More BushCo Madness

The Bush Administration has shown some consistent traits over the years: their lack of interest in careful exploration of fact before making tactical decisions; their disregard for the opinions of any who oppose them; their willingness to lie to get their way, and; their habit of making huge policy decisions without considering the ramifications.

The most glaring example of these traits was the Iraq war, in course of which they manipulated the intelligence, created fear through innuendo, violated long standing treaties and pacts and ultimately took the country into a negative situation that from which it may never recover. -- Especially in light of the agreement for permanent presence that they are now underhandedly negotiating. (See yesterday’s blog.)

What most people don’t know, though, is that this M.O. pervades everything they do and that there are several areas in which their under-the-table mismanagement have the potential for doom. Two of these are global warming and nuclear proliferation. In the first case, they have simply (and blatantly) refused to accept the testimony of the world’s leading scientists to resist any measures that might hurt the short term gains of the corporate status quo. In the second, while mouthing platitudes about the reduction of nuclear weapons, they have sought – through dangerously loose methods – to expand their production and even considered and perhaps tried to use them.

Mother Jones magazine recently reported on this in a most interesting article titled, “Off Target” (Mother Jones, January/February, 2008 p.64) that discussed the many ways in which typical BushCo behavior has put us at risk. In a sidebar, for instance, they list the five ways BushCo has “thwarted nuclear nonproliferation”:

1. “Treaty busting” – while talking like they’re in favor of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, they have been “backing away from it”.
2. “The India Deal” – again while flapping their lips about nonproliferation, they have ended sanctions against India for not joining the treaty group and are selling them nuclear technology – the same offense for which they condemn North Korea.
3.”Soviet Nukes” – because Donald Rumsfeld thought it was “wimpy to be involved in” BushCo has been trying to cut the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program under which the Pentagon was leading efforts to secure the massive Soviet nuclear arsenal.
4. “Back to Square One” – In 2002 BushCo scrapped the Agreed Framework – negotiated by the Clinton Administration with North Korea – under which we supplied oil and civilian nuclear technology and they froze their nuclear weaponry development program. To replace it, BushCo took a hard line against North Korea until finally negotiating another fuel deal that closely resembles the Clinton arrangement. In the interim, North Korea has become a nuclear armed country.
5. “Lost in Transit” – BushCo adopted John Bolton’s idea for the Proliferation Security Initiative that uses quasi-legal high seas police to try and intercept nuclear shipments. None have been intercepted and nothing has been done to monitor cargo before it can be loaded onto ships in the first place.

I would add the Department of Homeland Security in general. I have yet to see any proof that this huge new cabinet level department has done anything to truly add to our security. From telling us all to stock up on plastic sheeting and duct tape to forcing fisherman to have a passport in order to get back home from Canadian fishing trips and making little old ladies take off their shoes before getting on an airplane, they have only added hassle to our lives while restricting our freedom with no benefit.

The Mother Jones article did offer what may be the BushCo solution to global warming though in the following table:

Scenario Drop in Avg Drop in Avg.
Global Temp. Global Rainfall Chilling
For Years For Years Effects

India & Pakistan
Fire 100 Warheads 2º 10% Winter up to 5º colder

US & Russia fire
7,000 warhead 6º 25% Up to 80 more days
below freezing in US*
US & Russia fire
20,000 warheads 15º 45% Below freezing in Iowa
for up to three years*

*Not to mention that 95% of us would be dead before the freeze hit!

So what the hell, George, you’ve got all those weapons and less than a year to use them. After all, it’s about the only thing you haven’t tried yet. Why not go for it? Then maybe someone would turn to you and say, “Heckuva job, buddy.”


Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- M. K. Gandhi

Individually we have little voice. Collectively we cannot be ignored.
But in silence we surrender our power. Yours in Peace -- BR

The reason for going was to keep the crude flowing and raise a false flag abroad. – from a poem by Jack Evans titled 3500 Souls - http://www.myspace.com/paralegal_eagle