Bush's Nonsense

So what did I think of George W. Bush's State of the Union address? I didn't - I didn't even bother to watch it. But what I read about afterwards did not reassure me.

Bush raised eyebrows and earlobes by declaring that something needs to be done about America's addiction to oil. For Bush, a former oilman, to make such a statement seems comparable to Nixon pledging to go to Red China, but Bush's proposed solutions smack of silliness - everything from ethanol to grass and wood chip by-products. He could have offered more practical suggestions to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, like driving smaller cars and rebuilding our passenger railroad and light rail systems - maybe even retrofitting our towns to be more walkable so we don't even have to move around so much other than on foot. He could have suggested using fewer pertrochemicals in farming and encouraged more organic agriculture. But offering sensible solutions isn't part of Bush's schtick.

Meanwhile, Bush is requesting $439.3 billion to spend on the military in 2007, including $84.2 billion for various weapons programs ranging from fighter jets to Navy ships - none of which will make us more secure from terrorists armed with box cutters hellbent on crashing planes in downtown Chicago. More money for war, less for needs at home. These figures did not include the $50 billion the White House plans to spend in 2007 on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Troops in both countries are stretched nearly to the limit. But where to get more soldiers and Marines? One thing's for sure, I'm not signing up for duty in Baghdad or Kabul. If I were interested in keeping peace and order in a Third World city full of angry Muslims, I'd join the Newark Police Department! :-O