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Fraggin'

By Bill Shunas

As I write this I don't know who got elected president. Let me just say that if it was McCain, that's scary. But the way Obama talks about Afghanistan is also scary. He's been talking tough and been making sounds like anyone else ready to escalate. This man is our hope? If he did get elected, hopefully he'll do one of his famous flip-flops on that issue. Maybe his critics are right. He don't know foreign policy. FYI for Obama or McCain: back in the 1980s, arguably the second most powerful army in the world got whipped by these Afghans - cutting and running as they say. And they want us to go there?

So far, this election campaign has been marked by what's missing. You know - support for our troops. Nobody is talking about that any more. What kind of politicians are these? Hell, Bush talked about that for seven years. Or maybe it was only five. He hasn't said much the last two years. He now seems to be modest in his support. Maybe that's because his support was only expressed to divert attention from his lies about his wars. That don't work any more.

The Bush administration did make one interesting move, bailing out the AIG corporation. It's sort of like nationalizing this corporation. Now AIG works for the government: like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and Bear Stearns. When third world nations nationalized industries, you used to count on US marines paying them a visit in about sixteen months. Look out Washington DC.

Is this the wave of the future? Maybe next we could nationalize the oil companies and fix this energy crisis. Then Washington lobbyists. The possibilities are endless. Wall Street. Wait a minute. We're doing that. That's what this bailout program is. We're nationalizing Wall Street. Socialism is around the corner.

Up to this point in September the election has been interesting, not for its politics or intellectual arguments, but because it appeals to our inner soap opera person. It started with the selection of Sarah Palin. Her arrival at the Republican convention stirred up people on all sides. Flying out of the Northland like the Valkyries in the Wagner opera (Think of Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now with the music of the Flight of the Valkyries blaring out of his Huey in that Air Cav assault.), she hit the convention with moral rightness and moral righteousness. She came to save the Republican ticket from looking so old and so stodgy and so Washington.

In his speech at the Republican Convention Bush said that John McCain's experience as a POW for six years would better enable him to deal with America's leftists. What are we? Camp guards? Maybe that's what Abu Ghraib was about - teaching those prisoners how to handle the leftists in Iraq.

As far as McCain's POW experience giving him extra qualifications to be president, it doesn't fly. If anything, he has to cope with PTSD which would increase the stress on the job and put Palin that much closer to being president. Palin's lack of experience is less bothersome than what seems to be a lack of interest in the world beyond her narrow set of interests. I know Dick Cheney, and she's no Dick Cheney. Well, at least she can handle a rifle better than Dick Cheney. She's more like George W. Bush or Dan Quayle: an inherent ability to look clueless at a moment's notice. Where do the Republicans get these people?

About a week or so after Palin became the vice presidential candidate some company came out with Sarah Palin action dolls. I can't remember if there was a Dan Quayle or a Bush doll. Probably not. She's better looking, and sex sells. One doll had her dressed in a black business suit, and the other has her in hot pants, carrying a sidearm and wearing a trench coat. Sort of reminds you of a high priced call girl who will dress for your favorite fantasy. Bush should have had a doll too. And Quayle. Indeed, isn't that what these politicians are - high priced call girls - or boys. He or she will dress up and act out or speak out according to what they think the voter wants. Then after the election they go back to their wealthy pimps.

Now that Bush is about to exit the stage, what can we say about his presidency? He came from a Brahmin family that produced senators, ambassadors and a previous president. He grew up in privilege. Was this cream rising to the top?

Bush started out as a normal Republican, doing the usual Republican thing of cost-cutting which means cutting social programs that are not needed by important Republicans. Then came 9-11, and things went from bad to deterioration. He lied to get us involved in two wars, one of which had nothing to do with those involved in 9-11. And in the other he blew the only chance to get Al Qaeda at Tora Bora and let that war deteriorate into a normal imperialist adventure without end in sight.

On the home front, the only thing he has done well is cut taxes for his wealthy friends. He has subverted civil liberties, made no progress on environmental issues or energy independence, produced record budget deficits, made no progress in areas such as education and hampered the progress of science in the modern world. In general he has been an embarassment. Perhaps the most embarassing thing was the arrogant and ineffectual way he handled (or didn't handle) Katrina.

In dealing with those he has had fight his wars he has failed by blowing morale, faiing to supply and failing to care for those who survive - in other words, failure to support. He has disrespected soldiers below the rank of Brigadier. He has disrespected the American people. He has disrespected the first amendment. He has disrespected his office. He has acted illegally.

I haven't had a high opinion of most presidents, but some have been qualitatively worse. Pierce and Buchanan let the country spin out of control into Civil War. John Tyler joined the other side in that war. Harding was more corrupt than most. It is among these that the legacy of Bush should be placed. May he some day, somewhere, be indicted. He deserves that. He has shown that its not always cream that rises to the top. Scum also rises