"Rising costs will drive government spending to unprecedented levels, consume nearly all projected federal revenues and threaten America's future prosperity," a distressed Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson announced at a news conference yesterday afternoon.
Just to be clear on the depth and breadth of the projected crises:
I guess it is a good thing that the economy is strong and we are no in a recession, according to the President (as of about 10 days ago). This econmic news, along with the sad milestone of 4,000 US service-men and -women killed in Iraq, will be a large part of the President's legacy, which will also include erosion and illegal abuse of civil rights, the image of the US as a nation that tortures prisoners and denies them due process, a failing war in Afghanistan, and the loss of respect from the entire world, including many of ourselves. Oh, and the environmental disasters that the President has presided over... (whether you beleeve in global warming or not)"Last year we issued a funding warning, and we're doing so again this year," added Mike Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services.
Still not alarmed? "This will trigger -- and I want to emphasize again, as Secretary Leavitt has said -- this will trigger a Medicare funding warning," contributed Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
I wonder where we would be as a Nation without this Iraq war that is so important to our national security, and without the other decisions made by the Bush administration?
- Far more secure than we are.
- Solvent, perhaps?
- Free, or at least more free than we are, of a dependence on foreign oil?
- No longer killing salmon in the Pacific Northwest by uncontrolled use of pesticides that Federal law says we must control the use of?
- In a position where chickens could afford corn as food, and where food prices were both reasonable and stable?
- Solar power in use by houses everywhere we looked?
- Densely populated cities with improved mass transit?
- Cleaner air and water?
- No grieving families of servicemen and women?
- ...
What a disaster this administration has been.
James K. Bashkin, Creative Commons 3.0, 2008, some rights reserved
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Comments: 15
Spencer: I know what you mean. I lost a job and benefits, and I know many people in the same boat. Some are not working, some are working in positions far below their qualifications and former pay levels, and many have had to uproot their families several times in the past 5 years. It seems that many have gone from "making progress" to "hanging on".
Debra: You certainly called it right!
Sam: a great point. I'm pro-environment and pro-business because I realize that people need jobs. I've also seen first-hand how businesses can fix pollution problems with the right motivation (like EPA requirements, or even the fear of EPA requirements, which partly explains why a strong EPA is so important). You described some lost opportunities that we can still work on capturing for the future, but we need the right leadership. The car companies, as always, are going to have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the future. It was this way with seat belts, air bags, impact safety, roll-over safety, etc., even though all of these improvements actually caused people to buy cars that they wouldn't have, otherwise. For whatever reason, these companies have failed to understand the buying public as long as I've been alive. It isn't as if there is a problem with the American worker- "Japanese" cars made in Kentucky have been rated better than those made in Japan.
::Sighs::... Makes me frustrated that we're blamed for this mess.
Thanks for the feedback.