Getting out of the booby traps set by George Bush: Would take the next President's Entire Term
May 24 2008 | Views 626 |
Comments (26)
A booby trap is described in the Webster's dictionary as"1 : a trap for the unwary o...
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A booby trap is described in the Webster's dictionary as"1 : a trap for the unwary or unsuspecting : pitfall 2 : a concealed explosive device contrived to go off when some harmless-looking object is touched" I use the word in both meanings.
These are metaphorical or sometimes actual explosive devices(as in the case of Iraq) that will blow up in the faces of unwary US citizens and of the country. These devices were placed by foolhardy but motivated actions taken by George Bush, at the active advice of his even worse cohorts, that include his Machiavellian Vice President, Dick Cheney. They were done using the guise of a neo conservative credo that Iraq was a king pin and the key to the whole of the Middle East, the the US with its alter ego Israel, could open up, to have easy access its oil riches.With the US presence in Iraq they expected a quiescent population, acting as marionettes, to instructions provided by the duo.But as Robbie Burns, the poet extraordinary of Scotland said"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang Aft agley",to translate, 'the best laid plans of mice and men, can often go awry'.
However as most ill thought grand designs do, this flight of fancy, after it was acted upon with the invasion of Iraq, blew up in the faces of the perpetrators. Now the US faces a nightmare of humungous proportions, trying to avoid the booby traps and to find permanent untanglement for these obstacles. If the next President is successful in avoiding these explosive self created situations and then helps clear them, in the next four years, 2009-2012, he or she would have essentially done his/or her job. I give below my rendition of these booby traps, in the areas of Iraq, Afghanistan,the Economy,the Environment, Energy, Health and the Technology Gap: the absence of innovative high tech industries to replace the smoke stack manufacturing that was exported overseas. The laundry list could be longer because George Bush and Company used a heavy sledgehammer to destroy US competitiveness in most areas, where they were ahead but one has to prioritize.
Booby Trap NO I
The Iraq War has lasted longer for the United States, than both World War I and World War II. The US dead are estimeated at 4080(as of May to date)and the Iraqi casualties anywhere between 600,000(UK Lancet) and over 1 million, other sources. This is a tragedy of great proportions that needs to be defused. The Bush Administration's policy of pre-emptive strike in Iraq has made most of the world wary of American interventions in general and their Iraqi involvement in particular.
The next President would firstly have to mend fences with Europe and the allies in the Middle East and then get their involvement in a solution. This was a proposal mooted by Senator Joseph Biden, the Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. The US forces should be brought out and replaced by a multi-national force, hopefully to include a large Arab contingent. The parties in the raging Civil War the Sunni forces in the main cities against the much larger Shiah forces loosely led by Cleric, Mukhtada Al Sadr, must be persuaded to agree
to a fairly loose confederation of three main ethnic/religious groups, Shiah, Sunni and Kurdish. This is a tall order, but the solution has a very necessary condition precedent, the departure of US forces that number well in excess of 130,000. In addition, there are armed private contrators ranging freely through Iraq, that number in the thousands.
held by war lords and by the Taliban. Al Qaeda now has re-established a reletive hegemony in the border areas of Pakistan, where President Musharraf has virtually ceded control to local chieftans who act as protectors of Al Qaeda.
Unscrambling this knot will prove as difficult as Iraq, but it is imperetive that it is done because the greatest danger to the world,not just the US, is from this area. The only way it could happen, is to work with European and Middle Eastern powers and the new democratic administration in Pakistan to remove Al Qaeda from these hideouts and prevent them from being command and control for future attacks on free societies.
This stupendous cost has hobbled the economy, bringing about huge deficits in the balance of payments and in budgets, Resulting in a decline in the dollar against most major and some minor currencies. The Bush Administration laissez faire attitude towards control of the stock exchange and credit markets has lead to several scandals and the credit crunch caused by flagrant granting of credit to marginal and less than marginal borrowers. This has resulted in a huge level of bankcruptcies and foreclosures that has brought US housing down tonear depression levels.
