Bush's Speech

I am a little late with this commentary, but nonetheless I think one thing in Bush's speech Sunday night reassured me more than anything else. Or, more accuratly, 87 billion things. Nothing says commitment like dollars and the President's request for $87 billion says it pretty loudly. It also tells the UN that yes we are asking for help, but don't think we are coming in from a position of weakness. Once again, if the UN won't pitch in we will do it alone. I also suspect that the very public acknowledgment of the costs involved for the United States, and what I believe will be a very public refusal of France and Germany to provide either material or financial support will make irrefutable a future argument that future proceeds from Iraqi oil production go nowhere near these two countries.

Of course Democrats (its has already started) will scream bloody murder over the cost. The irony of this is amusing. The only spending programs a Democrat opposes are those meant to keep Americans safe from being blown up in our streets -- whether during the cold war by Soviet nuclear weapons or now by terrorist weapons (possibly nuclear). Is there some pathological problem in the minds of Democratic leaders against the core function of self defense by the national government?! This could be a very interesting question on the campaign trail.

Add to this another argument about the short sightedness of Demoratic objections. Democrats love to call spending "investment." But most of these "investment" programs would have somebody hauled into court for fraud in the real world of investing. Is it an investment to pump trillions of dollars into the bottomless pit of the welfare state that destroys initiative, incentive and self respect? Is it an investment to pump trillions of dollars into a public education system that rewards failing teachers, schools and administrators with more funds?

Compare this to a true investment that was alluded to by Bush. The Marshal Plan. Billions of dollars spent to rebuild Europe has resulted in decades of prosperity that has repaid the United States and Europe many times over. One can only imagine the benefits of friendly and stable Iraq (optimistaclly other states in the region as well). Perhaps in twenty years the the "Bush Plan" of $87 billion will repaid as generously as the Marshal Plan before it.


- posted by Anonymous @ 9:32 AM