Russ Webster: President Bush on the animal farm

In exploiting President Lincoln's words, Bush promised the unachieved and unchallenged in his inauguration speech last month: fostering a nation that is "prosperous and just and equal ... ennobled by service and mercy and a heart for the weak .. [we] must always remember that even the unwanted have worth." When is Mr. Bush going to start constructing this unparalleled nation? Until now, Mr. Bush has ignored glaring inequities among Americans. According to the US Census, 12 percent (36.4 million) of Americans live below poverty level, 15 percent (43.6 million) subsist without health care (including 8.4 million children) and 71 percent of college students graduate with an average of $17,000 in debt. Moreover, the standard of living in the United States declined from 2000-2003: The poverty rate increased, middle-class family income lost an average of $1,300 and more people lost their health insurance (the largest number ever on record) and their jobs (worst performance in 70 years with a net loss of 1 million jobs). Accordingly, the United States -- the richest industrialized nation -- ranked a mere 8th on the 2004 United Nations Human Development Index (a global standard of living index based on several demographic indicators). Our rank has noticeably decreased from 3rd in 2000, to 6th in 2001 and 2002, to 7th in 2003. Moreover, racial divides are conspicuous. The poverty level for non-Hispanics (i.e., Caucasians) is 8.2 percent, but it is appreciably larger among Asians (11.8 percent), Hispanics (22.5 percent), Native Americans (23.2) and blacks (24.4 percent).  Mr. Bush states that "every man and woman on this earth has rights and dignity and matchless value," yet he unashamedly disregards those marginalized in society, those who don't help fulfill his jingoistic visions or accrual of affluence. (I hope $40 million was sufficient for his inauguration revelry.) [more]