Exricating from this man made calamity will be a very difficult task also tied in with withdrawal from Iraq, a more conservative control of expenditures and help to the beleagured house owners on the edge of being driven out of hearth and home.
No work was done in either area during the last seven wasted years. The Bushies not only do nothings in this area, but in fact pulled out of regulations that the Clinton Administration had introduced in the areas of clean air and clean water.
One of the worst examples of this devil may care attitude was the 100% tax credit that businessmen could take for buying luxury gas guzzlers like the Hummer. In 2003 the Republican Congress, with Bush's connivance increased this Hummer credit from $25,000 to $100,000, a typical indication of the apres moi le deluge philosophy of the Bush Administration.
The new President would have to lead in this area and plan for the phasing out of fossil fuel in say, twenty to thirty years and encourage investment in alternative renewable and environmentally friendly energy reserch. Also some serious efforts should be made to sign a global protocol, with the US leading the way, instead of kicking and screaming and then saying no.
For seniors to get coverage for buying medicines, the republican congress passed a bill designed to give pharmaceutical companies carte blanche to make billions on the backs of seniors. In addition I have to pay about $120 for a wrap around to cover te 20% shortfall in medicare coverage. In total an average senior who is on a fixed income has to fork out about $450 per month for what could be called full coverage. But, I am one of the lucky one's, because as I said, 47 million are uninsured and millions more are under-insured. For the last two or three decades the strong insurance lobby and the pharmaceuticals have financed a strong campaign joined in by the conservatives in congress to prevent any attempt at giving universal health care to Americans.
The two democratic candidates have both got decent health care packages while McCain, the republican, appears only to give lip service to the concept. Whoever, the President is, he will face a groundswell of protest if he does not advance the cause of universal health care.
When I was at graduate School doing the MBA at Syracuse in the late 60's, I was a part of a group that did a case study on US competitiveness. This was the time the US was the single industrial behemoth that essentially called all the shots. Looking at the past twenty or thirty years and extrapolating to the future, we(at Syracuse) as a group concluded that because of the huge gap in innovation, the US could afford to give up old technologies and innovate new one's. I had been assigned to sum up for the group and gave the US mantra for the next few decades: STAY AHEAD ON THE TECHNOLOGY CURVE. I told my audience that all would be well, if we did. The bright group of can do youngsters agreed with that conclusion. Now the US, is losing its old industries to competition in the third world and at the same time is precariously placed in the competition for new technology. US Public education once the envy of the world is now falling behind.
Now Mathematics and Science comprehension has fallen steadily in the US "Research shows that the average American high school student places 12th in his/her understanding of complex science, math, engineering and technology concepts as compared to students in other countries globally."www.discoverhover.org/infoinstructors/standards.htm
The US cannot afford to slip down the technology ladder because this will result in huge declines in standards of living. It is up to the next President to spend moneys intelligently both for guns and for butter, Education is an important and necessary part of the latter.
In summary, the US Presidency and the country is going through parlous times, and requires a leader who understands the dangers and the underlying opportunities and takes advantage of the latter and avoids the former, I hope we find one of the right timber to do so.
Close
These are metaphorical or sometimes actual explosive devices(as in the case of Iraq) that will blow up in the faces of unwary US citizens and of the country. These devices were placed by foolhardy but motivated actions taken by George Bush, at the active advice of his even worse cohorts, that include his Machiavellian Vice President, Dick Cheney. They were done using the guise of a neo conservative credo that Iraq was a king pin and the key to the whole of the Middle East, the the US with its alter ego Israel, could open up, to have easy access its oil riches.With the US presence in Iraq they expected a quiescent population, acting as marionettes, to instructions provided by the duo.But as Robbie Burns, the poet extraordinary of Scotland said"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang Aft agley",to translate, 'the best laid plans of mice and men, can often go awry'.
