If you and your spouse work hard but still struggle to pay bills, and put the kids through college. It must be your fault because our MBA president knows that the American economy is sound.
If you are one of the seventy percent that believe the Iraqi invasion was a distraction to the real war on terror, and that the price we paid in lives and treasure is unwarranted. You had better change your mind because, “the decision to go to war was the right one on the first day of the war, today, and forever,” as the Commander in Chief declared in his address on the fifth anniversary of the war.
If you still don’t like the president's assurance on the economy and the war, then the answer from the vice president is simply “So?”
These recent statements by George W. and Dick Cheney are offensive because they treat the American people as a bunch of unintelligent kids incapable of understanding their own circumstances, let alone handling facts.
Americans on the other hand are extremely proud people and they have good reasons to feel this way. The relatively young country of ours is the only remaining super power measured in the current stock of weapons. It held the position of the largest economy in the world by Growth Domestic Product (GDP) since the end of the Second World War. In addition, we as individuals and a country have an unwavering sense of pride based on freedom and democracy as the pillars of our moral superiority.
However, history teaches us that greatness is not an entitlement, and pride is not a strategy. It is the vibrant economy of a nation, and the endless struggle for achieving success one person at a time through common purpose, individual achievements, and the right kind of leadership.
The empires created by the Pharos, the Greeks, the Romans, The Persians, the Muslims, and the British are long gone. The super power status of the Soviet Union collapsed almost overnight, and the nation disseminated while their arsenal of weapons were at least at par with ours. Therefore, unless we address the severe economic problems with the attention they require, our nation will end up another sad story in history books like all the empires that proceeded.
Before we go to the polls in November, we need to decide on a candidate that can quantify the return on the tax breaks to companies that are exporting our jobs abroad. Admit that health insurance crises are sickening our society and find real innovative solutions instead of scaring people with the “S” word. Comprehend that in a global economy superior education is necessary for any nation to compete. This becomes more critical if that nation aspires to maintain a high standard of living for its citizens. Understand that the five hundred billion already spent in Iraq, and the three trillion long-term costs for lost productive lives and treating injured soldiers for years to come -according to one study- could have improved the lives of millions of Americans at home. These and many more are real problems and until our leaders have the courage to face reality and the vision to mobilize all resources, our nation challenges will grow.
It is too late for this administration to treat the American people with the respect and dignity they deserve or to fix the mess it created domestically or internationally. In a few months, history will be the judge and a new chapter will begin.
The choices we will make in this election cycle will most likely redefine America. This time we need to be prudent, suspicious, and demanding. We've had enough with a president we elected because he is just like us, and then we reelected him because his political machine put the fear in our hearts. This time we need a real leader who trusts our intelligence and can talk to us as adults, who understands complexity, appreciates it, and is equipped to handle it. We demand a president who has the judgment to make the right calls for the country and not for an ideology or a party. In the meantime, he or she must be secure enough to admit to mistakes when they happen and change course if needed.
We have three respectable candidates left in the ring. As an independent that elected Bush in 2000 and voted for Kerry in 2004, I was open to all possibilities.
The day the straight talk express changed his positions on taxes, immigration, and torture it became apparent that the “straight” part got lost in the wheeling and dealing to receive his party nomination. Therefore, a vote for McCain is a vote for an extension of the previous eight years. This is just a thought because the only lesson learned from this administration is that choices matter!
