Bush stuff

I've had this scrap of paper in my bag for like two weeks now. Its a list of things I think people ought to be talking about with regard to the election but just aren't. I realize that the public is more easily energized about current events, but I think that this race ought not to be about flu shots or an Iraqi ammo dump when there are much more significant issues.

Truth be told, in the interim I have heard some of these cracking through. I would be nice if the level of discourse were such that we heard more about this type of thing, but it isn't, and we don't. So if I were a news director (well, more than news director of "There are no bad ideas") here's what we'd be talking about:

1. "Enemy Combatant"
Jeez I wish someone would have asked a question about this at even one of the debates. What on Earth is an "enemy combatant?" I understand POWs, and I understand criminals, and on some level I even understand detainees, but "enemy combatant" as used by this administration really just seems like a way to work in secret and is, to me, a national embarrassment.

2. Civil Rights
Although it comes up from time to time in rhetoric, we haven't heard any real concrete and specific ramifications of the Patriot act. Kerry has said that there are people that want to change it, but he hasn't really said what. I really believe that if given specific examples of the kinds of things that are currently legal under the legislation that there would be an undeniable chilling effect on the election.

3. Labor Bashing
This administration is heir to a lineage that goes back to Reagan and PATCO. I just recently got myself an IATSE Local 1A for Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker. The Bush administration has consistently ridiculed and maneuvered against organized labor, as well as simply slanting workplace rules in favor of employers and against labor - regardless of unions or not. This is the administration that hat sat on minimum wage and that tried to strike down overtime for huge groups or American workers. In general if you are a regular working person, George Bush does not have your best interest in mind.

4. Military Subcontracting
Like no time before in our country's history the Bush administration has structured normal military operations to depend on independent contractors. We have hired an inordinate number of independent security experts (read "mercenary") to undertake military operations overseas. This is bad for so many reasons. One that you hear is that these people are not accountable to chain of command in a normal way - leading to abuses like we saw in the Iraqi and Afghan prisons. An issue that you don't hear much is that if this kind of contract labor is available there is no real incentive for highly skilled, experienced military officers to stay in government service. It actually makes it to their advantage to retire and then take work as a contractor, sapping one of the real strengths of our armed forces. The Bush administration has also awarded millions of dollars in contracts to independent commercial, profit making, companies to provide support roles that have traditionally been provided in house. This creates a profit motive to keep us at war.

5. Corporate Cushiness
What happened to the pre-9/11 corporate scandals and prosecutions? Right under the rug. This administration is way way way too friendly with business. They fostered an environment of win at all costs and then really never followed through with the disgust they portrayed in the media. At the same time they have cut the tax liability of the corporations and their officers, and had officers of corporations write the legislation for their own governance. Just dirty. Did anybody see the Frontline on international lease agreements? This is when US corporations lease subway cars from cities in other countries so that they can deduct the depreciation against their American taxes. Disgusting. Legal, and unchallenged under the Bush administration.

6. Fear Mongering
I'm tired of being told to be afraid and how the world is different since 9/11. The world was exactly the same prior to 9/11, this administration (and many Americans) were simply blissfully unaware. But just like the law, ignorance of a condition isn't an excuse. The world will be just as scary with a republican or democratic administration, to insist otherwise is simply fearmongering. What's worse, religious supporters of Bush have actually been telling their congregations that they will go to hell if they vote for Kerry. That's clearly not the politics of optimism and inclusion.

7. Disingenuous-ness
I have never felt as much like I am getting a sales job than I have from Bush. The whole run up to Iraq felt like a pitch for a series. This group is consistently trying to name things such that people won't pay attention: "Clear Skies Initiative" one of the weakest environmental policies in history. "No child left behind" for a program that actually closes schools rather than fixing them. Its like those right to life groups that pick names that sound pro-choice. What happened to people supporting you because you had the better ideas, not the better sales job.

8. Health Care
We keep arguing about legal reform when what we need is insurance reform. But lawyers are not a deep pocket corporate interest like insurance is. The problem with health care isn't the law, its the money - the profit motive. Some industries, health care and insurance being two, aren't really a good match with making money. Its like my lifetime suspicion of toothpaste makers, its ultimately in their best financial interest to sell you a product that doesn't work. If you are a company that exists to make money that treats people or makes drugs or settles insurance claims, it is quite probably in your best interest to do a bad job, keeps you customers paying more. These are the people this administration values. Why would they do anything that takes money out of their pockets. We need to move the discussion from prescription drugs and doctors to corporations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and insurance providers.

So that's my rant. Please please take this conversation to anyone you know even leaning toward George W. Bush (yes, that's you Mark). Please please find your polling place, bring redundant ID, and go early.

If you can take more of this, today or another day, these people do a better job than me:

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20041108&s=facts