NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, we know what he DID say: "Here's a problem and we're gonna throw money at it." Which of course is needed, but there is more to it than that.

Most of what he didn't say, as always, was how it was going to get paid for. But hey, this is the guy who claimed that his tax cuts wouldn't return the country to deficit spending too and never got called on it....


Now this disaster has raised several very valid concerns regarding the operational effectiveness of this government, the effectiveness of many people in appointed positions, and there has been some discussion on the impact that some partisan legislation and budgets that have been rammed through Congress might have had on this issue. Did GW address these?

Mostly no.

Here are some very notable things that have been relevant topics of discussion post-disaster that I heard no mention of in the speech:


No mention of exemptions from the bankruptcy bill.

No mention of easing up on tax cuts for the wealthiest or cutting the estate tax to help cover the costs.

No mention of any independent commission despite the ongoing hurricane season.

No mention of a preventing future hurricane disasters by targeting global warming or saving wetlands.

No mention of dropping no-bid contracts for rebuilding.

No mention of paying reconstruction workers a prevailing wage.

No mention of putting a reconstruction expert (rather than his political expert) in charge.

No mention of removing political cronies from positions where they have no relevant experience.

No mention of restoring the levee funding cut by administration.

No mention of or explanation for why he, his vice president, etc. were AWOL for so many days.


All very relevant issues glossed over and (I assume) that he hopes will simply go away if he can convince everyone to shift focus to the rebuilding and forget about how we got to where we are.

Anything else anyone would have liked to have seen him mention?

All very relevant issues glossed over and (I assume) that he hopes will simply go away if he can convince everyone to shift focus to the rebuilding and forget about how we got to where we are.

Anything else anyone would have liked to have seen him mention?

Yeah, did he mention anything about him and his administration falling off the face of the Earth? I've been waiting on that one for a while......
;)

Maybe have this as a wakeup call to bring home all National Guard units so they are prepred to do work in AMERICA in case something happens. Ending Iraq's occupation too would be nice but I'm sure thats just a delusion. :)

Anything else anyone would have liked to have seen him mention?
Yeah. He should have noted that there are always a handful of nay-sayers who will raise hell because he can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. :)

Yeah. He should have noted that there are always a handful of nay-sayers who will raise hell because he can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. :)


Right. Because addressing what he WANTS to do without having Congress yet approve it and without mentioning how to pay for it, combined with the blanket "we fucked up" statement of a couple of days ago TOTALLY lets him off the hook for discussing real and specific current issues still extant related to the disaster.

:rolleyes:

Maybe have this as a wakeup call to bring home all National Guard units so they are prepred to do work in AMERICA in case something happens.
Yeah, that one's been irritating me ever since he first sent them overseas. They're the NATIONAL GUARD. That means this nation, not all those others -- they should be a defensive force, with full contingents stationed in each state. They shouldn't have had to go scrambling to find enough soldiers to meet the need.

And how about Mississippi? I've heard that close to 2 thirds of their counties were flooded, but according to MSNBC, FEMA only opened its first field office there yesterday!!! The screw-up parade isn't over yet.

Yeah, did he mention anything about him and his administration falling off the face of the Earth? I've been waiting on that one for a while......
;)
That is a very good point. Of course, it'll only happens when gravity expires.

Most of what he didn't say, as always, was how it was going to get paid for. But hey, this is the guy who claimed that his tax cuts wouldn't return the country to deficit spending too and never got called on it....


I guess I kind of like to think that 9/11 and the resulting War on Terrorism had something to do with deficit spending, but what do I know?

I guess I kind of like to think that 9/11 and the resulting War on Terrorism had something to do with deficit spending, but what do I know?

Really? Cause I thought the war in Iraq was what was killing the US, and we all know now that Iraq had nothing to do with any war on a noun!

I guess I kind of like to think that 9/11 and the resulting War on Terrorism had something to do with deficit spending, but what do I know?


I dunno. Do you know how many other presidents have ever tried to push tax cuts AND a pair of wars (Afghanistan AND Iraq) at the same time while also claiming that they stood for fiscal restraint?

I guess funding international terrorism is not enough for a war against that country to be considered part of the war on terrorism. Going by that assumption then I guess you are right, Iraq and the War on Terror are two seperate things, touche.

Not really. Bush is a politician, and like any other he doesn't give a shit about anything else but finding the best way to buy as many votes as possible. All of them do it, so to expect Bush to begin some kind of real accountability is ridiculous.

And now, in an effort that is comparable to someone with a bad case of the clap trying to pee, I shall single handedly try to get this back on topic.

Does anyone else think it is stupid to rebuild New Orleans? To me it sounds like this "We are going to show mother nature that we can not be beat, until this happens again."

Bush drinking game:
-Take a shot every time George W. Bush says "9/11"

That's it, you will be loaded after one speech.