|
Back to the Forum Archives
The State of the Union:
By Willie Gaffer:
February 3, 2003:
The Combined Houses:
I'm watching this charade called the State of the Union Address.
Here are about a thousand people in this room, our whole government,
no less. These people are standing up going yuk, yuk, yuk every
time the president pauses. They are plopping their hands together
and grinning like buffoons. This could be a union meeting, a
football game, or a jail break. I'm watching a room full of rabble.
It's like some master puppeteer had them all on strings. If it
were not so tragic, it would be funnier that heck. If Meredith
Wilson were to do a musical comedy with a scene like this the
producers would take it out. "It's too unbelievable,"
they would say.
These people are doing their yuks for one of the most boring
speeches ever presented in this chamber. Considering how absolutely
un-charismatic he is, we are given to wonder how George ever
came to be elected. Then, of course, we remember, he was not
elected. He was appointed. But how did he make the race so close
that appointment was a possibility? We need look no further that
his opponent in that charade. Tweedledee managed to out dumb
Tweedledum. The tragic comedy called American politics was in
full bloom.
Social Security.
The President is still arguing for the regular rabble to have
control of their social security investments. Doesn't this guy
read history? The reason we have social security is precisely
because the rabble cannot plan, save, and invest for the future.
Before Social Security we had a large number of old folks becoming
wards of the state, because they had no savings. Others were
burdens on their families or just starved to death. That, why
FDR created it, for goodness sake. It's not supposed to be a
game for fools. It's an economic floor to protect fools.
Religion:
Bush is still arguing for what he calls a faith based initiative.
This is where he intends to give my tax dollars to primitive
fundamentalist bible thumpers. In theory they will use the money
to do good works. My questions: Who will define what constitutes
a good work? Who will make sure my money is not used to help
propagate some bible thumper's religious philosophy?
The first amendment does not provide for the government to
distribute our tax moneys to religious organizations. Doing that
is tantamount to supporting religion and is specifically prohibited.
There is nothing in this amendment about how noble or just the
use of the money may be. There is no provision for supporting
religions activities in any way. Get off it Bush.
Iraq:
George made an inept attempt to make the case for his planned
invasion of Iraq. He went over a great deal of old time worn
hearsay in nauseating detail. Again he tried to convince us that
Hussein is a terrorist. It does not wash. Hussein is an imperialist.
He is bright enough to know that terrorism is not a viable tool
for imperialism.
In the end, Bush presented nothing new. I doubt that he even
convinced himself. Never mind that. We are going to war. There
is no doubt. George has made up his mind. I can only beg, get
it done quickly, George. Try not to get a large number of our
boys killed. And, when it's done, don't betray the Iraqi people
the way you betrayed the Afghanistan people. Keep a US presence
that can be effective. Don't turn it over to the opposition.
Don't put the place in charge of another primitive desert tribe.
The State of The Union:
After listening to George, I must conclude that the State of
The Union is the worst it has been since George Washington stepped
down. Even in the lowest depths of the civil war we were better
of. In 1942 we were better off. At least we had leadership. Now,
never mind the lack of a helmsman, we don't even have a rudder.
January 29, 2003:
I get that Wall Street did not like George's speech at all. When
I checked earlier, the market had taken another nose dive. I
suspect that is about his nostrums for our economic recovery.
Maybe he should get a new script. The old one is pretty time
worn. The market did recover a few points on other news by the
end of the day. The Street is nothing if not fickle.
Gaffer:
Back to the Forum Archives
|