Bush 1-7-2005

7, January 2005         Response to local letter RE Bush

Permit me to respond to Vishwas More's, letter I-West, December 31. Mr. More errs in his belief that the majority of Americans support the polices of Mr. Bush. Mr. Bush won the election because the White House launched a relentless war of misinformation, character assassination, sound bites, and received unstinting support from the Christian coalition who coopted their faith by launching a phony campaign of 'family values'. Tragically, the powerful corporate media failed to hold the administration accountable for its failed policies under the misguided notion that to do so would be unpatriotic in a time of war.

The White House swat team of Karl Rove excelled in protecting their leader and deflecting criticism from his embarrassing public statements and disastrous press conferences (do a Google search on Bussism’s!). By far the most egregious policy decision of the Bush Administration, that dwarfs all others, was the decision to launch a preemptive strike on Iraq. The Bush White House neocons would have us believe that U.S. involvement in Iraq is part of a "global war on terrorism" in response to the Sept. 11 attacks ignoring the fact that Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks but has instead galvanized and energized the anti-American factions of Islam. Does Mr. More really believe that Iraqis who oppose the U.S. occupation 'hate freedom' as Mr. Bush contends? Or, perhaps our young men and women are dying on Iraqi soil to usher in freedom and democracy? This hasty action by an inept and incompetent president is by far the most disastrous foreign policy decision since the Vietnam war.

The has been confirmed unequivocally by the Defense Science Board on Strategic Communications, a 40 member task force made up of diplomatic, military, academic and business experts which advises the Pentagon on defense issues. Last September the panel issued a blistering report stating that "American efforts have not only failed" in the war of ideas or the struggle for the hearts and minds of the Iraqis, "they may have achieved the opposite of what they intended." Tragically, young American soldiers and large numbers of Iraqis will continue to die because an admission of a failed policy is anathema to Mr. Bush and his neocon advisers. Captured US prisoners can expect little mercy from their captors as the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, this 'good and decent man' as Mr. Bush describes him, has now approved aggressive new prisoner interrogation techniques which are tantamount to torture and a clear violation of the Geneva Convention. Day by day we seem to be mimicking the despicable behavior of Saddam Hussein! Compounding these failed policies, is the attack on civil liberties under the guise of the Patriot Act. Rest assured this resolute president is planning to further stifle political dissent. The much revered U.S Constitution is heading for the shredder! Finally, Mr. More is correct when he contends that Mr. Bush offers a clear vision, albeit a disastrous one -assault on our environment, social security and a road map 'hands off Middle Eastern policy that rewards the Israeli government for its continued repression of the Palestinian people. Sadly, I do not share Mr. More's optimistic vision of the future.