-Caveat Lector-

Bush Is Losing It
By Marty Jezer, AlterNet
January 23, 2003

It was a bad week for the Bush administration, and it's likely to get worse. The 
American
people are beginning to understand the folly and greed that inform its economic policy.
And most of the civilized world has turned decisively against the Iraqi adventure. The
great coalition that George W. Bush proposes to lead against Saddam Hussein is now a
coalition of two, and British prime minister Tony Blair has lost the support of his own
people, most especially members of his own Labor Party, who warn of a political revolt 
if
Britain goes to war without a new UN resolution.

In France, 75 percent oppose Bush's policy; in Germany the number is 76, in Italy it's
61. In Turkey, a country crucial to the Administration's military effort, opposition to
the war, according to the Wall Street Journal, registers at between 80 and 90 percent.

Even the Journal is wondering what's up. As staff reporter Gerald F. Seib wrote on Jan.
22, "President Bush's policy toward Iraq is in distress, and the reason is stunningly
simple: His administration hasn't made a very effective public case for war with Saddam
Hussein."

In the United States, confidence in the Bush Administration is evaporating, and it's no
wonder. Reality is out-running the rhetoric. The Administration has announced probable
federal deficits of $200-300 billion over the next two years (which many experts 
conclude
will be higher). While Bush proposes huge tax-breaks for the wealthy, the General
Accounting Office says that social security faces tax increases and benefit cuts if it 
is
to remain solvent.

Anticipating the coming deficits, the Administration has shamelessly cut veteran 
benefits
to what it describes as higher-income veterans. In fact, the new cut-off applies not to
wealthy veterans but to middle-class veterans with annual incomes of $30,000 to 
$35,000.


Many states are confronted with multi-billion dollar budget deficits and will have to
raise taxes, most of which will fall on working people, the middle class and the poor. 
In
an attempt to save money for the states, the Administration is moving to limit 
emergency
room access to Medicaid patients; i.e., to senior citizens and low income families. Is
there not a pattern emerging? Slash taxes for the rich, slash services for everyone 
else?


Bush introduced his plan to abolish the tax on stock dividends by saying "double 
taxation
is wrong." But, as Daniel Altman wrote in the New York Times (1/21/03), "Corporate
dividends "are not the only kind of income that is taxed twice. Other taxes create a
double, triple or event quintuple burden. And unlike the double taxation of dividends,
which mainly affects the wealthy, the burden of other forms of multiple taxation – 
sales
taxes, import taxes, payroll taxes, among others – often falls most heavily on poorer
Americans."

Yes! What Bush proposes is class war.

Utilizing a Reagan-era tax loophole that grants larger business deductions to pick-ups
than it does to ordinary cars, the Bush Administration, according to the Times 
(1/21/03),
would "increase by 50 percent or more the deductions that small-business owners can 
take
on the biggest and most expensive sports utility vehicles and pickups."

Thus, if a small business owner buys a gas-guzzling (10-11 mpg) Hummer HI, with a list
price of $102,581, he or she can deduct $75,000 from the price as a capital equipment
deduction. A business that purchases a gas-efficient (45 mpg) Toyota Prius with a 
$20,500
sticker price, can't even deduct half of that cost, even with the $2,000 deduction the
government is allowing for fuel-efficient vehicles included.

In a radio address on Jan. 18, Bush declared that his tax cuts would give 23 million
small business owners an average tax cut of $2,042 a year." As New York Times economist
Paul Krugman noted, an "average" is a meaningless figure. If one business owner gets a
tax-break of $20,420 and nine business owners get nothing, the average tax-break is
$2,042, as Bush has described it. The reality, however, as Krugman pointed out, is that
most business owners will get less than $500 and about 5 million business owners will 
get
nothing. Bush's promise of a tax windfall to help the economy is a sham. And the public
is catching on.

A CNN-Time poll shows support for Bush down to 52 percent, just 1 percent higher than
Bill Clinton's worst showing during the era of Monica Lewinsky. An NBC-Wall Street
Journal poll registers Bush's support at 54 percent, his handling of the economy at 44
percent and his handling of foreign policy at 51 percent. By more than two to one,
according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, Americans prefer more spending on
education, health care and social security than a tax cut, which 61 percent correctly
perceive as benefiting the wealthy. A dwindling majority still supports a war against
Iraq, but only with U.N. backing and only after the weapon inspectors are given time to
do their job.

Bush could take credit for getting the U.N. to focus on Iraq and effectively containing
Saddam, but he seems to be intent on war. Faced with the European demand for diplomacy,
Bush had a snit fit.


"This looks like a rerun of a bad movie and I'm not interested in watching it," he
declared.

Those are not the words of a statesmen or a world leader. As an American, I am
embarrassed. As more and more people are coming to understand, this isn't a movie we're
watching. It's real life with real consequences, and many people are going to die. A 
war
in Iraq risks destabilizing the Middle East, invites terrorist attacks against 
Americans
all over the world, and will encourage politically motivated attacks on civil liberties
here at home.

Bush is losing it. His composure, his "good-guy" image, the debate about economic 
policy,
the sympathy and support of the international community and, as polls indicate, the
backing of the American people.

Marty Jezer's books include The Dark Ages: Life in the U.S. 1945-1960. He writes from
Brattleboro, Vermont and welcomes comments at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
------ ------ ------
<666>
"But for added amusement, George W. Bush and his friends used to
tuck firecrackers into the mouths of frogs, throw them in the air, and
watch them explode." [Linda McQuaig, "Don't let Bush light Iraq fire"
(12-15-2002) - The Toronto Star - a story told by a childhood friend
described in a New York Times profile for the 2000 election
campaign.]

<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please!  These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.

Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
 <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>

http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
 <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Om

Reply via email to