There was a moment, after 9\/11, when George W. Bush could have successfully convinced our nation to make some real, positive changes for the future. He could have instituted a crash energy-independence program, pushed for us to consume less fuel, which would in turn allow us to lessen our own footprint in the Middle East — and which would make oil a less important resource for us to pursue. He could have asked us for a modest tax increase to pay for the war on terror — a bit of national sacrifice that would have left our economy in much better shape. He could have asked for a lot.<\/p>\n
George W. Bush asked America to go shopping and fly frequently<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dubya’s unwillingness to ask Americans to make a sacrifice — any sacrifice — was a tragic failure. Instead of driving less, Americans drove more, at least until oil became prohibitively expensive. Instead of all of us pitching in to support the war, only those of us who wore a uniform (or were related to them) were asked to bear the brunt of the Afghan war and the Iraq fiasco. Meanwhile, our nation came apart at the seams, unable to work together to build for a common future.<\/p>\n Of course, the rich got richer, which was Bush’s primary goal. So that worked out all right.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the decision to ask Americans to sacrifice by shopping drove us off the cliff; asked to spend freely, people used their houses as ATM machines, urged on by the Bush Administration’s lax policies. And today, we’re reaping the benefits, if by “benefits” you mean “a Depression.” But hey, at least for one bright moment in 2001-2002, we were all united in buing new televisions. That made it all worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There was a moment, after 9\/11, when George W. Bush could have successfully convinced our nation to make some real, positive changes for the future. He could have instituted a crash energy-independence program, pushed for us to consume less fuel, … Continue reading