Bush Bashing

George Orwell was one of those individuals with a gift for seeing the future (reading the currents in the overdetermined river of social change). In particular, it is easy to think of Orwell when listening to the way words and phrases are used to manipulate the popular consciousness. The Republican Party has been particularly gifted with newspeak advisors. There are lots of examples one could focus on but I was struck, today anyway, by one phrase in particular. Bush bashing. Criticizing the president and his administration (those currently "in power") has always been an important part of the democratic process in the United States. (The special prosecutor law, that Kenneth Starr did such a wonderful job of killing --- in advance of the Bush presidency --- made this American tradition, for a short time, into an investigatory and judicial process with official sanction.) It is by criticizing our political and economic leaders (that includes corporate CEOs, and not just Bernie Ebbers) that we force even greater transparency into the political and economic realm, reducing the possibility of particularly egregious violations of the public trust.

This process of criticizing (even ridiculing, at times) keeps the leaders in their proper perspective --- after all, this nation was founded in a revolution against a royal government that placed itself above the people. Thus, it is very strange that this phrase "Bush bashing" has been coined. It is a sort of virus of the public discourse, attaching itself to any criticism of the current administration. And, man, do these guys deserve criticism. After inheriting a strong economy (and huge budget surpluses that promised to finally end any potential threat to social security or the overall health of the economy), this administration has manufactured, through either malfeasance or misfeasance or both a fiscal crisis that is now being used, by that same administration, as an excuse to further break the social contract between the government and the people governed. They now want to finally begin the process of unraveling social security, a program that the GOP has wanted to kill for years. The real trick will be for the Bush administration to orchestrate a compromise that so damages the social security system that further "reforms" will be all but inevitable, leading to the ultimate demise of the system (an end to the social contract by which the society provides a basic living standard to those who have agreed to spend their productive lives as capitalist wage laborers). This administration has used the military might of the United States to violate international laws: invading and occupying a sovereign nation on the basis of lies (they knew they were lying) and then throwing the Geneva Convention out the window (endangering not only foreigners, but Americans, for years to come). Official corruption has become standard operating procedure: using public funds to generate profits in crony corporations, like Halliburton and Bechtel --- closely linked to the president and vice president. They have wrecked havoc upon the U.S. intelligence community: scapegoating the CIA (which is in no position --- due to secrecy, among other reasons --- to fight back), exposing CIA operatives as political payback, driving good people out of the intelligence agencies and replacing them with political hacks. And speaking of wrecking intel and scapegoating, let us not forget that this administration is responsible for 9/11. Yes, Virginia, the government in power is the one that is responsible for mistakes (even unmitigated, but unnatural, diasters) made on their watch. I know they've done everything possible to shift the blame, but it is quite clear that they ignored warnings from the intelligence community and did absolutely nothing to make use of existing laws and regulations to reduce the possibility of such an attack. And then they shamelessly use these deaths for political purposes (as well as to attack the civil liberties that are the foundation of American society). They have set back environmental protections (promoting the rise of disease and global warming). And, perhaps most disturbing of all, this administration has sewn seeds of disunity and hatred that will continue to grow long after Bush and company have officially retired.

The use of the phrase "Bush bashing" is a sort of blanket dismissal of all criticisms of this administration, the people currently in power in all three branches of government (and to a significant extent in control of the Fourth Estate --- the media). The administration has been elevated above democracy. The president has been made royal, if not imperial. We'll have to wait and see if the GOP feels the same way when the next Democratic Party president is in the White House.