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Aug 29, 2004 Contrary to the perception presented by the media wing of the Democratic party and its naive followers, President George W. Bush has much to be proud of as we head toward the end of his first term in office. The propaganda war being fought against this man and his administration is unprecedented in American history. Perhaps it stems from the controversey surrounding the 2000 election, perhaps it is backlash against a war many do not feel was needed and, perhaps, its President Bush's unwillingness to yield to unexplainable media pressure. Whatever the cause, this president has stirred up significant emotion (i.e. hatred) on the part of his political enemies. The facts, however, contradict the negative perceptions fanned by the press. When President Bush first took the oath of office, the country was already in the onset of an economic recession. The bubble economy of the late 1990's was bursting; the underpinnings of the "irrational exhuberance" which carried the stock market to stratospheric levels were crumbling. Interestingly, Bush warned of this during his campaign of the previous year, only to be shouted down by Al Gore and the Democrats. The terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 dealt an additional blow to a teetering economy. There were dire predictions of economic doom and gloom and additional terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Here we sit, though, a few years removed from the uncertainties presented by 9/11. We have a growing economy with significant job creation. All key economic measures, including growth, unemployment, inflation and interest rates are on the good side of historical norms. In fact, the current unemployment rate is better than the average of the previous two decades. Home ownership levels have reached all-time highs under President Bush's command and the rate of small business startups is also in record territory. Further, even after the much balleyhooed "tax cuts for the rich" implemented by Bush, the total percentage of all income taxes paid by the top 20% of earners is actually HIGHER with the Bush cuts than it would have been without them. (Of course, the average "man in the street" would know little of this news because it does not fit with the Democrat and media-driven stereotype of George W. Bush and Republicans in general. In media land, emotional arguments dominate over actual facts and reason.) And we also need to point out the obvious, that there has not been a terrorist attack in the U.S. since 9/11/01. Certainly, no leader can completely eliminate this threat. Can't we, however, give some credit to this administration, along with those who bravely fight for us overseas, for the relative safety we continue to enjoy? Two brutal, horrible murderous regimes have been eliminated under President Bush's leadership. Millions of people are now free to complain about everything under the sun, including the U.S. involvement in winning their own freedom. (Freedom to complain is preferable to the alternative though.) Women in Iraq and Afghanistan are now enjoying the benefits of an education, the right to work and wear what they choose without fear of repercussions which include death. Despite all of this, the Left can only concentrate on the idea that no WMD's were found in Iraq and France and Germany were not in agreement with us in the elimination of Saddam Hussein, so George Bush is a criminal. Yet, it was President Bush, above all others, who risked his popularity and political capital to fight an enemy he considered a true risk to the future of American freedom. Bush's predecessor in office ran away from any such controversey, choosing his personal popularity over the interest of the nation and the world. Under President Bush a sweeping elderly prescription drug bill was passed, record spending for Education was reached and accountability for truly teaching our youth has been implemented. Billions of dollars have been pledged for fighting AIDS in third world nations and millions of working poor have had their income tax obligations completely eliminated. And still, Bush is brandished as a selfish zealot who cares only about his rich friends at the expense of the common man. We can only hope that most of the electorate wakes up before this November and truly takes inventory of what has been accomplished during the last four years. The U.S. currently enjoys a leader who governs by his conscience and not by public opinion polls. I hope we realize this in time. It is difficult because we are bombarded with messages on a daily basis which emphasize only the negative. The less informed among us are easy prey to partisan bias disguised as journalism. I have faith, though, that wisdom and common sense will prevail over empty rhetoric and emotion. And when the dust clears, President Bush will have the second term in office which he has clearly earned. ------------ About the author: Ed Abraham is a concerned citizen living in flyover country, U.S.A., who happens to be truly disgusted by the loss of common sense in our society and is doing all he can to try to reinstall it. Email: eabra@myway.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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