuse.
George Bush’s foreign &
domestic policies are irrational. The Merriam Webster online
dictionary defines "irrational" as : (1) not endowed with reason
or understanding (2) lacking usual or normal mental clarity or
coherence. Polices have been pursued that are counter-intuitive, lack common sense & have had or will have disastrous consequences. Within his Administration, Bush has attracted ideologues- who however intellectually bright, lack sound judgment and wish to use the President to further their own ambitions and misguided policies. George Bush is not
extremely intelligent, though he is politically savvy. Despite his
folksy exterior, he clearly identifies with the wealthy and
powerful, especially big oil. He espouses the
ownership society versus the collective values of
stewardship and ecological protection. However none of this is enough to
explain his behavior & policies. Psychological causes are
always at the root of irrational behavior. In the Presidential debates Bush came across as lacking
self assurance, a fearful man- fearful of the debates and fearful
of the world at large. His denial of mistakes, rigidity of
thought, judgmental view of the world, impatience, resistance to change and obsession
with/over reaction to the Iraqi threat evidences
addictive type behavior. He has rationalized the angry divisions he has
created in U.S. and the world as being necessary
because he has needed to make unpopular (presumably courageous) moves. This circular thinking
belies the reality- the reason his policies are unpopular is that
they are inherently flawed and have, as a result, sharply
divided the nation and the world. Democrat or Republican,
conservative or liberal, we need to restore a rational approach to
governance. Policies need to be rooted in facts, informed by sound,
clear
judgment and communicated with integrity.
Presidential Debate 2- Kerry vs. Bush
Presidential Debate 3- Kerry vs. Bush
Vice-Presidential Debate- Edwards vs. Cheney The election results may hinge on the upcoming Presidential debates. To defeat George Bush in the Presidential debates, Kerry must positively, clearly & convincingly convey his Plan for America. He must portray himself as he is- a decisive, consistent, bold, courageous, tough, thoughtful leader- a man of integrity, compassion & strength. Kerry's approach should reflect the message in Bill Clinton's 2004 Democratic Convention Speech. This message conveys a vision for America and the world far different from the Republican Administration's and is very much aligned with Kerry's own Plan for America. Kerry must overcome voter apathy- not just giving voters reasons to not vote for Bush, but reasons to vote for Kerry. Many Americans already have justified doubts about the Bush Administration's competence & vision. Kerry needs to offer a positive alternative that reflects his progressive vision for America & the world. A 9//28/04 Post & ABC Poll found- "that Bush has built his lead through "relentless attacks on Kerry" that have "badly damaged the Democratic nominee. .... almost as if they [Americans] are reading from Bush campaign ad scripts." It is a sad commentary on American politics when the electorate is so badly manipulated by TV attack ads. As Marshall Wittmann, Senator John McCain's former director of communications wrote, "President Bush & Vice President Dick Cheney have "waged an unprecedentedly cynical & divisive campaign." See also: "Moose on the Loose." Interestingly, Europeans are dead set against Bush- see: "Europe to Bush: Go Away." -perhaps because they are not exposed to the same propaganda. Americans should ask themselves if the same type of propaganda the Bush Administration is using to justify the Iraq war is being used to discredit its political opponents. This includes: Telling of partial truths; Attempting to motivate by fear, not truth- wrapping its policies around the symbols of patriotism, freedom, duty, honor, etc.; Demonizing the enemy; Narrowing the range of discourse; Failing to fully reveal the agendas of outside groups, let alone one’s own government & finally, the bigger the lie- the better. As political historian Robert Dallek wrote in a 10/26/2004 OpEd in USA Today, "That a president with so questionable a record is still running a competitive race is a little startling. If Bush wins the election, it would seem to represent the triumph of spin politics."
"Truth crushed to earth shall rise again, The eternal years of God are hers; But Error, wounded, writhes with pain, And dies among his worshippers." William Cullen Bryant "The Unknown -The very pretext of the war, Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, was false. -The President and his advisors were told by the United Nations that there was no evidence of WMDs. -The CIA told the President that there was no link between Al Qaeda and Iraq. - Our allies warned the President that the war was not justified and that they would not support our efforts. - Academia & the State Department reminded the Administration that post invasion Iraq would be a quagmire- easy to defeat the Bath party & Republican Guard, but virtually impossible to maintain the peace. Yet the
Administration went to war- in direct contravention of
International Law. Why? Military basing rights in Iraq? To whet our
insatiable lust for oil for the next 50-100 years, since Iraq has
the world's second largest oil reserves? If this was the case,
then the term "Evil Empire"- used to refer to the former Soviet
Union, would far better describe our own country. Is the world
better off without Saddam Hussein? If this is the pretext for
going to war, then the argument can be made to go to war against
half of the world's leaders- including some would argue the rulers
of the United States. Is the world more secure? Diverting
resources to Iraq has taken away resources from fighting Al Qaeda and away from addressing the root causes of terrorism-
injustice & oppression. Potentially more dangerous enemies have
been strengthened and our intelligence community is in disarray.
The restrictions on our personal freedoms have made us less- not
more secure. See:
The Unjust War in Iraq;
Free Speech;
The
Effect of the War in Iraq on America's Security;
Truth & Consequences: The Bush Administration & September 11;
Sept. is 2nd-deadliest 2004 month in Iraq;
Inspector: Iraq had no WMD before invasion
A
Political & Moral Imperative
The Bush Administration has
disgraced itself, the United States and our allies. It has
contributed to the degradation of the human spirit. It has
violated the most fundamental governing principle of "thou shall
do no harm." In every facet of domestic & foreign policy it has
shown itself weak and subservient to special interests and the
politics of fear & hate. It has caused me to be ashamed to be an
American.
Presidents Who Live in Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones "These scurrilous attacks on John Kerry's credibility in war, courage and valor are false and George Bush is behind it," he said. "That's why I tried to deliver a letter to the president's home and hand it either to him or one of his aides." - former U.S. Senator and Vietnam war veteran Max Cleland commenting on commercials by a group that calls itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. See also: Kerry's medals were deserved, says widow of slain comrade, Boston Globe 8/27/04 ; Smear and Pivot: Bush's Campaign Strategy ; Bush's Guard Duty Under Microscope ; Bush's military service in question – again: Records appear to show that the president failed to fulfill his duty to the Air National Guard & Brothers in Arms |