This article covers a variety of ideas coming out of the Bush administration. Aside from their general source, the only other thing they have in common is the way they indicate the lack of intelligent thought.The first is the plan to allow employers to hire illegal immigrants. It's not really a jobs program for illegal immigrants; it's really a plot to identify and deport them, which is why few, if any, illegal immigrants will sign up for the program. And contrary to some "news" reports, it's not an attempt to lure Hispanic voters; it's really a plan to let employers hire workers at lower wages, depriving good American workers a chance at a decent job.
Then there's his idea to go back to the moon and then to Mars. When President Kennedy announced we would land a man on the moon before the decade was out, he was prepared to spend whatever it took. If anyone believes George W. Bush is willing to fund this effort, when he won't even fund his own education bill, I have a bridge for sale. Perhaps Dennis Kucinich was right when he wondered if Bush was going to the moon and Mars in order to look for weapons of mass destruction.
He still wants to privatize Social Security. Haven't we had enough of this one? Didn't the stock market crash of 2000 teach us that private accounts are not secure? Apparently the President didn't learn the lesson. Privatizing Social Security is the quickest way to turn the program into Social Insecurity.
Here's a new one being floated -- tax credits so that unemployed people can buy health insurance. The idea here is that since unemployed people are more likely not to have insurance, tax credits will help them afford to pay for insurance on their own. Uh huh. And just how does an unemployed person, who pays no income tax, benefit from a tax credit? Apparently that little detail slipped through the cracks in some administration bigwig's brain (I won't speculate whose brain is cracked).
The frightening thing is not that the President is seriously considering these ideas (as far, at least, as he seriously considers anything). Nor is it frightening that all of these schemes will probably be touted in the upcoming State of the Union address. The truly frightening thing is that each of them is certain to be applauded loudly by the Republicans in Congress.
The Republicans are the majority party. As such, they have a responsibility to ... well, to act responsibly. Cheering crackpot schemes is irresponsible. Moreover, actually debating them on the floor of Congress, at taxpayer expense, represents a level of irresponsibility that should not be tolerated.
Then again, Congress gave President Bush the authority to invade Iraq based entirely on lies, and now that the lies have been exposed, the Republicans steadfastly refuse to hold George W. Bush and his coterie of liars responsible. Crackpot schemes are one thing, but almost 500 American soldiers have died in Iraq so far, and at least 500 more are certain to be killed before we come to our senses and pull out. And when we do finally get out of a country we should never have gone into, it won't be the Republicans doing it, because the Republicans act as if they don't care how many Americans die.
And that's what's truly frightening.
Copyright 2004, Dan Jacoby
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