Let’s see, we are three years into this administration. An administration led by Karl Rove and the group that has turned a $240 billion surplus into a $530 billion deficit. Doing a little math, they have squandered $770 billion of our taxes, or as they say, your money. And what have we received? One ex-friend bogeyman and a number of supposed bad guys depicted on a deck of cards.
Some poker game. Is this supposed to placate us? They spend billions of our money to rebuild Iraq and let this country go to ruin. They not only went to war based on lies but lied to the troops. Our soldiers do not have adequate armor on their vehicles – a slight oversight on the Pentagon’s part. Isn’t Rummy in charge of that? A private steelmanufacturing company volunteered and made armament to send to the troops. The commander in Iraq has stated that they won’t use it. Hey, what? That calls for a little fragging.
For those of you not up on your military jargon, that’s short for eliminating incompetent leaders. Even the made-to-order, exploited female hero Jessica Lynch said her weapon jammed. (I don’t deny her one second of fame. My question is, what about the other female casualty and the fellow that fired back and most of all those that gave their lives? We didn’t hear much about them.) A family upon frantic request from their son serving in Iraq spent $660 of their own money to send him a flak jacket.
Furthermore, the reserves and National Guard who were sent to Iraq shouldn’t have to worry that it is possible to lose their home, job, car and be forced into bankruptcy because they took a big cut in pay. Yes, the bankers say there is help out there for those wives and fathers left behind to cope with these problems. Then why won’t these patriotic banks, mortgage companies and finance companies walk the walk and suspend all payments on the debts of those serving in their administration’s war? Oh, my goodness, that would upset the economy!
Economy? What economy? It’s in the tank. Three million jobs lost; the average family is now 3.5 so that computes to as many as 9.5 million people that depended on those jobs. Health care is in a shambles, our transportation system is antiquated, and No Child Left Behind is so far back you can’t even see the dust from their struggles.
The corporations left our country for China and India, waving their patriotic flags and thumbing their noses at the American labor force that made them what they are today. It wasn’t the $200- million-a-year CEO but the well-paid labor force that built America.
Yet Bush wants to give larger tax breaks to these rich people while telling the masses, “Spend your $60 refund, if you get one, at the great rip-off artist Wal- Mart.” Do you think the CEOs shop there? Then again, maybe the cheap bastards do. Wal-Mart and Target reportedly had lower-than-predicted holiday sales. Neiman-Marcus, Tiffany’s and Saks Fifth Avenue and other purveyors of luxury items had a great Christmas. Thanks, all you $60 tax-cut recipients, for shopping in those stores.
This administration is bringing this nation to its knees. They are neither Republican nor religious, they are a gypsy band bent on, as Daddy Bush said, a One World Order. The Patriot Act will see that it is put in place. I would not put it past these despots to declare martial law. Does this scare you? I hope so.
Got to go, Mr. Ashcroft is knocking at my door. Well, that’s not true, but it’s the only lie I’ve told in this article.
Galen Larson is a landowner in rural Montezuma County.
