THE EVIL EMPIRE

After years of "cold" war that prevented "hot" war, Russia crumbled from within and the bear was no longer thought of as much of a threat even though it has a huge arsenal of nukes -- most of them aimed at US.

That was then. Now, millions of people think America is "The Evil Empire." The huge, predatory, sharp-clawed, fierce-beaked, violent EAGLE intent on gobbling up other countries.

This didn't just happen suddenly. Our country's policies did not always include complete understanding of the customs of other people, but some of our leaders made sincere attempts to work with other nations in peace.

The UN and NATO may not have always functioned perfectly, but they did show what could be accomplished when nations worked together. Now we are shown the horrors that result when nations do NOT work together.

Discontent in Arabic nations smoldered until Bush came along and made their hatred manifest all over the world by declaring a Christian "crusade" against them.

Tight-assed was more than just a description of George Bush's America. It was a reality as Bush tightened all of the outgoing, friendly sphincters of our foreign policy, substituting an attitude of hate and disdain toward other countries.

He opted us out of global environmental plans. He pulled out of treaties with other nations. He angered our firmest allies and put restrictions on helping third world women by withholding funds for family planning.

Now that he is in big trouble in Iraq, he invites the United Nations to send in some troops to help. One Paris newspaper asked why France should send its young people to be killed just to get Bush reelected. Viva la France.

And not all of his bile was directed outward. He turned inward on us too!

With two disastrous tax cuts for the rich and two disastrous wars, he has sunk every one of us into a huge debt and job loss that will only increase every day we keep him in office.

The Bush Republicans have developed a pattern of undermining our democracy. The Florida coup, the Texas redistricting attempt and the California recall all serve to negate voter's choice.

Declaring victory in Iraq with an expensive grandstand visit to a carrier in May, Bush ignores the daily body bags containing our dead young men and women returning from Iraq. There was no victory for them or for those still in Iraq.

Our laws and justice have taken hit after hit from the "sneak and peek" of the Patriot Act and the ministrations of Ashcroft. He has set up people to spy on judges to gain control of the judiciary.

Following the advice of Republican political strategist, Frank Luntz, Bush "greenwashed" environmental language to further hoodwink the American public. Global warming became climate change, for example. Luntz also advised Bush to actively recruit experts who would support the Bush view.

Under cover of these "experts" air pollution rules were loosened. The Clean Water Act was torpedoed when millions of acres of wetlands were removed from protection. Midwest factories are allowed to pollute and just this week, carbon dioxide was declared a non-pollutant!

Just as Bush has employed revisionist history, he proposes revisionist science. The Environmental Protection Agency declared that the New York air following 9/11 was safe, but it was not!

The Evil Empire is alive and well and what a terrible reflection on Americans. Led by Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Pearl, Wolfowitz and the military industrial complex, it gathers money and power to gain another four years to attack our country, our lives and our sacred honor.

twanda@sover.net

2003-036

Copyright 2003 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@sover.net.