Vote against Bush (10/21/04)
by Dean Hartwell
Why would anyone want to vote for George W. Bush for President? I have racked my brain to come up with even one reason to allow him four more years to mislead and mismanage this nation. Consider the possible Bush arguments and my counterpoints:
Bush argument: The economy is strong.
My response: Wrong! Bush will be the first president since Herbert Hoover to preside over a net loss of jobs during his time in office.
Bush argument: The war is going well in Iraq.
My response: No. More than a thousand United States soldiers have died in Iraq in a war that the President misled the public about. A recent CIA report indicates a strong possibility of continued unrest and even civil war.
Bush argument: The President is a straight shooter who keeps his word.
My response: On what? As a candidate he promised there would be no “nation building” yet he has turned around and built nations in Afghanistan and Iraq. He promised a second vote at the United Nations on going to war against Iraq but backpedaled on that. He originally opposed the creation of a Homeland Security Department then turned around and supported it. And so on. He flip-flops far more than Senator Kerry.
Bush argument: The tax cuts have helped everyone.
My response: Not really. The tax cuts have mostly gone to help the wealthy, leaving crumbs for everyone else. Also, the budget deficit has risen sharply during Bush’s time in office because of these tax cuts. Future generations will have to pay for them.
Bush argument: Bush has restored honor and dignity to the White House.
My response: Where is it? His White House “outed” a CIA operative because her husband wrote a report that Bush had lied when he said that Iraq had purchased uranium from Niger. His Vice-President continues to falsely state that Iraq was connected to the attacks of September 11th. And he has appointed more convicted criminals to his Administration than any previous U.S. president.
Bush argument: We need to stand by our leader who defended us after the attacks of September 11th.
My response: Bush and the United States received an outpouring of goodwill from most nations around the world after the terrorist attacks. Where did that goodwill go? After Bush decided to invade Iraq, a nation that posed no threat to the U.S., most nations opposed us and formed a negative impression of both the President and the nation.
Bush argument: George Bush has made the world safer from terrorists.
My response: That’s not true. In the first eight months of 2003, Al Qaeda struck eight times. (Source: http://www.why-war.com/files/qaeda-timeline-v1-1.pdf). For those who think the United States is safer, consider the fact that the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon took place under Bush’s watch.
Bush argument: Bush will promote democracy in the Middle East.
My response: He’s not off to a very good start in Iraq. With people dying throughout the nation at an alarming rate, it is hard to convince people that democracy matters. So much for the United States being greeted as “liberators.” As for the other nations in the Middle East, why would they want to take after a nation that held a fraudulent election last time?
Bush argument: The President has fought for freedom around the world.
My response: With the United States military still in Afghanistan and Iraq, freedom in those nations will likely be limited to what our nation allows. And what about freedom back here at home? Ask yourself whether you are truly free to check out a library book without the fear of the government keeping record of it on your file (See http://bernie.house.gov/civil_liberties/background.asp). Ask yourself whether you are free to join a political organization without the fear of the government infiltrating it (See http://www.politechbot.com/2004/08/16/aclu-denounces-fbi/). Ask yourself whether you are truly free to vote without the fear that the government won’t count the vote (Remember the 2000 Florida election fiasco).
Bush argument: President Bush has reduced the size of government and has “gotten it off our backs.”
My response: Under President Bush, the number of public-sector jobs in the nation has risen by almost one million (Source: http://uspolitics.about.com/od/economy/a/09092004.htm). It is another case of the Administration promising one thing and delivering another.
Four years has been too much. It’s time we said we’ve had enough. The only sensible vote this year is the vote against President Bush.