I have been a bit tight-lipped as of late, mostly because the combination of Grad School and work is a pain in the neck (and other parts). But I have been called out, so to speak, by my gracious host. The Golden Boy is eager to hear what I have to say about the American State of the Union Address.
So, for your reading pleasure …
President Bush started off with a reference to the death of Coretta Scott King. It was appropriate in light of the proximity of the event. Mrs. King could easily have slipped into the background of the American Civil Rights movement when her husband was killed in 1968, but instead chose to remain in the forefront, leading a march of fifty thousand just four days after the murder. It is my personal concern that, with her passing, the burden of maintaining the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change will fall to his progeny, who have already shifted the focus of the institution to the point that it is now only known as The King Center.
The President then acknowledged the open hostility being displayed in Washington, and around America, in regard to political differences. “But even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must act in a spirit of good will and respect for one another — and I will do my part.”
Mr. President, I respectfully submit that you are, as they say in the Great State of Texas, a day late and a dollar short. The recent vote on Justice Alito was but a small example of the bi-partisan contention that has plagued America for decades, with a brief respite in late 2001. Among the tragic events of September of that year, the one we failed to note was that it takes the death of thousands of innocent civilians to distract the two major American political parties from their posturing and vitriol for long enough to address the needs of the Governed. I realize that a Loyal Opposition is vital to the health of any government, but the emphasis has been off of Loyalty for far too long.
But that is a whole other blog entry.
The next topic of discussion was Foreign Affairs. President Bush referred to the proliferation of Democracy in the world since the end of the Second World War. “In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely democracies on Earth. Today, there are 122. And we are writing a new chapter in the story of self-government — with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan … and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple ink … and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the rights of individuals and the necessity of freedom. At the start of 2006, more than half the people of our world live in democratic nations. And we do not forget the other half — in places like Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Iran — because the demands of justice, and the peace of this world, require their freedom as well.”
This statement is the one that should rightfully swell every American heart with pride (as long as they don’t let Pride become a vice). Of the 122 democracies that exist today, are there more than 15 that would find themselves in such a state without the intervention of America? Among nations, only the strong democracies have a reputation for involving themselves in the affairs of other nations in order to restore any form of self-rule to the citizens, even on a limited scale. And of the strong democracies, which has entered a country with military force, relieved a dictator from rule, and immediately handed the reigns of government over to the people of that country, rather than annexing it? You will find it to be a short list indeed. But in spite of the actions taken in Afghanistan and Iraq, the greatest strength of America is the Dollar. Economic diplomacy has turned Communist countries to Capitalist ones faster than you could dress Karl Marx in a McDonalds uniform. Why America is willing to use this kind of muscle in every corner of the world, but refuses to do so in Cuba, is outside of my limited capability.
The President went on to affirm that he will not, at this time, begin withdrawing troops from abroad, referring to a rejection of “isolationism” more than twice during the speech. I think he stays into the realm of hyperbole when he says his critics are promoting isolationism, but that isn’t particularly relevant at the moment. The way that this portion of the Speech was intended to be taken by the rest of the world is thusly: America is involved in the Middle East for a long time to come. It is in the best interest of the world, but also in the specific interest of America to do so.
It is significant to note that President Bush presented “a clear plan for victory” in Iraq. “First, we are helping Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that old resentments will be eased, and the insurgency marginalized. Second, we are continuing reconstruction efforts, and helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis can experience the benefits of freedom. Third, we are striking terrorist targets while we train Iraqi forces that are increasingly capable of defeating the enemy.” It can now be surmised that America will begin to draw down their presence in Iraq when the Iraqi government is in place, the Iraqi economic infrastructure is in place, and the Iraqi Security Force is in place. Part A is in progress, and Part B is nearly complete (hold on to your Dinar for another 12 to 18 months). Speculation on timeframe is folly, but being the fool that I am, I would say don’t hold your breath unless you are able to do so for another 8 years.
