Rearranging the deck chairs

Earlier this week, George Bush had a press conference to discuss the problem of high gasoline prices in the U.S. Amazingly, or predictably depending on how you look at it, Bush blamed the (Democrat-controlled) U.S. Congress. Topping his list of idiotic suggestions was that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should be opened to oil exploration, followed by the notion that Congress is to blame for the fact that no new oil refineries have been built in America in the past 30 years. Conspicuously omitted from his speech, and also from the press questions that followed, was the fact that Bush’s White Elephant (i.e., his invasion and seemingly perpetual occupation of Iraq) has torpedoed the value of the U.S. dollar, significantly increasing the number of dollars that Americans must spend to buy imported oil.

After listening to Bush’s speech, I could not help but notice how much time Bush spends rearranging the deck chairs of the U.S. economy, while ignoring the giant hole he has blown in the side of the ship.

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grumpypilgrim

Grumpypilgrim is a writer and management consultant living in Madison, WI. He has several scientific degrees, including a recent master’s degree from MIT. He has also held several professional career positions, none of which has been in a field in which he ever took a university course. Grumps is an avid cyclist and, for many years now, has traveled more annual miles by bicycle than by car…and he wishes more people (for the health of both themselves and our planet) would do the same. Grumps is an enthusiastic advocate of life-long learning, healthy living and political awareness. He is single, and provides a loving home for abused and abandoned bicycles. Grumpy’s email: grumpypilgrim(AT)@gmail(DOT).com [Erich’s note: Grumpy asked that his email be encrypted this way to deter spam. If you want to write to him, drop out the parentheticals in the above address].

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Avatar of Erich Vieth
    Erich Vieth May 4, 2008 Reply

    Here's an example of how badly the"surge" is going. Notice that claims of how "well" the surge is going are not accompanied by open air press conferences outside of the Green Zone. And it's not even safe in the Green Zone anymore. Here's the story from Yahoo.

  2. Avatar of grumpypilgrim
    grumpypilgrim May 5, 2008 Reply

    Violence is up in both Iraq and Afganistan, while the latter has seen a resurgence of Taliban extremists.

    For more on this endless occupation, and the clever tricks that Republicans have been using to forever promise "victory," see this video:
    http://pol.moveon.org/sixmonths/?rc=homepage/.

    For half a decade, the Republicans have been telling us that "victory is right around the corner" and things in Iraq will be better "in six months," and every time their time expires, they just keep moving the goalpost. They never offer any accountability for this stagnating occupation, they simply keep asking for more installments of the same failed policies.

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