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Volume CXXXIII, Number 1 |
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Bush's hollow victories
BRYANT ANTHONY RICH
CONTRIBUTOR
President Bush is quite adept at achieving the goals that he sets forth for his administration. He set out to cut taxes and make war on terrorism, and he accomplished both goals.
Still, before we pat him on the back, we should probably take a good hard look at these two victories. Did the substantial Bush tax cut package grow the economy? The Bush administration was ever so kind as to identify Iraq as a tangible embodiment of terrorism but, was war in Iraq truly effective? Were these merely two hollow victories?
Major combat operations in Iraq were a decisive victory to say the least. The American military machine proved itself to be extremely effective as it quashed Iraqi forces.
So, now what? Our haughty unilateralism has left us with no support. Our administration has failed to provide any significant postwar planning, other than guaranteeing lucrative contracts to former corporations of which certain members of the administration own significant amounts of stock.
Now, we are forced to walk back to our former friends and allies, tails tucked between our legs, and beg for help. No one has jumped at the opportunity to join us, especially because the Bush administration has forgotten that beggars cannot be choosers. It continues to demand that any assistance be completely on our terms. Meanwhile, young American men and women die as sitting ducks in Iraqi cities. The attack on upscale apartments, in Saudi Arabia known to primarily house foreigners was likely a premonition of what is to come, and the terrorists did not even have to leave the region.
But, that's not all. Our financial house is in a state of disarray, no matter what White House budget director Joshua Bolten would like to admit. The congressional budget office suggests that the deficit will be in the range of $410 billion due this year, due in large part to the ample Bush tax cut. The tax cut may have stimulated the economy, but it did not really succeed in spurring growth. Despite the optimistic projections of analysts and investors desperate for signs of a turnaround, the unemployment rate grew in August. 93,000 jobs were lost in the 22nd month without reversing constant job loss, as compared to 44,000 lost in July.
The war and the tax cut package were both flashy victories. You could
see the effects immediately. Taxes were lowered and bombs were dropped,
but neither has produced the positive effects that would have been best
for our great nation. They were merely hollow victories.
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