It is also significant to note the following statement: “(L)iberty is the future of every nation in the Middle East, because liberty is the right and hope of all humanity.” It has long been said within certain circles in Washington that the road to Jerusalem leads through Babylon. America has made no secret that it is firmly in support of Israel, and this speech was no exception. It is no surprise that America expects every nation in the world to become a democracy sooner or later, but the focus of that quest is now, more than ever, firmly planted in the Middle East. Expect more activity there in the next year, along with more resistance from Syria.
The President spent all of three sentences on humanitarian commitments overseas before launching into a defense of communications monitoring activities under the Patriot Act. On the one hand, his detractors have a valid point that there is a substantial opportunity for abuse in this arena. On the other hand, precious few of his detractors are actually calling for an end to the monitoring. It is a necessary evil. But like all evils, it must be carefully guarded to protect against abuse.
Next, President Bush addressed tax reform, a subject for which he seems to have a great fondness. The tax relief he has championed in the past has directly benefited the American Wealthy. At first glance this would seem to be a bad thing. After all, the Poor, especially the Working Poor, are in need of some relief. But look closer. Suppose two men get a 10% tax break. One pays $2500 in taxes each year, and the other pays $25,000. The first man will have an extra $250 in his pocket over the course of a year, or $20.83 a month. He can take in a movie and eat at a casual restaurant, which is good because it puts the money right back into the economy. He could also save it for his retirement, which is not so good for the present, but reduces the burden on the future economy. The second man, however, has $2,500 extra in his pocket, or $208.33 a month. What will he do with it? Will he hide it under a mattress? No, because that is not how you get an income that requires you to pay $25,000 in taxes. With that money, he could hire a part-time worker and give a college student some work experience. Or he could buy a piece of equipment for his small business. The first man can put the money back into the economy, but the second man can put the money into building the economy.
President Bush addressed health insurance for a bit as well. He didn’t give much in the way of plans, other than his desire to see insurance become more portable, but it is nice that he is thinking about it. Americans seem to be pretty nervous about their health.
The big noise around the Big Media, though, is the topic of Foreign Oil Dependency. President Bush said he wants America to cut it’s dependency on Middle Eastern Oil by 75% in the next 19 years. Much of the world is incredulous, but shouldn’t be. A simple Google search reveals that the technology is in place to turn a vast number of products into automobile fuel, including a number that are considered hyper-plentiful, like the switch grass the President mentioned, or waste products, like fast food grease. Economically speaking, they aren’t currently competitive with fossil fuel oil, but the American government can change that easily. Simply tack a Fossil Fuel Tax on traditional fuels and turn it, penny for penny, into a rebate for vendors (or users) of bio-fuels.
President Bush then went on to discuss Education. My kids are Homeschooled. They both read at University level, according to standardized testing. They could both handle high-school mathematics at elementary ages. They love Science. They are, in short, just the opposite of the majority of kids in American public school that I know. My personal opinion is that American Education isn’t going to get better until the divest themselves of the Factory mentality that has shaped the Public School system for decades. But the American Government isn’t going to propose a radical restructuring of the Public School System, in which smaller, more intimate settings replace the facilities they have now. It would be too expensive, it would ruin High-School sports, and it would be admitting that America is going in the wrong direction. Iraq is not this generation’s Viet Nam, Middle School is.
President Bush addressed the domestic agenda last of all. AIDS research, assistance for rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and Medical Ethics all got their moment in the sun. I don’t think that the creation of human-animal hybrids via cloning is quite on the same sheet of music as improving the school system in New Orleans or renewing the Ryan White Act, but that is the way he chose to portray it. For the record, I am against experimentation on human embryos. From the Mosaic perspective, it kinda goes along with that “You shall not cook a young goat in it’s mother’s milk” thing in the Talmud (Exodus for the novice Jesus Freaks in the crowd).
President Bush spoke a lot about Hope. He laid out some ideas that will give America a direction and purpose if it can set aside the chopping off of it’s own nose to spite it’s face long enough to implement some of them. And therein lays the Hope of which he spoke. There isn’t a solid plan. There isn’t a means by which to end the infighting. There is, for the most part, Hope that it will go away long enough to get something done.