A Bush Rant

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namkcuR

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Yes. I titled this thread 'A Bush Rant' because that's exactly what it is. No sense in trying to come up with some other less blunt title in an attempt at pretending that this is anything more than Bush-bashing thread. So, without further ado...

I think Bush has had a rather pathetic presidency. Let's start with the fact that he has a below-average intelligence for a president. The thing that really hammerd that home to me was the press conference last night - that's what set this rant off for me. He was reading from a teleprompter, obviously. Nothing wrong with that in itself, really. What's wrong is how slow he was talking. And he was talking slowly during his speech because he was reading one line at a time from the teleprompter. Call me crazy but I like my president to have reading skills that are above that.

Onto the issues...he talked about Social Security. He can preach about it until he's blue in the face for all I care, but SS just isn't as pressing and urgent as he's making it out to be. Yes, it's a problem, yes, something will need to be done, but not what he's suggesting. I don't even know how he can be so sure about these numbers he keeps spouting off, that are decades upon decades in the future. I understand the idea of taking pre-emptive measures for urgent issues, but I don't believe that this issue is nearly as urgent as he's making it out to be. What really irritates me is that I can't help but think the reason he's going on and on and on about SS and having primetime, nationally televised press conferences about it, is because he wants to distract the public from other issues, that are actually more pressing right NOW.

Like gas prices. That's the other thing he talked about, one line at a time. Basically he rambled about how it's going to take a long time to fix it and how congress needs to pass the appropriate bills and so forth. Blah blah blah. In this regard, I really feel that Bush has no vision. What needs to happen is that the corperations who manufacture cars, need to be pressured to manufacture hybrid-type-cars that are less gas-guzzling, so that we can be less dependent on foreign oil, and eventually independent from it. Talk about urgent issues, THIS will be a REAL problem if it's not solved. We MUST, absolutely HAVE to find a way to stop being so incredibly dependent on the Middle East for our oil. It effects much more than gas prices, because it affects a large portion our foriegn policy. The fact that we've started a war over there at least in part for oil, should be a big red flag.

Let's not say anything else about the war. I was and am against it, because they didn't provoke us, and because we were led into it on false pretenses - he LIED to the PEOPLE of this country and that is fact. Meanwhile, we let Osama get away. I am totally 100% convinced that if Bush and/or his administration had really wanted to catch Osama, they would've had him a long time ago. I think Bush wants Osama to be out there, because Osama is a fugurehead for the war against terror. In the public's eyes, once Osama is caught, the war on terror is over and Bush can longer get the public support he needs for the war he wants to fight. That's what I believe.

Well we're talking about foreign policy, let's talk about Africa. Bush promised eighty-something-billion to Africa and not a cent has arrived. In fact, he's encourage other countries not to give aid to Africa based on reservations that stem from his religious beliefs. NUMBER ONE RULE ABOUT HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE - DO NOT LET YOUR FAITH DETERMINE YOUR POLICIES!!!!!!!!!!!! Right now, a football stadium full of people is dying in Africa every few weeks and we're not doing shit about it. And that is wrong.

What about other domestic issues?

Speaking of not letting your fath deterimine your policies...I seriously can't believe we even have to discuss whether or not gay people 'deserve' to be married - but that is a different thread.

Stem Cell Research - embryonic stem cell research can give lives back to handicapped people or even save lives. Has it done it yet? Probably not much, but it has such massive potential to help things like spinal paralysis, cancer, aids even, that I think it is irresponsible not to look into it as much as possible.

The Patriot Act is ridiculous. It is an invasion of privacy. Enough said about that.

Healthcare. When people are going to Canada to get their medicine, you know something is very wrong. We need a national healthcare system. There is absolutely NO justification for saying to those sick people that can't afford healthcare, 'too bad, nothing we can do'.

And I already talked about SS.

I could go on and on and on. His administration is not much better than him. If Cheany somehow became president, it's very possible he would be even worse than Bush because he shares similar beliefs but has a higher IQ *shudders*. Rumsfeld is just an all-around douche, and Condi just seems really, really cold. Blah blah blah. Now my stomach hurts.

