-Caveat Lector- The whole house of cards seems to be tumbling at a rapid rate. Next week should see a release of the tensions that have been building to their highest levels since this whole thing started. Will it be a gentle release or an explosive one? It appears that it will all depend on Bush and his warhawks on which it will be. So far they have not shown any inclination to even compromise on this, and I am seeing a heavy increase in propaganda efforts to reverse the increasing flow of opposition to their plans. More and more people, however, are beginning to see through this, so I think that effort will fail. Just how "over the top" they have gone remains to be seen, but at least we won't have to wait long to find out.
This whole thing has taken on the flavor of a suspense novel! > http://www.alternet.org/print.html?StoryID=15012 > > Bush Is Losing It / Marty Jezer, AlterNet January 23, 2003 > > It's been a bad week for the Bush Administration, and it's likely to > get worse. The American people are beginning to understand the folly > and greed that informs its economic policy. And most of the civilized > world has turned decisively against the Iraqi adventure. The great > coalition that George W. Bush proposes to lead against Saddam Hussein > is now a coalition of two, and British prime minister Tony Blair has > lost the support of his own people, most especially members of his > own Labor Party who warn of a political revolt if Britain goes to war > without a new UN resolution. > > In France, 75 percent oppose Bush's policy; in Germany the number is > 76, in Italy it's 61. In Turkey, a country crucial to the > Administration's military effort, opposition to the war, according to > the Wall Street Journal, registers at between 80 and 90 percent. > > Even the Journal is wondering what's up. As staff reporter Gerald F. > Seib wrote on Jan. 22, "President Bush's policy toward Iraq is in > distress, and the reason is stunningly simple: His administration > hasn't made a very effective public case for war with Saddam > Hussein." > > In the United States, confidence in the Bush Administration is > evaporating, and it's no wonder. Reality is out-running the rhetoric. > The Administration has announced probable federal deficits of $200- > 300 billion over the next two years (which many experts conclude will > be higher). While Bush proposes huge tax-breaks for the wealthy, the > General Accounting Office says that social security faces tax > increases and benefit cuts if it is to remain solvent. > > Anticipating the coming deficits, the Administration has shamelessly > cut veteran benefits to what it describes as higher-income veterans. > In fact, the new cut-off applies not to wealthy veterans but to > middle-class veterans with annual incomes of $30,000 to $35,000. > > Many states are confronted with multi-billion dollar budget deficits > and will have to raise taxes, most of which will fall on working > people, the middle class and the poor. In an attempt to save money > for the states, the Administration is moving to limit emergency room > access to Medicaid patients; i.e., to senior citizens and low income > families. Is there not a pattern emerging? Slash taxes for the rich, > slash services for everyone else! > > Bush introduced his plan to abolish the tax on stock dividends by > saying "double taxation is wrong." But, as Daniel Altman wrote in the > New York Times (1/21/03), "Corporate dividends "are not the only kind > of income that is taxed twice. Other taxes create a double, triple or > event quintuple burden. And unlike the double taxation of dividends, > which mainly affects the wealthy, the burden of other forms of > multiple taxation -- sales taxes, import taxes, payroll taxes, among > others -- often falls most heavily on poorer Americans." > > Yes! What Bush proposes is class war. > > Utilizing a Reagan-era tax loophole that grants larger business > deductions to pick-ups than it does to ordinary cars, the Bush > Administration, according to the Times (1/21/03), would "increase by > 50 percent or more the deductions that small-business owners can take > on the biggest and most expensive sports utility vehicles and > pickups." > > Thus, if a small business owner buys a gas-guzzling (10-11 mpg) > Hummer HI, with a list price of $102,581, he or she can deduct > $75,000 from the price as a capital equipment deduction. A business > that purchases a gas-efficient (45 mpg) Toyota Prius with a $20,500 > sticker price, can't even deduct half of that cost, even with the > $2,000 deduction the government is allowing for fuel-efficient > vehicles included. > > In a radio address on Jan. 18, Bush declared that his tax cuts would > give 23 million small business owners an average tax cut of $2,042 a > year." As New York Times economist Paul Krugman noted, an "average" > is a meaningless figure. If one business owner gets a tax-break of > $20,420 and nine business owners get nothing, the average tax-break > is $2,042, as Bush has described it. The reality, however, as Krugman > pointed out, is that most business owners will get less than $500 and > about 5 million business owners will get nothing. Bush's promise of a > tax windfall to help the economy is a sham. And the public is > catching on. > > A CNN-Time poll shows support for Bush down to 52 percent, just 1 > percent higher than Bill Clinton's worst showing during the era of > Monica Lewinsky. An NBC-Wall Street Journal poll registers Bush's > support at 54 percent, his handling of the economy at 44 percent and > his handling of foreign policy at 51 percent. By more than two to > one, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, Americans prefer > more spending on education, health care and social security than a > tax cut, which 61 percent correctly perceive as benefiting the > wealthy. A dwindling majority still supports a war against Iraq, but > only with U.N. backing and only after the weapon inspectors are given > time to do their job. > > Bush could take credit for getting the U.N. to focus on Iraq and > effectively containing Saddam, but he seems to be intent on war. > Faced with the European demand for diplomacy, Bush had a snit fit. > > "This looks like a rerun of a bad movie and I'm not interested in > watching it," he whined. > > Those are not the words of a statesmen or a world leader. As an > American, I am embarrassed. As more and more people are coming to > understand, this isn't a movie we're watching. It's real life with > real consequences, and many people are going to die. A war in Iraq > risks destabilizing the Middle East, invites terrorist attacks > against Americans all over the world, and will encourage politically > motivated attacks on civil liberties here at home. > > Bush is losing it. His composure, his "good-guy" image, the debate > about economic policy, the sympathy and support of the international > community and, as polls indicate, the backing of the American people. > > Marty Jezer's books include The Dark Ages: Life in the U.S. 1945- > 1960. He writes from Brattleboro, Vermont and welcomes comments at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from > http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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