However as most ill thought grand designs do, this flight of fancy, after it was acted upon with the invasion of Iraq, blew up in the faces of the perpetrators. Now the US faces a nightmare of humungous proportions, trying to avoid the booby traps and to find permanent untanglement for these obstacles. If the next President is successful in avoiding these explosive self created situations and then helps clear them, in the next four years, 2009-2012, he or she would have essentially done his/or her job. I give below my rendition of these booby traps, in the areas of Iraq, Afghanistan,the Economy,the Environment, Energy, Health and the Technology Gap: the absence of innovative high tech industries to replace the smoke stack manufacturing that was exported overseas. The laundry list could be longer because George Bush and Company used a heavy sledgehammer to destroy US competitiveness in most areas, where they were ahead but one has to prioritize.
Booby Trap NO I
The Iraq War and its Ramifications
The Iraq War has lasted longer for the United States, than both World War I and World War II. The US dead are estimeated at 4080(as of May to date)and the Iraqi casualties anywhere between 600,000(UK Lancet) and over 1 million, other sources. This is a tragedy of great proportions that needs to be defused. The Bush Administration's policy of pre-emptive strike in Iraq has made most of the world wary of American interventions in general and their Iraqi involvement in particular. The next President would firstly have to mend fences with Europe and the allies in the Middle East and then get their involvement in a solution. This was a proposal mooted by Senator Joseph Biden, the Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. The US forces should be brought out and replaced by a multi-national force, hopefully to include a large Arab contingent. The parties in the raging Civil War the Sunni forces in the main cities against the much larger Shiah forces loosely led by Cleric, Mukhtada Al Sadr, must be persuaded to agree
to a fairly loose confederation of three main ethnic/religious groups, Shiah, Sunni and Kurdish. This is a tall order, but the solution has a very necessary condition precedent, the departure of US forces that number well in excess of 130,000. In addition, there are armed private contrators ranging freely through Iraq, that number in the thousands.
Booby Trap No II:Afghanistan
The US found that the Taliban(the then hosts) and Al Qaeda(their guests) were deeply involved in both the preparation and execution of the 911 attacks in the US. The US immediately with Pakistan's help entered Afghanistan and drove the Taliban out and moved the Al Qaeda to the mountainous frontier areas of Pakistan that border on Afghanistan. They formed an interim government and got a President elected on the basis of a democratic vote. A Jirga or Parliament was also formed. All these were admirable developments. However, the Bush Administration took its eyes off the ball, in its misadventure in Iraq. The real coalition formed with the help of the UN to fight Al Queda in Afghanistan, was weakened by the US being unable to dedicate enough troops in Afghanistan because of its involvement in Iraq. Further, its vassal state, Pakistan, by its clandestine deeds of seeming to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda, at the same time winking and nodding on the side, indicating that they really did not mean it. This dishonest ploy by Pakistan has resulted in the Taliban regaining its strength in large pockets of Afghanistan, to the extent that Ahmed Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, has become the defacto Mayor of Kabul, with the rest of Afghanistanheld by war lords and by the Taliban. Al Qaeda now has re-established a reletive hegemony in the border areas of Pakistan, where President Musharraf has virtually ceded control to local chieftans who act as protectors of Al Qaeda.
Unscrambling this knot will prove as difficult as Iraq, but it is imperetive that it is done because the greatest danger to the world,not just the US, is from this area. The only way it could happen, is to work with European and Middle Eastern powers and the new democratic administration in Pakistan to remove Al Qaeda from these hideouts and prevent them from being command and control for future attacks on free societies.
