Bush Bullies the Cringing Democrats, As Usual
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
"Bush still has theDemocrats scared."
George Bush is very lucky to have the Democrats as the"opposition party." In both content and delivery, his final Stateof the Union Address showed Bush to be a spent force, the dirty fighterwhose entire career was built on amorality, sheer meanness and bribed referees.No blow was ever too low for Bush, but at this late stage of theseven-year-long bout even razor-lined gloves can't help him. All that now propsBush up are the nervous weaklings at the other corner of the ring: theDemocrats.
Although Barack Obama seems to think the Republicans oncehad interesting "ideas," they really have only three simple solutions for allsituations: bigger and more aggressive militaries, low taxes and huge subsidiesfor the rich, and relentless privatization of the people's property and socialspace. Just add a little more coercive muscle to the National Security Stateand you have all the ingredients for a true American fascism. But Bush and hiscorporate masters are having a difficult time, because the world is notcooperating.
Bush dedicated only a few minutes to the crisis in domesticand international financial structures, lamely describing the unfoldingeconomic disaster as "a period of uncertainty." What an understatement! American predatory, super-speculativelending practices have not only guaranteed the dispossession of millions offamilies and deepening chaos throughout the U.S. economy, the domestic collapsehas also revealed that, at the heart of the global financial edifice lies anunimaginably huge "balloon" of derivatives and other varieties of possiblyworthless paper.
There is no acceptable solution to this terminal,structural crisis. So Bush offers the usual fix: tax giveaways and attemptedbailouts for the people who created the problem, and a few crumbs for afraction of the rest of us. The Democrats, of course, go along with theprogram, with some minor reservations.
"Bush offers the usual fix: tax giveaways and attemptedbailouts for the people who created the problem, and a few crumbs for afraction of the rest of us."
Bush told the joint session of Congress that the Iraq war,which was lost not long after it began, is now surging to "success." The truthis, U.S. casualties are lower because Sunni Muslims are busy defeating AlQaida. But neither Sunni nor Shia militias have abandoned the goal of genuineIraqi independence. The Americans will be dealt with, in due time.
For the wounded people of New Orleans, all Bush offers is tohold a rich man's international trade conference in the city, in April - whilehis administration bulldozes thousands of perfectly sound public housing unitsfor the poor.
Just hours before Bush gave his address, Internet journalistRobert Kall, of Op-Ed News, questioned House Judiciary Committee Chairman JohnConyers on why he won't beginimpeachment proceedings against Bush and/or Vice President Cheney. Conyersreplied that Republicans would charge Bush was being "demonized" by theDemocrats, and "theywould take that and that would bleed right into the election of 2008."
In otherwords, George Bush, the hugely unpopular and now punch-drunk bruiser, still hasthe Democrats scared. That's why he's still standing.
For BlackAgenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford.
BARexecutive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
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