Anyway, one of the things that has annoyed me the most about Bush is that he is ENTIRELY too sure of himself, in a very arrogant way. He tends to be smirkish when people don't agree with him. And I have yet to, in five years, hear him utter an apology for any of his actions. Watergate was crap but Nixon apologized. Shagging a White House intern is not something to be proud of, but Clinton apologized. Lying to your people to get them to go along with you with regards to invading another country, in which over a thousand of your troops are going to die, that's really bad but Bush...oh not wait, he didn't. He never apologized for lying to the country. I've always wondered why that didn't upset more people. In five years I have yet to hear him apologize for anything or admit making any mistakes. That's a terrible trait to have, and I don't just mean for a president. I mean that it's a terrible trait for anyone to have. If you make mistakes, at least be a man and admit it.

End rant. I hope I didn't offend anyone.

P.S.I'm also annoyed that he seemingly intentionally schedules his primetime press conferences/speeches when the most rating-winning shows are scheduled, so as to get those viewers attention and pre-empt the show. I was looking forward to 'Joey' all day yesterday and now I have to wait another week :wink:
 
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I like the part about building more nuclear power plants so we're less dependent upon foreign oil.

Does he realize the regulatory compliances to get one built, the fear factor of the general public of having one in their backyard, the years it take to design, build one and the cost overruns......and now we get to the best part........where do we eventually store the spent nuclear rods? Let's see......Carlsbad, NM (no that's low-level nuclear waste), Yucca Mountain??? Hanford??? Don't you just love foresight?

:|
 
Sorry, no offense, but the original rant sounds like a cliff notes version of some talking points.

Social Security not pressing? It is the largest social program in the US. And one not designed to be self-sufficient.

Gas Prices - our European friends are probably lighting a candle for the pain we are suffering. And where is all the oil we were suppose to get from Iraq???

Iraq - the world will discover the benefits of this war for generations (and it has nothing to do with oil!)

Africa - where on your spending list will African aid go? To say "not enough has been done" can apply to everyone.

Stem Cell Research - there are no law preventing the use of stem cells in research. If there is value, the biotech companies are funding the research.

Patriot Act - catching terrorists before they strike is important. Enough said.

National healthcare - (1) what do you want? and (2) how much are you willing to pay? I bet there is a great disconnect between the two answers.

Bush is sure of himself. God, I hate it when a leader demonstrates leadership. Maybe we can elect Zogby or Gallup to run the country.

[/endrant]
 
Originally posted by namkcuR
Bush promised eighty-something-billion to Africa and not a cent has arrived. In fact, he's encourage other countries not to give aid to Africa based on reservations that stem from his religious beliefs.

What? My religious beliefs - Christianity - inspire me to give aid. How the hell does he have reservations about HELPING PEOPLE?

Someone want to clarify this so that it makes even a jot of sense?
 
Re: reply

wizard2c said:
I like the part about building more nuclear power plants so we're less dependent upon foreign oil.

Does he realize the regulatory compliances to get one built, the fear factor of the general public of having one in their backyard, the years it take to design, build one and the cost overruns......and now we get to the best part........where do we eventually store the spent nuclear rods? Let's see......Carlsbad, NM (no that's low-level nuclear waste), Yucca Mountain??? Hanford??? Don't you just love foresight?

:|

I am in favor of building more nuclear plants, because we need them to generate both hydrogen fuel, plus we need it to shift from coal and natural gas power plants. This is one policy that, if Bush is truly serious about it, I support.

Ask most science instructors out there, and most of them will be mostly frustrated about all the misconceptions that surround nuclear power. The chances of another Chernobyl or Three Mile Island are ridiculously remote, due to the kind of nuclear reactors that are currently in operation. Chernobyl had an old-style "graphite core" reactor where the rods would fall out of cooling if the power was cut. Current plants, including all nuclear plants in America today, do not do this; if the power was cut suddenly, the rods stay in place and are cooled. You're more likely to die from the pollution generated from fossil fuel power plants than you are to die from a nuclear accident.

Spent nuclear fuel, in Europe, is recycled for reuse. In the U.S., it is not recycled for no apparent reason. We need to stop being this wasteful of our radioactive materials and this would sharply reduce the amount of uranium waste we currently have. As for any waste beyond that, there is newer technology out there to hasten nuclear half-lives from thousands of years to shorter periods of time. That is, if this technology is used more frequently, places like Yucca Mountain may be unnecessary.