Booby Trap No III: The Economy
The Clinton Administration left Bush a balanced budget and an economy exhibiting vibrant growth. It must be admitted that there were storm clouds of a slowdown threatrening the economy. Added to it was the after shocks of 911: the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions. In a February 23, 2008 article in the Times of London, Nobelist John Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes wrote"And, even in the best case scenario, these costs are projected to be almost ten times the cost of the first Gulf War, almost a third more than the cost of the Vietnam War, and twice that of the First World War. The only war in our history which cost more was the Second World War, when 16.3 million U.S. troops fought in a campaign lasting four years, at a total cost (in 2007 dollars, after adjusting for inflation) of about $5 trillion (that's $5 million million, or £2.5 million million). With virtually the entire armed forces committed to fighting the Germans and Japanese, the cost per troop (in today's dollars) was less than $100,000 in 2007 dollars. By contrast, the Iraq war is costing upward of $400,000 per troop. "This stupendous cost has hobbled the economy, bringing about huge deficits in the balance of payments and in budgets, Resulting in a decline in the dollar against most major and some minor currencies. The Bush Administration laissez faire attitude towards control of the stock exchange and credit markets has lead to several scandals and the credit crunch caused by flagrant granting of credit to marginal and less than marginal borrowers. This has resulted in a huge level of bankcruptcies and foreclosures that has brought US housing down tonear depression levels.
Exricating from this man made calamity will be a very difficult task also tied in with withdrawal from Iraq, a more conservative control of expenditures and help to the beleagured house owners on the edge of being driven out of hearth and home.
Booby Trap No IV: The Environment and Energy
The Bush Administration after six years of denying the existence of global warming has now started admitting to its existence without doing anything to combat it. Closely tied with it is to find a non toxic fuel alternative to petroleum.No work was done in either area during the last seven wasted years. The Bushies not only do nothings in this area, but in fact pulled out of regulations that the Clinton Administration had introduced in the areas of clean air and clean water.
One of the worst examples of this devil may care attitude was the 100% tax credit that businessmen could take for buying luxury gas guzzlers like the Hummer. In 2003 the Republican Congress, with Bush's connivance increased this Hummer credit from $25,000 to $100,000, a typical indication of the apres moi le deluge philosophy of the Bush Administration.
The new President would have to lead in this area and plan for the phasing out of fossil fuel in say, twenty to thirty years and encourage investment in alternative renewable and environmentally friendly energy reserch. Also some serious efforts should be made to sign a global protocol, with the US leading the way, instead of kicking and screaming and then saying no.
Booby Trap No V: Health
The US is the only advanced country in the world where there is no Universal Health Care. There is an estimated 47 million about 18% of the population not covered by any kind of insurance. This has created a several tiered system of health care. The rich get cadillac care because they can afford to fork out the dollars, the poor get poorman's care free, through what is called medicaid. I call it poor man's care because the better doctors in private practice opt out of medicaid because it is not worth their while. The seniors like me pay $180 per month for normal medicare, that 80% for doctors visits, procedures and also for hospitalization. In this basic medicare, medicines are not covered.For seniors to get coverage for buying medicines, the republican congress passed a bill designed to give pharmaceutical companies carte blanche to make billions on the backs of seniors. In addition I have to pay about $120 for a wrap around to cover te 20% shortfall in medicare coverage. In total an average senior who is on a fixed income has to fork out about $450 per month for what could be called full coverage. But, I am one of the lucky one's, because as I said, 47 million are uninsured and millions more are under-insured. For the last two or three decades the strong insurance lobby and the pharmaceuticals have financed a strong campaign joined in by the conservatives in congress to prevent any attempt at giving universal health care to Americans.
The two democratic candidates have both got decent health care packages while McCain, the republican, appears only to give lip service to the concept. Whoever, the President is, he will face a groundswell of protest if he does not advance the cause of universal health care.
Booby Trap No VI:Technology Gap
When I was at graduate School doing the MBA at Syracuse in the late 60's, I was a part of a group that did a case study on US competitiveness. This was the time the US was the single industrial behemoth that essentially called all the shots. Looking at the past twenty or thirty years and extrapolating to the future, we(at Syracuse) as a group concluded that because of the huge gap in innovation, the US could afford to give up old technologies and innovate new one's. I had been assigned to sum up for the group and gave the US mantra for the next few decades: STAY AHEAD ON THE TECHNOLOGY CURVE. I told my audience that all would be well, if we did. The bright group of can do youngsters agreed with that conclusion. Now the US, is losing its old industries to competition in the third world and at the same time is precariously placed in the competition for new technology. US Public education once the envy of the world is now falling behind.
