The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations (An Exclusive DU Editorial)

[Mortos]

George W. Bush first spouted the above phrase while verbally dressing down those who opposed his “No Child Left Behind” act. The statement was effective, but deceptive, in painting his critics as being unable to set high standards for all children, especially minorities and basically accused those who disagreed with him of being racist. Bush got everything he wanted. Then he under-funded his own mandate by billions.

This President’s handlers are experts at framing arguments in ways that make their opponents look weak, cowardly, or even traitorous. To go against any idea set forth by this administration, no matter how bad, no matter how damaging to our country and people, is, in their minds, tantamount to sedition.

Like a domineering father, this group of politicians puts forth bad policy, beats up any opposition, invites no input from others and does what it wants without forethought or consideration.

What mistakes have you made, Mr. President?

I can’t think of any and I am, quite frankly, offended that you asked that question. What are you, a terrorist?

What to do when policies you have promoted fail? That is easy my friends. When the poorly thought out and rushed plans of this administration flop, which they inevitably do, there is always a convenient excuse, argument or relative comparison to fall back on.

Saddam didn’t have weapons or the capacity to produce them.

Yes, but he wanted them and would have given them to terrorist when he got them. We can’t wait until the smoking gun is a mushroom cloud.

Government spending is out of control. You have produced the largest deficits in our history.

The deficit this year is only $400 billion, not $520 billion as was projected. We saved over $100 billion.

1069 American soldiers have died in this unnecessary war.

That is less than died on the beaches of Normandy, far less than died in Vietnam.

You have taken the goodwill for this country and squandered it.

We have a coalition of 30 countries.

You are the first President in over 70 years to have lost more jobs than you created.

We created more jobs than France, Germany, Canada and Great Britain.

By never taking responsibility for it’s failures and contrarily explaining them away by comparative justification, this administration proves, yet again that it has no grasp on reality, no responsibility, no credibility and, worst of all, no integrity.

We have been forced into an Orwellian universe where repression is freedom, ignorance is strength, patriotism is traitorous and irresponsibility is the norm for the leaders of the most powerful country in the world.

When, in the last debate, George W. Bush was asked to name three mistakes his administration has made in the last 4 years, Mr. Bush couldn’t come up with one. Not one. This is not the first time he has been asked this question nor was it the first time he has been unable to answer it.

How can a man who is portrayed by his spokesmen as strong, resolute, powerful and decisive waffle and equivocate so much when asked to take ownership of his mistakes?

The buck no longer stops at the desk of the Oval Office. This President won’t even admit to seeing the buck on the Whitehouse grounds. But he might admit, under his bait and switch responsibility, to having found 13 cents in the couch cushions while looking for phantom WMD’s.

In Mr. Bush’s world of soft bigotry and low expectations, that would be an “encouraging sign” and a “positive step forward“.



p.s. Mr. President, here is a website you could utilize in your quest for responsibility:

www.wheresgeorge.com

It's available on the internets.

[Mortos]

1. Once more into the breach