The U.S. “Titanic” and Need for Course Correction Now

From yesterday’s U.S. Today… “If the Plame investigation has served any useful purpose, it is to refocus attention on the deeper problem – that the United States invaded Iraq based on false premises. The administration orchestrated a public relations drive to prove Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and connections to 9/11 terrorists – both proved false. They moved to discredit critics. And they were wrong.”

The decisions to declare war and cut taxes will have a disastrous impact on our citizens for decades. Recently, the Associated Press stated Condoleezza Rice inferred our occupation in Iraq might last for ten years while the Navy Times reported the war is expected to cost $500,000,000,000. That’s at least two million Ivy League scholarships to put a not too fine point on it. It’s ironic that those of most modest means traditionally are serving and dying in this war. If one revisits my earlier blogs or U.S. Senate campaign platform, I’m proposing some fundamental changes in how this country is run, for whom, where the money is coming from and where it’s to be invested.

Using the analogy of the Titanic, the passengers and crew nearest to the breached hull are already taking in water in the form of inability to ride out this administration’s economic policies. The patches to repair the hull (or levees) were too costly. Funds were used to ensure the staterooms were nicely appointed. It’s hard to tell who’s at the helm – King George or “Moby Dick” Cheney, but neither seems accountable; yet, their own inflatable yachts are within arms’ reach.

Instead of a course correction, most of this administration’s officers can’t acknowledge, much less see, the iceberg. Nevertheless, they’re attempting to save the ship by cutting the life preservers to those in greatest need. This comes in the form of our Congress weighing big cuts to Medicaid and Medicare – in essence curbing healthcare spending in the form of having higher co-payments leading to people forgoing needed care. This also includes less benefits to active military as well as veterans. Meanwhile, many big corporations whose profits often went to excessive management compensation, reverse course with expendable employees with fewer pensions and contributions or worse – walking the plank of outsourcing. No problem, these officers are on the lido deck and have arrangements to be helicoptered to safety. This is the privilege of making big dollar contributions. Middle class swabbie taxpayers are asked to hum anchors away as such perquisites are also Holy Grail for most federal, state and local employees.

Meanwhile, we’re trying to decide who is qualified to judge this debacle on our Supreme Court based upon whether they believe such manmade travesties are in Neptune’s hands or those least able to defend themselves. Perhaps there’s no reason to despair after all. The excessive fuel bill was left unpaid, so this ship might be lost at sea until saved by the Chinese, Europeans or Middle Easterners, because of our wonderful foreign relations, or maybe we’ll run aground on a softer iceberg.