February 03, 2005
Some thoughts on The State of the Union Address
by Liza Sabater
1. This was no Pinky and Brain speech. This was a clearly calculated "shout out to the peeps" that gave Bush the power of a "legitimate" election. For example :
Private education industry
To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the rise, and we are closing the achievement gap for minority students. Now we must demand better results from our high schools, so every high school diploma is a ticket to success. We will help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by reforming our job training system and strengthening America's community colleges. And we will make it easier for Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell Grants.
In a time of deficit, there is no way this can be done without raising taxes --or cutting services elsewhere. And he did :
My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities.
Which points to a further privitazing of government fuctions. And more money to companies like Halliburton and Diebold which are making money by being pseudo-governement administrators in Iraq.
But, will this mean people will lose their jobs and join the ranks of the unemployed? Of course not. Students are not accounted for in the unemployment statistics. The more unemployed people you have in "job re-training programs", the less unemployed people you would actually tally in the final numbers. It's called, "sweep them under the education rug".
I could go on with more double talk like this.
2. The whole speech co-opted the rhetoric of Kerry and Edwards and then some.
By making our economy more flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will keep America the economic leader of the world.
[...]
Four years of debate is enough - I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy.
And then it threw it back in their faces with quote like this one:
To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claims - and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year.
3. Curious merging of the Evangelical movement with minorities' interests :
Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America. Our government will continue to support faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail. Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence. Taking on gang life will be one part of a broader outreach to at-risk youth, which involves parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to sports. And I am proud that the leader of this nationwide effort will be our First Lady, Laura Bush.
This is not to be taken lightly. Social services will be cut and given away to Christian fundamentalist missionary churches that run more like franchised companies than ministries. Big money to be made.
4. Remember a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was not Cheney's cup of tea? Remember how Bush backtracked on this during the election? Guess what :
Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.
5. And, of course, a big thumbs down to stem-cell research --and with its culture of life reference, hints at the battles over Roe vs. Wade :
To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity.
6. Then there is the further destruction of privacy rights with hints of a national DNA databank:
Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a crime he or she did not commit - so we are dramatically expanding the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. Soon I will send to Congress a proposal to fund special training for defense counsel in capital cases, because people on trial for their lives must have competent lawyers by their side.
A statement that came right before the ubiquituous mention of September 11th.
7. The weirdly racist call for immigration law reform :
It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.
8. The curiously single mention of Iran:
Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror - pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve.
that when coupled with this ditty, hints at the DRAFT to come:
In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. Our enemies know this, and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently declared war on what he called the "evil principle" of democracy. And we have declared our own intention: America will stand with the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own
cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.
BTW : Interesting quote given that, if the US were truly not interested in imposing their form of governement and culture, occupation would have not been the way to a free Iraq.
9. Last but not least, Social Security. It was brilliant what the Republicans did. Today it was plastered all along the newswires how Bush was not going to outline his SS reform program, but that is what he exactly did. He mentioned other people's efforts, from Regan's to Clinton's and then went ahead and proceeded to, sound-bite by sound-bite, unravel hi "personal accounts" of financial "power to the people" with "no new taxes". It was a brilliant rhetorical coup.
As I said back at the Personal Democracy Forum chat, this was all about setting up not just the frames but the myth making rhetorical machines the Republicans will use for the next four years. This is probably the most important SOTU address for DEMOCRATS in this new century.
And were they prepared for it? Of course not
Posted by Liza Sabater in Abortion, Christian Fundamentalism, Civil Rights, Democrats, Economy, Education, George W. Bush, Government, Health, John Edwards, John F. Kerry, Mythologies, Mythopoesis, Patriot Act, Politics, Race, Reproductive Rights, Roe vs. Wade, War
Permalink |
Comments (0)
| TrackBack (1) | Technorati Cosmos
Trackbacks
Trackback for this post:http://www.culturekitchen.com/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/2713
The following blogs make reference to this post :
» THE STATE OF THE UNION 2005 from Heli's Heaven and Hell Radio
My version of the State of the Union is finally ready. [More...]
Found inFebruary 17, 2005 12:06 PM