Melon
 
nbcrusader said:
Sorry, no offense, but the original rant sounds like a cliff notes version of some talking points.

Social Security not pressing? It is the largest social program in the US. And one not designed to be self-sufficient.

If Bush raises the income ceiling for Social Security, then the problem is solved. Maybe the ceiling should be removed completely, and Bill Gates could contribute a lot in itself.

Anyway, we could also reduce or eliminate Social Security for wealthy retirees. If they happen to lose their wealth in the middle of retirement, they could then claim Social Security benefits. In other words, there's a lot that can be realistically done to save Social Security--but Bush will never do anything that hurts his wealthy constituency.

As for what he's proposing for Social Security, it's unrealistic. We don't have $2 trillion to infuse to allow for private accounts. It's reckless. It's irresponsible. And nations like Chile and the UK, which already have private accounts, are ironically looking to the current U.S. model of Social Security to replace their *failed* private accounts model. Sorry, Bush is trying to mislead the American public, and looking at the poll numbers, the American public isn't buying it.

Gas Prices - our European friends are probably lighting a candle for the pain we are suffering. And where is all the oil we were suppose to get from Iraq???

Our high gas prices are due to speculative exuberance. There's one thing Bush can immediately do: temporarily stop filling the Strategic Reserves and release some of it for usage. That will piss off the speculators and drive down prices. Our tax dollars, on top of it, pay for filling up the Strategic Reserve at these record prices.

In the long term, Bush should continue to pursue nuclear power and water-based hydrogen fuel. Unfortunately, we've wasted decades in trying to rid ourselves of fossil fuels, and we're going to have a tough decade or two until our R&D can catch up.

Iraq - the world will discover the benefits of this war for generations (and it has nothing to do with oil!)

Bush clearly misled the general public, but we have to move on. For the sake of the Iraqi people, I wish them the best. Now if only Bush would pressure Saudi Arabia, that bastion of terrorism he seemingly ignores...

Africa - where on your spending list will African aid go? To say "not enough has been done" can apply to everyone.

Africa is a mess and merely throwing money at it won't solve everything. They have a long-failed infrastructure and there's a lot that must be done to modernize Africa. Money is part of the equation, but Africa must also be taught to be more self-reliant.

Stem Cell Research - there are no law preventing the use of stem cells in research. If there is value, the biotech companies are funding the research.

Bush has only curtailed stem cell research that can be done in institutions that receive public funds for stem-cell research. The private sector is unaffected, and universities are increasingly switching to private funds in this area. It's mostly a bunch of whiney rhetoric in this area.

Patriot Act - catching terrorists before they strike is important. Enough said.

It's a scary act. I'm glad I'm white. :|

National healthcare - (1) what do you want? and (2) how much are you willing to pay? I bet there is a great disconnect between the two answers.

We need national healthcare. We need it bad. With the GOP even acknowledging that our economy is shifting from traditional employment to more contract-based and freelance work, it's all the more reason that national healthcare is required. Business is always looking for excuses to stop spending money, but this time, business should pick up the bulk of this plan for all the money they make. They make billions off of the American public; and they can make these "dividends" to the public that spends to keep them in business.

Bush is sure of himself. God, I hate it when a leader demonstrates leadership. Maybe we can elect Zogby or Gallup to run the country.

Americans do seem to want a leader that's sure of himself, and, apparently, they don't care what those issues are. They just like the "image" of certainty. Thankfully, Howard Dean picked this up over the last year, so I hope he's helping steer the Democratic Party in this direction for 2006. Kerry's "nuanced approach," apparently, isn't in style anymore. In some ways, that's a pity, because there will always be temptation to reduce complex situations to simple answers just to appear "certain."

Melon
 
Re: Re: reply

melon said:


I am in favor of building more nuclear plants, because we need them to generate both hydrogen fuel, plus we need it to shift from coal and natural gas power plants. This is one policy that, if Bush is truly serious about it, I support.

Ask most science instructors out there, and most of them will be mostly frustrated about all the misconceptions that surround nuclear power. The chances of another Chernobyl or Three Mile Island are ridiculously remote, due to the kind of nuclear reactors that are currently in operation. Chernobyl had an old-style "graphite core" reactor where the rods would fall out of cooling if the power was cut. Current plants, including all nuclear plants in America today, do not do this; if the power was cut suddenly, the rods stay in place and are cooled. You're more likely to die from the pollution generated from fossil fuel power plants than you are to die from a nuclear accident.

