Bush restarts the Cold War

No president has committed as many national and international blunders in a mere seven years as George W. Bush. No president comes even close to exhibiting the monumental ignorance of George W. Bush. But perhaps the worst thing we can say is that no president in our history has lied so extensively to the American people as has Mr. Bush.


The following are bits and pieces from a CNN transcript of a Bush speech at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, just before the election on November 3, 2000:

(Watch for the lies. It isn't hard. It's all pretty much lies!)

"[This country] ... is ready for a leader who will bring this great country together. No, that's what this country wants. They want a leader who understands how to lead, how to bring folks together to achieve the people's business. ...

"...Ours is a campaign that stands squarely on the side of the people and the families and the workers of America. ...

"It's time for a leader to bring Republicans and Democrats together to make sure the Medicare system fulfills its promise to our seniors, that the Medicare systen makes sure there's prescription drugs available for all seniors. And if seniors are unhappy with the Medicare plan, they ought to be given additional options, additional choices from which to choose the plan that best suits their needs.

"This stands in stark contrast to my opponent, who not only has not gotten anything done for eight years, but has proposed a massive federal plan where all decisions will be made at the federal level. He trusts the government. We trust the people. ...

"...this country cries for reform of the Social Security system ... It's time for new leadership to bring Republicans and Democrats together. ...

" ...it's time for new leadership that understands that we must trust younger workers with your own money to be able to invest in the private sector to get a better rate of return. ...


"As you know, there's a lot of discussion about the surplus.

"Now, I want you all to understand clearly that our budgets grow over 10 years, and there's still money left over. That's why it's called a surplus. ...

"Here's what we believe. We don't believe the surplus is the government's money. We know the surplus is the people's money. And we're going to send some of that money back to the people who pay the bills. ...

"We ought to provide tax relief for everybody who pays taxes in America. ...

"But if you have any doubt about the difference of our opinion versus that of my opponent, I want you to hear his own words. At the Democratic National Convention he said, 'If you give me a chance to be your president, I will make sure that the right people get tax relief.'

"Think about that...That's not our vision of this great land. Everybody is the right person and everybody ought to be treated fairly. ...

"Eight years ago, the Clinton-Gore administration inherited a military ready for dangers and challenges facing our nation. The next president will inherit a military in decline. But if the next president is George W. Bush, the days of decline will be over. ...

"The Clinton-Gore administration has used our military too much and supported it too little. ...

"Dick Cheney, my good running mate Dick Cheney and I, have a message to all of our men and women in uniform and to their parents and to their families. Help is on the way. ...

"And whenever America uses forces in the world, the cause must be just, the goal must be clear and the victory must be overwhelming. ...

"...as president, I will protect America from -- America itself from missiles and blackmail. In a time of technology and terror, the defense of our homeland must be an urgent goal.

"Our main line of defense is a clear message. Every group or nation must know this: If they sponsor attacks against America, our response will be devastating.

"We will strengthen our intelligence operations to detect terror before it strikes. And our nation must build a missile defense.

"If I become the president, we will waste no more time preparing to defend the American people.

"...I will seize this moment of opportunity to build the military of the future. ...

"The best way to keep the peace is to redefine war on our terms. ...

"I will prepare our military not just to win war but to prevent war. ...

"Should Dick Cheney and I be elected, you have our word: We will build the military of the future to give our nation a strength beyond challenge. ...

"It's become clear to America over the course of this campaign that I've made mistakes in my life. But I'm proud to tell you, I've learned from those mistakes. ..."


Well, once you get over the fact that Bush can barely put a sentence together -- even one that was written for him -- you realize that he was lying through his teeth in most everything he said. He didn't bring Democrats and Republicans together, he established a brutal and vicious partisanship which has damn near destroyed all three branches of the government. He didn't bring the people of America together. We are more divided, more filled with distrust and hatred for one another than at any other time in our history.

Medicare is in shambles and seniors are still without adequate access to prescription drugs. The Social Security system was never "broken" as Bush claimed, he merely wanted to destroy it for the benefit of his Wall-street backers. Can you imagine what your Social Security investments would be worth if you opted out of the Social Security program to gamble your money in the stock market?

Budgets don't automatically grow over 10 years to leave a huge surplus. Bush must have thought Americans were really stupid. Hell, he must have been right; they bought his bullshit and elected him for a second term! And what happened to that surplus? Did he return the money to the people like he promised? Of course not. The rich got their tax breaks, the rest of us got bupkis. After almost eight years of Bush in office, the middle class is almost non-existent and the disparity between the very rich and the rest is a growing cataclysmic chasm.

He didn't protect the country. He ignored the multitudinous warning signs that Osama bin Laden was coming! He was out to lunch when the terrorists attacked. And he hasn't made us safer; he's simply shredded the Constitution in an attempt to gain control over the American people.

Let's discuss the military that he promised to care for. Our soldiers in the Middle East have to buy at least a portion of their own protective gear. Some of their machinery and weaponry is sub-standard. Today the media reported we are giving our soldiers ineffective ammunition!

The Veteran's Administration, which is responsible for our military men and women, has become a national joke, headed by ineffective leaders and underfunded and unable to provide the proper physical and mental care our soldiers need.

The military is so exhausted at this point that some soldiers are pulling two and three tours of duty!

All this because Bush forgot about fighting a "just" war, with a clear goal. Instead he preemptively invaded a little ragged country in the middle of a sandy nowhere which was no threat to us whatsoever. Because he had no plan and no goal, the "war" has become an "occupation" force trying to slow down a growing civil war. There is no "overwhelming" victory - just death and despair.

"Help is on the way," he said. He and Cheney were riding to the rescue. That statement would be absolutely hilarious except you have to view it in the context of almost 4,100 soldiers dead, thousands more wounded and disabled, millions of Iraqis either dead or wounded or living in exile, with no end in sight to the carnage!

Today, Bush and Cheney stand helpless before the America people, blood dripping from their hands!


Finally, in this speech Bush promised to build a missile defense. This is perhaps one of the most stupid, inane, idiotic ideas this warmonger ever came up with. Actually Bush has a hard time coming up with any idea on his own; this one he borrowed from Ronald Reagan the one time Reagan was actually awake and moving.

Why do we need a missile defense? Did Bush forget the Cold War is over? Does he expect Hizbullah to hit us with a long-range missile? Or Iran? Or maybe...who?

The problem is that our friends as well as our enemies see a missile system, not as a defense mechanism, but as an offensive weapons placement. And they know now, very clearly, that they cannot depend upon American leadership to operate from an ethic, moral or rational position. Bush has proven that we are actually as unstable as they have feared down through the years.

And we know now that the Soviet Union, during the Cold War, was terrified that some crazed American president would push the Red button and set a nuclear holocaust in motion. The Soviets were more afraid of us, and rightly so, than we were of them.


Today, Bush is back in the missile business, and is planning to deploy missile defense elements in various places in Europe.

The Russians are furious! "A top Russian general says Moscow will take adequate measures to counter U.S. missile defense plans," because Russia rejects "U.S. assurances that the plans were designed to counter a missile threat from Iran. It says the U.S. missile defense facilities will undermine its security."

What has happened is the Bush/Cheney warmonging administration, ignoring all of the studies which indicate the absolute futility and the imminent danger of a missile defense system, is going ahead with plans to establish just such a system in strategic European countries.

Little Georgie, has almost single-handedly, restarted the Cold War!