A New History of the World
October 1, 2008
“I want this, I want that, I want this, I want that!” “It doesn’t make any sense!” “I said I want it!” “But!” “I want it! I want it! I want it!” “OK, whatever you want…”
In one brief conversation, we can describe the reign of Prince Bush and his “Court.” His enablers, mostly Republicans, but far too many Democrats and especially fawning members of the news media, treated Mr. Bush as the spoiled child that he is. Despite warnings of disaster, the Republican party united behind a literally brain damaged, mentally deficient leader. It is the second time in our history that they have so blatantly done this. The first time, Ronald Reagan’s 2nd term, the result was frighteningly similar, a near economic collapse of our entire economy from which Bush’s father “saved us” by dismissing the childish babbling of his party.
Senior Bush paid the price. His own petty infantile colleagues did not support him in the next election. He did not succumb to their illogical begging for lower taxes under the enormous Reagan deficits and national debt. He cut spending as best he could and convinced Clinton and some of his more literate colleagues in both parties to continue his policies. Clinton, left with possibly the most extreme (but skilled) Congress since the Civil War, finally compromised with Republicans and continued the fatal deregulation of the American economy, started by the Alzheimer’s affected Ronald Reagan. Clinton, a Neoliberal, felt that by doing this, far more wealth could be amassed and distributed to the American people.
Admittedly, with reasonable changes in regulation and judicious tax benefits, the economy prospered. Lowering of the Capital Gains taxes, as well as tax breaks that apply to corporations that can show that they are investing the money in their corporation to expand and create more jobs, are of obvious benefit to everyone!! Tax breaks for international companies that end up filling Swiss Bank accounts are not reasonable or fair. Wall Street Special Interests collecting year after year on short term Capital Gains is not only unfair, but helps lead to massive destabilization of the market, short selling and what has happened under the infantile George W. Bush, from hereon referred to as “Junior” Bush.
Under Junior Bush and a doting “Uncle Congress,” deregulation became a parlor game, much as it had during Reagan’s 2nd Administration. Whatever he wanted, the Republican Party bought him. They raised unethical lobbying to a high art form. Democrats were embarrassed! At their peak they looked like rank amateurs compared to the highly organized army of mad zealots cloned by Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld and other deadly Neopsychotics (to be distinguished from the few legitimate Neoconservatives who put this country before their “movement”).
With a puppet in the White House, with a puppet press, these men began to rewrite history. Junior Bush, being almost functionally illiterate, had not seen the movie Charlie Wilson’s War (his advisors purposely failed to read the book to him). According to his advisors, their 10 years in Afghanistan had not really bankrupted the Soviet Union and led to their dissolution. Saddam Hussein and Bin Ladin were not mortal enemies. An atomic bomb made of low grade uranium would not have to be as big as the White House and have to be carried on a large ship. Ronald Reagan, left mindless by his disease, had not cancelled Jimmy Carter’s entire energy program. Carter’s program did not destroy OPEC for 25 years. According to Junior Bush, we simply did not need a Comprehensive Energy Policy. In fact, by drilling off the coasts and in Alaska, die hard conservatives seemed to believe that we could be energy independent in, say, minus 125 years (1883). Besides, with a comprehensive energy policy, how could we possibly maintain our position as the World’s largest financial contributor to Islamic Terrorism? And, ironically, without the constant reminder of Islamic Terrorism, why would anyone support Junior Bush or the fascist principles of his Republican party? And his ridiculous Patriot Act?
…to be continued.
Allen Finkelstein, D.O.