Spent nuclear fuel, in Europe, is recycled for reuse. In the U.S., it is not recycled for no apparent reason. We need to stop being this wasteful of our radioactive materials and this would sharply reduce the amount of uranium waste we currently have. As for any waste beyond that, there is newer technology out there to hasten nuclear half-lives from thousands of years to shorter periods of time. That is, if this technology is used more frequently, places like Yucca Mountain may be unnecessary.

Melon

I'm sure the boys at Los Alamos can build a better mousetrap but by that time gasoline will be at $5.00 a gallon..........we're talking time here......that's all I'm saying...certainly not a short-term solution. Where was all the foresight before gasoline reached over the $2.00 mark? None.....no foresight at all....only talk.

:|
 
Re: Re: Re: reply

wizard2c said:
I'm sure the boys at Los Alamos can build a better mousetrap but by that time gasoline will be at $5.00 a gallon..........we're talking time here......that's all I'm saying...certainly not a short-term solution. Where was all the foresight before gasoline reached over the $2.00 mark? None.....no foresight at all....only talk.

:|

You're right. Our government blew it. But it's also our fault that over 90% of incumbents win reelection with little effort. It's our fault that we let the 2004 election be little more than an election about trivial matters. We reap what we sow.

Melon
 
nbcrusader said:
Social Security not pressing? It is the largest social program in the US. And one not designed to be self-sufficient.

Gas Prices - our European friends are probably lighting a candle for the pain we are suffering. And where is all the oil we were suppose to get from Iraq???
[/endrant]

Of course social security is pressing. It is pressing precisely BECAUSE OF, and not in spite of, the policies of Mr Bush and his cronies. The deficit is largely manufactured - the tax cut for the rich (opposed by the right thinking, moral rich incidentally) has in large part created it!

Having created the deficit, Mr Bush (and cronies) now miraculously invent a solution to the problem of their own making - i.e., get rid of social security, squeeze the poor - which suits their agenda all along.

As regards the European friends lighting a candle comment, but we actually pay an awful lot more than Americans do for petrol, so I'm not sure if I understand what point your are making.
 
Bush's domestic goals seem to be a sort of social Darwinism, weeding out those who can't afford his 'ownership society'. We're moving backward in a time when we desperately need to be making strides ahead.
 
Bush is not president of Africa. We have enough problems of our own at home to worry about, such as health care. Also, your bin Laden theory is unfounded. He is not the only terrorist on planet earth, although he should be our top priority.
 
Macfistowannabe said:
Bush is not president of Africa. We have enough problems of our own at home to worry about, such as health care. Also, your bin Laden theory is unfounded. He is not the only terrorist on planet earth, although he should be our top priority.

That's a selfish, nationalistic point of view. How many times do you have to hear Bono or whoever say that this generation will be remembered for the internet and for letting what's happening in Africa happen before you realize that it doens't matter if it's 'our' problem or not. Horrid amounts of people over there are dying day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and to let that happen and think we don't need to do anything about it is just wrong.

And there is evidence that we had Osama cornered and tried to have Afghans capture him instead, resulting in him getting away.
 
namkcuR said:
That's a selfish, nationalistic point of view. How many times do you have to hear Bono or whoever say that this generation will be remembered for the internet and for letting what's happening in Africa happen before you realize that it doens't matter if it's 'our' problem or not. Horrid amounts of people over there are dying day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and to let that happen and think we don't need to do anything about it is just wrong.
It's not selfish to acknowledge that America is our top priority. We have our own economy to worry about, our own poverty, our own health care, our own safety. Africa would be a great thing, but it would take a lot of icing on the cake in order to pursue it.

And there is evidence that we had Osama cornered and tried to have Afghans capture him instead, resulting in him getting away.
Link me up.
 
Macfistowannabe said:
It's not selfish to acknowledge that America is our top priority. We have our own economy to worry about, our own poverty, our own health care, our own safety. Africa would be a great thing, but it would take a lot of icing on the cake in order to pursue it.

True plus we have our wars and "spreading democracy" to worry about.

I'm thinking of a word and it starts with an 'H'.
 
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