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February 15, 1991 The Broncas* Voice Page 3
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Editorials
A Few Questions For President Bush
What Happens On V-I Day?
by Kelvin Culbreth
The United States is at
war. In the onslaught of media
coverage, many questions about
the ramifications of this conflict
have not only gone urianswered,
but many have yet to be asked.
And completely lost in the
media-blitz have been the
domestic problems, the wars that
Americans fight everyday.
In his State of the Union
address on January 23, President
George Bush accurately pointed
out many of these domestic and
foreign issues. But simply
recognizing that a problem exists
does nothing to alleviate the
problem, no matter how many
standing ovations the rhetoric
solicits.
President Bush made many
references to "a new world order
where diverse nations are drawn
together in common cause to
achieve the universal aspirations
of mankind." If we are to
believe President Bush, a
military victory over Iraq and
Saddam Hussein is imminent.
The military might of the U.S.
is far too superior for Saddam to
withstand much longer. And the
President is probably correct.
But the world problems,
including Mid-East instability,
are not going to disappear on
"Victory-over-Iraq" Day.
President Bush also stressed
the need for more involvement
from John Q. American to
handle the problems at home.
Calls for volunteerism, political
reform, education reform, and
banking reform all drew heavy
applause from the politico-
packed audience at the Capitol
Building Senate Chambers. But
lost in the applause, once again,
was the meat of the ideas. The
ignored but inevitable question:
"How?"
What happens on V-I Day,
George Bush?
1) What about the
reconstruction of Iraq? The U.S.
must rebuild what it destroys.
This a moral imperative. But
where will the money come
from? Which domestic programs
will suffer the loss of funds?
Education? AIDS research?
Social-assistance? Or will taxes
be increased to pay for the
damage?
2) Who will assume power
in Iraq? Is the U.S. going to
stand aside and allow the Iraqi
people to decide? Or will it be
another U.S.-backed, overly
ambitious military leader-like
Sadaam Hussein?
3) What about Kuwait? Will
the U.S. spend more billions in
reconstruction for Kuwaiti ruler
Sheik Sabah? And will Sheik
Sabah be allowed to return to
absolute rule after Americans
died fighting a war for "freedom
and democracy"- for him?
3) What about the Mid-East
region and a lasting peace? Will
the U.S. pull out and leave the
problems between the Israelis
and the Palestinians
unaddressed? And how about the
strained peace agreements
between Israel and Egypt and
Jordan and Syria?
5) What about the injustices
that have been going on in the
world since long before Sadaam
was a household name? Is it
time to forget about gold and
diamonds and start taking real
economic and diplomatic action
against the government of South
Africa?
6) What about the unrest
in the Baltic States? Is the U.S.
ready to start flexing its muscle
at the Soviet Union in the name
of freedom and democracy?
7) And what of the
forgotten freedom fighters in
China? Is the U.S. ready to go
to bat for them? Are sanctions
against China forthcoming in the
name of democracy?
Now that the U.S. has
taken the position of "world
democratizer," freedom fighters
around the globe will expect
(rightfully so) U.S. assistance.
8) As for the home front,
what is going to be done about
the sagging economy? The U.S.
can no longer rely on the myth
that "a good war is good for the
economy.” In your address you
stated, "We should focus our
efforts on economic growth,"
and that is absolutely true. But
you continued, "...I’m submitting
a budget that holds the growth
in spending to less than the rate
of inflation." All that means is
the budget deficit will grow
slower. It will still grow and the
U.S. will still be spending
money it does not have. And
most economists agree that that
is the root of our economic
problems now.
9) What about the rapidly
disappearing Savings & Loan
scandals? We cannot forget that
the people who profited from
illegally from those shady deals
deserve a significant share of the
blame for this recession. A free-
enterprise system relies on the
confidence of the people more
than any other factor. Right
now, that confidence is all but
gone. What are you going to do
to make sure this kind of assault
on the people of this country
does not happen again? You
proposed a banking reform plan
"so that our banks remain safe
and can continue to make job-
creating loans for our factories,
businesses, and home-buyers.
Sound banks should be making
more sound loans now, and
interest rates should be lower
now." Surely your idea for
reform consists of more than
shouting commands at the banks.
Let’s hear it.
10) What about AIDS
research? More money is spent
each day that the U.S. is in
Saudi Arabia than is spent on
AIDS research in a year. Must
this disease devastate the general
population the way it has
devastated the homosexual
population (as it most surely
will) before it is given the
concern it deserves? If so, that
is a disgrace. Too many people
have died already.
11) What about the Civil
Rights Bill? Are the men and
women of minority ethnic
backgrounds expected to return
from a war (for freedom and
democracy, remember?) to a
country and president that
refuses to keep civil rights at the
top of their own agendas?
12) What about the
political reform? You said, "The
time has come to put the
national interest above the
special interest and to totally
eliminate political action
committees (PACS)." Pretty
gutsy call, Mr. President, maybe
the most gutsy you ever made.
Especially considering how
much you owe to the PACS. It
is a good idea, don’t forget
about it. We certainly won’t.
13) And last, but definitely
not least, what about education?
You referred to the Education
Summity attended by the nation’s
50 governors, and proposed
legislation to achieve excellence
in education. But that was all
you said. There is no issue more
important to the future of this
country than the education of
our youth. If you have a plan
that includes better teachers,
better salaries, and better
techniques, lets hear it. Maybe it
is time we took a lesson from
the Japanese. There is nothing
wrong with learning from other
people. That is what education is
all about.
"If we can selflessly
confront the evil for the sake of
good in a land so far away, then
surely we can make this land all
that it should be." Those are
your words Mr. President, and
we, as your employers, expect
you to live up to them. If tax
increases are needed, most
Americans are willing to foot
the bill. But real progress must
be accomplished. As you said,
"We stand at a defining hour."
And no one underestimates the
challenge that lies before you.
You have the opportunity to be
the catalyst for a new America,
a new world. But you must
remember that our government is
of the people, by the people,
and for the people.