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Republicans
thwart real issues for image
It
is truly remarkable how the Republican Party
has been able to manage the debate during
this election season. They have systematically
taken the issues off of the table when their
candidate is at a disadvantage. The issues
conservatives are touting this year are
character, steadfastness and similar qualities.
These issues have little to do with the
day-to-day lives of Americans.
Does
it matter, for example, that people like
Bush as a person when he cuts their overtime
pay? Which has more effect upon my life:
Bush's reckless financial policies (tax
cuts to the rich while waging a costly war)
or his character? How important is it that
the president is sticking to his guns when
voters disapprove of the job he is doing
as president? Should we follow the leader
off a cliff if he really believes in what
he's doing?
This
is the emptiness of American political debate,
where one is praised for seeing a complex
world in black and white terms. The sole
issue where Bush reigns supreme is that
of national security and terrorism. This
is mysterious considering the fact that
Bush refused to act on repeated and specific
warnings prior to 9/11. His conduct on that
infamous day raises questions not often
addressed by our liberal media. Why were
fighter jets scrambling 40 minutes after
it was apparent that passenger planes had
been hijacked? If Bush is strong on terrorism,
why is it that his policies have actually
increased the terrorist threat, widely conceded
by intelligence analysts? The question of
"why do they hate us?" was never
seriously examined, as its answer is painfully
obvious.
Contrary
to Bush's fantasy world, the terrorists
don't hate us because we are prosperous,
or because we have freedom. They hate us
because we support unpopular dictators in
their region in order to keep the oil flowing.
They also hate us because we have been supporting
an occupation and settlement program, illegal
under international law, in occupied Palestine
for almost 40 years. The answer to the question
therefore has to do with our own behavior,
not some perceived jealousy. Terrorism will
continue as long as these policies are pursued.
So
here we have the incumbent, pushing ahead
with what he believes, increasing the chances
of terrorism, and taking the country in
what most people think is the wrong direction.
I never cease to marvel at the spectacular
achievements of propaganda. If a lie is
repeated enough times, people start to believe
it.
The
president is strong on terrorism, despite
the fact that his policies seem to promote
it. The president was courageous for attacking
a defenseless nation, killing tens of thousands
of people when they posed no credible threat.
The president is a man of character despite
the fact that he lied repeatedly, leading
the country into a war whose true costs
are still impossible to determine.
The
ace in the hole has always been fear, evidenced
when Cheney recently warned of another terrorist
attack if Kerry were to win the upcoming
election. Was he making a not-so-veiled
threat? It is clear then, that if the current
administration had to face the facts, their
political future would be toast.
Sterling
Harris is a history major at CSULB.
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