I think Bush (unintentionally) revealed his true feelings over the weekend. He said something to the effect that the best way to combat the high price of energy is his tax cut, because it gives people the money to pay more for energy, i.e. oil.

Even on the surface this is brazen. Bush is saying, in essence, that it's better that this money is going into the bank accounts of private business than to pay for public services. But let's look a little closer at this.

People who's earnings come from their labor, rather than from their investments, are going to have higher energy costs; it costs more to heat a shop or store, or drive a car to work, than it does to clip a coupon, compound your interest or trade a stock. But the smallest tax cuts will be gained by those who's income comes from their labor, because as has been pointed out they pay less taxes to begin with. So what's the result of all this? The tax cut for the wealthy few stays in their pockets, while the tax cut for those lower down the ladder also is funneled to the wealthy, specifically those who own the energy companies.

Meanwhile, the administration's energy plan has become clear: Give private interests more and more access to restricted areas, so that they can "create (private) wealth" out of the mineral resources on PUBLIC LANDS. Cut the funding to alternative sources. Further, keep alive the misperception that "wild ideas" and "half-cocked" plans like solar power and wind power will not work. Discount the effectiveness of conservation and recycling. Place the blame for high prices on regulatory acts which provide cleaner air and water. Refuse to admit that business has any responsibility within the community other than for the generation of profits. Enter into agreements and treaties with other countries that favor business interests exclusively and undercut the effectiveness of unions, or any other sort of organized community action.

A key element in all this is to declare the energy situation "a crisis". A crisis calls for extreme measures. History can't call you "greedy", "self-serving", "short-sighted", "venal", or place any blame on you for the long-term repercussions of bad policy put forward in a time of crisis. This is their "golden parachute" for when the shit hits the fan.

There are two problems with this,IMHO. The first is that WE THE PEOPLE aren't really that stupid. We may be lazy enough to shrug through a lot of this, but eventually this horse shit that they are peddling will bring them down again. The other is that these guys (if they are indeed sincere) believe in GOD. And and all-knowing God will see through all of this. And their God does not care at all about their profit margin. He said to take care of the least of these. And when they stand before Him/Her, they will be naked in the eyes of their lord. And they will have a lot to answer for.

Dick Cheney. George Bush, Sr & Jr. Christie Whitman. And all the rest of that bunch in office and in whose interest they work.

I don't have to damn them.

Bart