January 21, 2004
State Of The Union: What I saw
I suppose I have been watching State Of The Union speeches with interest since about the mid seventies. In most cases they represented a bit a grand standing, politicking, and certain looseness with the facts. These things are to be expected especially in an election year. What I saw last night was a show wrapped around the strangest excuse for a State of the Union speech I had ever witnessed. Some of the highlights as I saw it were as follows:
- A bunch of millionaires applauding a tax cut that has saved them a bundle.
- A bunch of millionaires, whose health care is paid for by the tax payers, applauding, a prescription drug benefit that is designed to benefit their corporate sponsors and may provide some relief to senior citizens.
- A bunch of millionaires applauding a war that neither they or their families were made to fight and whose corporate sponsors have profited handsomely.
In short, I saw a bunch of millionaires congratulating themselves on a job well done. The rest was a hollow speech intended primarily to scare the American people into giving Cheney and his team four more years to complete their plunder. Let’s hope that in this election year the American people can see through this smoke screen and send this administration packing.
Posted by William Flynn at January 21, 2004 09:41 PMWilliam, you simply must come over to the side of reality, here. Wealth makes right. In this country, resistance is futile. Serve the masters or leave this land of milk and honey governed by those who are more equal than others. And don’t let the red, white, and blue flap you on the backside on your way out.
I here Zimbabwe is nice this time of year. They are discovering idealism there, you would be appreciated. Send me a post card and let me know how you like it. I might just visit you when the Patriot Acts are made permanent and the national debt comes due.
Posted by: David R Remer at January 21, 2004 11:32 PMThat’s it! Our government is made up of the Borg! Why didn’t anyone think of it before?
It makes perfect sense. Our President and his cronies are slowly assimilating first the United States, and then the world, into their collective. He wants us all to be his drones, and if we resist, he takes us to jail.
Posted by: Robert Grebel at January 22, 2004 09:59 AMOk I admit it.I am an idealist and I think Zimbabwe is nice right about now. My finace on the other hand is the realist in the family. She thinks Dubya will win in 2004 for the simple reason that he will have more money than God and a compliant media. She is probably right but I can still dream.
Posted by: William Flynn at January 23, 2004 06:39 AMRobert, down here in Texas, if you resist Bush, you simply lose your job. Almost as bad as jail.
William, your fiance’ is probably right. An idealist simply must have a realist for a side kick to keep from going mad in this world of Mutually Assured Destruction. I married a realist too, and she is the only reason I still have a single wit about me.
Posted by: David R. Remer at January 23, 2004 06:52 AMI actually am in Texas. Have been since the days of Ann Richards. Fortunately for me, I’m not yet in the job market. I’m still a college student. Come to think of it, that’s not so fortunate, with college tuition rates going up the way they are.
Posted by: Robert Grebel at January 23, 2004 12:12 PMRobert, the colleges and universities in Texas still permit, if not condone, dissenting opinions. There used to be horrible “Aggie” jokes floating around during the 70’s and 80’s which gave Texas A&M a very undeserved bad rap. Tx.A&M I have since learned is an outstanding university for all manner of degrees including humanities which have nothing to do with agriculture.
Where are you attending by the way? I went to UTSA back when it was considered a prep school for Austin’s UT where all the post graduate degrees were. Still, I got a top notch education in psychology and philosophy - though I heard shortly after I graduated, the prof’s that made the philosophy courses top notch couldn’t get tenure and left.
I go to TCU. It is a very good school that focuses far too much on its business program, but it still has wonderful liberal arts.
Posted by: Robert Grebel at January 24, 2004 09:18 PM
