Analytical

Bill's Brain
"Damn the consequences, give me the pen!"
Lewis Morris, signing the Declaration of Independence

Creative

Welcome to Bushland!
Welcome to a land where the government operates in the "post-truth" era. A land where lies are presented daily as truth, where the government routinely violates federal law and international law, where "doing the people's business" means being a puppet for big-money campaign contributors, where "news" is government-produced propaganda, where "fiscal responsibility" means record deficits, where "compassion" means eliminating assistance for millions of poor people, where a "culture of life" means millions die, where "clear skies" means more polluted skies, where "healthy forests" means clearcutting the trees, where "energy policy" means maximizing energy companies' profits, where "spreading freedom" means dominating the world and controlling oil, where "upholding the Constitution" means repeatedly violating it, where "fairness" means you get screwed, where torture and "moral values" go hand-in-hand, and where an "ownership society" means you're on your own. Enjoy your stay, and remember, just because you and your children are footing the bill to make the rich even richer and bring freedom to other countries doesn't mean you get to have any more wealth or freedom for yourself.

Anyone who has been paying attention (and I mean really paying attention, not just watching Faux News) knows that George W. Bush and the self-described neoconservatives he brought with him are the worst thing to happen to America, and perhaps the world, in a long, long time. When he ran for president in 2000 I said he was a good candidate to lead America into the 20th century, and that statement has proven to be true. (Some of you may need to think about that for longer than others.) Unfortunately, the "dumbing down of America" has reached all the way to the oval office and we, our children, and our grandchildren will pay the price. The rule of George W. Bush marks a sad point in the history of America, it shows that we have reached the point where the majority of Americans are so ill-informed that they are dangerously susceptible to manipulation by unscrupulous politicians and special interest groups. A democracy cannot survive without a well-informed electorate, and Bush's cohorts (especially Karl Rove) have mastered the devious art of deceiving the public for their own gain. They count on the American public's ignorance, apathy, and short attention span, and use powerful emotions such as fear to manipulate public opinion.

The truly sad part is, it has worked. The election of 2004 showed that the majority of Americans can be deceived and manipulated into acting against their own best self-interest, and against the best interests of America. The question is, can this trend be reversed, or is American politics doomed to forever exist in this pathetic state? In the end will treachery and deceit continue to rule, or is there hope for honesty and truth? For as long as there are people like Karl Rove in charge, and a party that will stop at nothing, even rigging election results, in order to retain and amass more power, I don't have much hope for honesty and truth. I hope I'm wrong.