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What the future holds.
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Based on history, experience and plain common sense, I can reasonably be certain of these future events.
First, it seems likely that, sometime in the future, at a time when it suits them, terrorists will attack the United States and that attack will bring death and loss to civilians;
Second, it is probable that, sometime in the future, the United States will be hit by a major hurricane and that substantial losses will be a result;
Third, sometime in the future, there will be an airplane disaster, in mid-air, upon taking off or landing or on the ground; and
Fourth, sometime in the future, contaminated foods will enter the food distribution system.
The former Vice-President has been vocal in the past weeks, taking up almost permanent residence at the Fox News Channel studios accusing the newly elected President for being the direct cause of the first future catastrophe, preparing his “I told you so” speech. During his post-election commentaries, he has extolled his being instrumental in protecting the nation from attack and, at the same time, suggests that the weak Obama administration is doing less than an adequate job in protecting us.
This cynicism from Mr. Chaney is not unique. The GOP has devolved into a cowering version of itself, paranoid, hostile and nasty. The Republicans who wish to join the world are dismissed as traitors and worse. Thus, the former Vice-President drums Colin Powell from the Party and sees Rush Limbaugh as the true symbol for the future.
Barack Obama is not only a poor choice of President, according to the GOP faithful (a perfectly legitimate view, provided one is willing to accept that he is, after all, the President), he is intentionally giving up American sovereignty, willing to replace capitalization with socialism, ceding power and authority to our enemies.
The more conservative Republicans do not and cannot recognize a world in which it is the U.S. cannot ignore allies and, in fact, must engage with those who do not share our values and policies. While the majority of people in the United States recognize that the financial crisis, climate change, terrorism and pandemic threats must be addressed by the world and that America can't go it alone, the GOP base holds to its fantasies.
So who has made the United States less safe? The Bush administration engaged us in a war that is now acknowledged to have been not only unnecessary but justified by falsehood, torture and intelligence known to have been at best “suspect” One result has been the giving to al Qaeda a recruiting tool, an ability to gain strength in Muslim countries where they had previously no influence or presence.
Actually none of the disasters cited will occur because of Bush administration practices or actions. Terrorists will, or won’t, attack us pursuant to their schedule and not ours. The Bush-Chaney crowd may have created or facilitated the expansion of terrorists in areas not previously infected, but the probability of future attacks or their timetable is not their cause. By the same token, natural disasters, hurricanes, flooding, contaminated foods and airplane crashes will undoubtedly happen and, while the timing of such horrors may not be the GOP’s fault, the harm caused by each will be magnified because of the short-sighted failure of the Federal government to be in a position to help.
And that is their fault.
The most recent version of the perception of Ronald Reagan’s dictum, that Government is the problem and not a solution, simplifies the tenets of President Reagan, as exemplified by George W. Bush, was that governmental agencies be reduced in size, budget, staff and power and the gap filled by private non-governmental organizations. The results have not been good and are discussed in my previous articles:
The identical disdain for government and the drive to reduce or by-pass it was demonstrated by the former President’s brother Jeb Bush who, while Florida Governor strove to have many governmental functions taken over by private organizations and companies, many of which were major campaign contributors – to both parties. Thus, in Florida, functions as diverse as the providing health care and meals, to jail and prison inmates, the running of the school system, operation of prisons, the operation of toll highways, the foster care system, protective services for children and the aged, all were taken over by private organizations often with little oversight by or accountability.
The results have been a disaster. And for this, Messrs Bush and Chaney should be condemned.
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