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Then he lapsed back into his standard comedy routine. While he avoided the dreaded E-word in combination with "doers" that he has been using ad nauseum since his first joint address to Congress, he managed to slip it in a couple of other times. For example, he identified Iraq, Iran and North Korea as "an axis of evil," causing diplomatic channels around the world to buzz and hum all night. Was he actually thinking of starting a war with these three small but powerful nations, likening them to Germany, Italy and Japan...the Axis of World War II? Well, no, spun the White House spin-meisters. It seems that the language was actually "rhetorical" rather than "historical." Meanwhile, Syria and Libya, having failed to be mentioned, suffered severe "terrorist penis envy" and may need diplomatic psychotherapy. They were hoping that they, like Afghanistan, could be bombed back into the stone age and then built anew by their attackers.
Bush rambled on for forty-five tiresome minutes, doing a fair impression of our last Great Leader...you know, the one who could discourse at length on the meaning of the word "is" or whether a blow job is actually "sex."
If you managed to stay awake during the whole thing, you couldn't help but notice that Dubya is starting to sound like a Demidupe, rather than a Pooblioob. He did pay lip service to a couple of Pooblioob "talking points," like lowering taxes, strengthening national defense and drilling for oil. But, mostly he droned on and on about all the neat ways he will find to spend all our tax dollars...and then some. He is supporting extending unemployment, stimulating the economy, "improving" Medicare by covering prescription drug costs and pouring more money into border security...which will, he said...also help to control the influx of illegal drugs. Oh, joy.
Of course, tax cuts already in the pipeline plus all the extra money necessary to buy bombs and things are already scheduled to decimate the budget. But, what the heck, the cost of America "stand(ing) firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity"...whatever THAT might mean...is bound to be high. Besides, he seems to have learned the Demidupe lesson of how truly satisfying it is to be able to pass around billions of dollars that once filled OUR pockets.
He didn't mention Osama. He didn't talk about Enron. Dead babies in Afghanistan warranted nary a whisper. Meanwhile, another member of the Dubya comedy team, Attorney General Ashcroft, continued his march to obscurity by putting up a curtain to hide the semi-unclothed...one bare breast...statue of the Spirit of Justice. He ordinarily gives his briefings in front of this statue and seems to have been experiencing too many uncontrolled and embarrassing woodies. Oh, well. At least he didn't try to burn the statue at the stake, as a witch!
Less humorous are the implications of the administrations new interpretations of civil rights. It is true that, in the past, presidents have often curtailed these rights under the threat of war. However these were declared wars, with a beginning, a middle and an end. After their conclusions, ordinary civil rights were not only restored, but also enhanced, perhaps because of the effects of their curtailment (think: Japanese American concentration camps during WWII). The Bushies, however, have declared over and over that this "war" may go on for a really long time. Does this mean that we can expect perpetual ad hoc reading of the constitution, endless "temporary" restrictions and regulations?
As for the "war on terrorism," they seem to want it both ways. Although they always refer to it with the W-word, when it comes to the prisoners we captured who are incarcerated in Cuba, they are merely "detainees" or just "terrorists," ineligible for treatment as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. Understand that we do NOT think that these men are being mistreated. As many have said, they are probably more comfortable there than anywhere they have been in the recent past. But, the way the administration is playing with word meanings...reminiscent of "Newspeak" in the great novel 1984...is somewhat troubling and definitely NOT funny.
In the past, we haven't worried too much about these issues, since we are aware that tens of thousands of people...liberals, libertarians and conservatives...are keeping jaundiced eyes on these clowns. In any case, Dubya and his cohorts HAVE repeatedly implored us to return to normal. With George's recent speech and Ashcroft's hilarious impersonations of Taliban leaders, they, at least, are walking the walk.
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