Now Mathematics and Science comprehension has fallen steadily in the US "Research shows that the average American high school student places 12th in his/her understanding of complex science, math, engineering and technology concepts as compared to students in other countries globally."www.discoverhover.org/infoinstructors/standards.htm
The US cannot afford to slip down the technology ladder because this will result in huge declines in standards of living. It is up to the next President to spend moneys intelligently both for guns and for butter, Education is an important and necessary part of the latter.
In summary, the US Presidency and the country is going through parlous times, and requires a leader who understands the dangers and the underlying opportunities and takes advantage of the latter and avoids the former, I hope we find one of the right timber to do so.
Close
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I agree, but the inevitable can be delayed for a decade or two with the right policies in Washinton. Reduction in wasteful expenditure on Iraq, the funds saved could be diverted to a Manhattan(type)Project for Energy Sufficiency in Alteranate fuels, will give another lease of life. The Republican hundred year war in Iraq(per McCain) will hasten the inevitable.
The Great Universities in the US are still well ahead of the rest of the world. But they must be given something to do: and must be fed with international talent: it will also involve sacrifice on the part of the average man, which could be problematic.
Rgds, Girdhar
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Thank you DW: I should not end up as one of those who did nothing while 'Rome burned', george Bush is playing the fiddle like Nero, but even a puny effort to douse the fire might salve my conscience a bit.
Rgds, Girdhar
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Girdhar,
What I said about the technological edge has a basis. I have seen this time and again in my forty seven years (less actually since the observation period with any degree of rationality starts only after 15 or 16 years of age) that when the pendulum starts swinging, it does not stop till it goes completely the other way. Also, the speed with which things happen, always keeps on increasing with time. In Biochemistry we call this critical mass. Things keep happening below the surface. They are visible but they do not seem to be so significant. When several such things accumulate, a critical mass is gathered and then the change appears on the surface and with inreasing speed goes forward. In real life too, the same thing applies. Look at how quickly the german wall broke. I still remember the day - I was in Salk institute that day. Ross (an australian) came and started talking about the news that there is a feeling that the wall should go. By that time years of changes in the east block had already taken place. But on the surface the things still seemed as if they will take years more. Then the consensus of opinion in our lab was that it will take a few years before the infamous wall goes. I said that the wall will go in a matter of months. They looked at me and asked me the basis of my statement. I gave them the same basis of critical mass. The wall went in two months.
Things have been changing for the US for a very long time. Once the critical mass is gathered, the things will change fast. And I think critical mass is only inches away.
Regards
Avinash
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GG,
There is no doubt in my mind that it is time for a democrat in the white house. It was that time seven years ago, and then again three years ago. Obama or Hillary - whoever it is, will be better than Bush or McCain for the US. No doubt at all in my mind about that. But will the Americans do the right this after failing twice... remains to be seen.
It is true, in Canada, we are insulated a bit. Even though the manufacturing sector is hurting because of the high Canadian dollar - the oil, and wheat, and other abundance combined with the extremely low population is somehow all insulating us from the inflations of the world.
Apologies... if I appeared nonchalant about it all. But its not like I can do anything about it. I don't even have a vote :)
Cheers
Dimwit
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DW: It is not a question of getting worked up for nothing. Getting excited and doing nothing is one thing but getting concerned and doing something is another. I intend working hard for whoever the democratic nominee is. You are entitled to think that Bush was not an unadulterated disaster as I am entitled to to think otherwise. But one has to act on one's belief.
This reminds me of Pastor Niemoeller, a liberal theologian under Nazi Germany, when talking of the slow and inexorable advance of the Nazi machine on the one hand and the inaction of the liberal forces on the other:
He said, and I am not quoting exactly: They(the Nazis) came for the Jews and I was silent, because I was not a Jew. They came for the Gypsy's and I was silent ,as I was not a Gypsy. They came for the Catholics and I was silent because I was not a Catholic. Finally they came for me and there was no one available to speak for me.
