And If You Did Know?

I just read an article on AlterNet called: Dearth of a Nation by: Benjamin Wallace-Wells of the Washington Monthly. In it he talks about the way America is falling behind in the technology race. He speaks of Bush and Company holding to two ways of helping the economy. One is cutting taxes and the other is privatizing Social Security. He says that the advisers Bush has been listening to are supporting his push to use these two ways of spurring the economy. The article also talks about how we are losing our edge in the fields of nanotechnology and alternative energy. What I was most struck by was the way Bush and Company tends to be so myopic. It seems as though they get one idea in their collective head and then do nothing to challenge that idea. They find people who agree with them and sally forth. The thrust of the article was that we have to begin to look at more ways of moving forward, but that the current leadership in Washington is mostly about keeping things the way they are or moving backward. I think the most important problem we have right now is that no one challenges or questions the President or his policies. He has surrounded himself with “yes people” and does not look at any alternatives. His recent trip to Europe proved that he does not even hear himself talk. When he said:
“‘This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous.’
(Short pause)
“‘And having said that, all options are on the table.’
“Even the White House stenographers felt obliged to note the result: ‘(Laughter).'”
-(The Washington Post’s Dan Froomkin on George Bush’s February 22 press conference)
For a host of good reasons — the huge and draining commitment of U.S. forces to Iraq and Iran’s ability to stir the Iraqi pot to boiling, for starters — the notion that the Bush administration would mount a “preemptive” air attack on Iran seems insane. And still more insane if the objective includes overthrowing Iran’s government again, as in 1953 — this time under the rubric of “regime change.”

But Bush administration policy toward the Middle East is being run by men — yes, only men — who were routinely referred to in high circles in Washington during the 1980s as “the crazies.” I can attest to that personally, but one need not take my word for it.”

Published on Thursday March 2, 2005 by TomDispatch.com
Attacking Iran: I Know It Sounds Crazy, But…
by Ray McGovern

This is an prime example of how foolish and anti-logical Bush is. He does not even listen to himself. Of course the fact that he only speaks to people who agree with him and never point out his mistakes is more proof of how dangerous he is. What a dolt!!!!! The problem is that he is hurting America and the rest of the world with his ideas. We need to get rid of this man.

Just to talk a little about the new Bush agenda, Social Security, boy is he a rich boy or what? We cannot afford to help our elderly? What? Is he kidding? We can lose 9 billion dollars in Iraq, but we cannot afford to help our own citizens, those who have worked their entire lives????? This makes no sense. Of course it makes sense when viewed from the perspective of the Wall Street Gang that want to make money off of them. Bush is acting as though if we do not do something about this right now our economy will collapse and everything will be destroyed. It sounds like the bogus Weapons of Mass Destruction ploy to me. How stupid does he think we are? Very I guess because he is really pushing for this. It is simply a scheme to make some Wall Street Money Managers richer that is all. But to hear him talk about it, he makes it sound as if the world will come to an end if we do not completely alter the system right now. Also where does he think the 9 billion it will take to make the changes come from??? He has stated publicly that the changes he proposes will not make any real difference, but he keeps pounding on it, just like he did about Iraq and those WMD’s and the link to Al Qaeda. Boy is he something.

It has been some time since I made an entry here. In October my father died and then in December my mother became ill and had to be hospitalized. She then went into a nursing home and became more and more depressed. I fought to keep her there as I wanted her to be looked after. Over time I realized that what I actually wanted was for some to take care of her because I could not. I lived with or near my mother for the first 4/5 of my life. I took care of her for most of that time. I finally realized that I could not make her happy. I put off living my own life in an attempt to see her happy and healthy before I began to live. After getting breast cancer and seeing just how unhappy I was I began to see that I was not helping my mother nor myself in staying with her. I was trying to do something that is impossible, I was trying to make someone else happy. It just does not work. So after a few years of letting this information become part of me, I saw that I needed to begin to live my own life. I needed to go somewhere that I knew no one and had to rely upon myself. It was only then that I began to let someone into that protective bubble and I could begin to express myself. I am married to a wonderful man and I am very happy with that. But now my mother was in trouble again and I felt the need to go there and take care of her. I realized that doing that would not help me, or her, but the push was there. I overcame this because we simply did not have the money to allow this, and I knew it was wrong. I stayed here and took care of as much as possible over the phone. Of course I have family there who jumped in and did everything they could. My Aunt Betty has put forth tremendous effort and has been wonderful. I have realized that asking for help is alright. I have further realized that allowing that help to happen as it does is important. I have learned a great deal about myself through this process. I have always been reluctant to ask for help. I have often told myself that asking for help was asking for trouble. I see that this is truly about is letting myself get the help I need. So I am going to start writing again. This writting helps me as well. I get to say whatever I want and that is great. My mother is home again. She has a number of services in place to help and my aunts, of whom there are 6, have agreed to help by going by to see her.

So I am writing again. Nice to be back. I have missed you.