Outrage Overload (8/7/03)
by Dean Hartwell
I feel outraged by many actions of the Bush Administration. Consider the following instances in which the Bush Administration planned poorly, failed to keep a promise or otherwise trampled on the rights of its citizens and others in the world.
It is outrageous that more United States soldiers have died in Iraq since President Bush declared the end of hostilities there. This fact shows a lack of planning on the part of the military establishment and the president as to the post-war period.
It is outrageous that the Bush Administration has not found Osama bin Laden. In the days following the 9/11 tragedy, Bush boasted that he would get bin Laden “dead or alive.”
It is outrageous that three million jobs have been lost since Bush took office. Again, Bush had made a promise, on this issue to create jobs during his presidency.
It is outrageous that the Bush Administration has squandered the Clinton Administration’s budget surpluses and has replaced them with budget deficits. We can thank the Bush tax cuts for that.
It is outrageous Bush has added to our federal debt, which totals over $6.7 trillion, or more than $23,000 per person in the United States. (Source: U.S. National Debt Clock).
It is outrageous that the Bush Administration classifies information about the 9/11 attacks on the one hand, yet shows little concern for our privacy.
The Total Information Awareness Program, for example, will gather as much information as possible from the public and make it available to the government. (Source: American Civil Liberties Union : Privacy & Technology : Surveillance/wiretapping). Where are the Administration officials who detest big government?
It is outrageous that President Bush has given the armed forces three raises in his 2 ˝ years in office. What better way to entice them to fight questionable wars like the one in Iraq?
It is outrageous that the Bush Administration purchases weapons that will not effectively defend our nation. Pentagon expert Chuck Spinney says that defense budgets distribute defense pork, not usable weapons (Source: NOW: Politics & Economy - Inside the Pentagon: Franklin "Chuck" Spinney | PBS).
It is outrageous that Bush has given full immunity to oil companies for anything that happens to the Iraqi oil they buy. And even more outrageous that he made sure that ecological spills would be something oil companies would have immunity for. (Source: Democracy Now! | Operation Oily Immunity: Bush Quietly Moves to Protect U.S. Oil Interests in Iraq).
But the biggest outrage of all is that silence of the public. At this point in the Carter Administration, countless citizens started a “Dump Carter” movement. It probably hurt Carter that his outrages were easy to see (i.e. high inflation, hostages in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) and fewer in number than President Bush’s outrages.
When an electrical circuit receives too much “juice,” it overloads and shuts off automatically. Could the public be committing this same reaction?
If you feel outraged by any of these Bush Administration actions, don’t turn your political circuit off. Now is the time to raise your voice by telling your neighbors and friends your dissatisfaction with the current direction of our nation. We’ll take back the White House one outraged voter at a time.