DW it is good to get worked up on acts that are wrong. And what is happening in Iraq, what is happening in relation to lack of health care in the US, the lack of planning on finding alternate fuels, global warming are all alarming developments and though every thing cannot be attributed to George Bush he has been a strong contributor or accessory before or at least during the fact to these problems.
You live in Canada, that is marginally affected by what happens in the US but we are directly affected in the US by actions taken by the US Government. I will do what ever is possible to democratically elect a decent President that will at least turn direction to a better future in the US.
Rgds, Girdhar
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Thank you Kartha for your input. Yes, the Military Industrial Complex(so described in a warning address by departing President Dwight D Eisenhower, to beware of the growth in the nexus between industry and the military). That complex is in full swing. A lot of thinkers now consider other 'wars' to be more expedient, such as a War on Energy Independence, including the search for sources for renewable energy.Intertwined with this is a War to save the planet from global environmental catastrophe that is staring us in the face. Further the war on terror will have to continue but it has to be more nuanced and should employ both the carrot and the stick to get Islamic fundamentalism into less destructive paths than it has been travelling thus far. So I think the US has enough challenges to spend its undoubted talents, material and money on and the next election will decide if it changes direction.
Kind regards, Girdhar
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Avinash: As I have said, I was not one of those who got him in: they were aided and abetted by nine or rather six justices of the US Supreme Court who will be indicted by history as political hacks.
You are more qualified to judge technology than I, but the great Universities like Princeton, Caltech,MIT,Stanford etc etc still exixt. They should be helped both by money and people(to keep immigration of technical talent flowing) I feel it is quite possible to retain the edge: and I hope I am right.
Rgds, Girdhar
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Girdhar
A very good analysis. But I do not understand ho the US citizens gave this dud not only the Presidency but even a second term. The guy seemed a complete dud even during his first term campaign and his igknowledge showed pretty clearly. How is it then that the fellow got a second term?
And as far as staying ahead on the technology course is concerned, the days are already past for the US on this front. There are quite a few countries that are ready to take over and they will.
Regards
Avinash
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Dear Giridharji,
An excellent analysis and a performance appraisal. Unfortunately (for Bush of course), the marks allotted are all in the negative domain. I am not here to refute these marks or the logic behind their allotment. I may like you to look at another aspect that could have led US of A to the present ‘booby trap’.
At the outset, let me confess that the following argument is based on a hypothesis or at the most a conjecture and I do not have the wherewithal to prove or disprove it.
One of the major contributors to the economic energy ofUSA ind ustries. It thrives, when there are more hotspots on the surface of this planet and arms & war equipment are in constant demand. Let us remember, the recovery from the 1929 crash was achieved more by the WW II than anything else. WWII, also made America US ind
As the time goes on, the situation is getting more complex. That is, the superpower status has become defining component of Am-Psyche.America Iraq and Afghanistan
Regards
Kartha
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GG,
I am a contrarian by nature. I find it impossible to jump on any lynching mob bandwagon. It seems politically correct nowadays to dump everything that is wrong on Bush's doorstep - and I'm just pointing out that it just ain't so.
He did many things wrong including (in my opinion) steal the election from Gore, the fact that he was MIA for the first 24 crucial hours post 9/11 and then his emotional overreaction to it; his environment track record; his *crusade* diatribe; his complete inability to control/influence the OPEC nations and let them bankrupt the world while enriching themselves and more... But not *everything* that is wrong in the US is his fault - and quite frankly things are not that wrong either.
I find it ridiculous that so much that is wrong with the world today is directly linked to the price of oil - yet the world wants to blame the US for it (?!) rather than the greedy OPEC nations. For me it is yet another example of how people kow-tow to money and want to kick the strong when they are even temporarily down. This lack of rational thought boggles my mind!!!!
My perspective is neither glass-is-half-full nor glass-is-half-empty; it is simply acknowledging that there is half a glass of water. :) I find it difficult to get worked up over politics and economics and religion. All three are my fav topics for discussion and so I like to maintain a clear perspective when discussing.
Cheers
Dimwit
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