La Voz

Issue date: 2/4/06 Section: Opinions

James Newburg

In the interest of public service, I have decided not to use this space for rhetorical bombthrowing.

This week, in honor of George W. Bush's State of the Union Address, I researched facts about some of his claims. I report, you decide.

Bush: "[W]e are continuing reconstruction efforts, and helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis can experience the benefits of freedom."

Fact: "The Bush administration does not intend to seek any new funds for Iraq reconstruction in the budget request going before Congress in February, of- ficials say. The decision signals the winding down of an $18.4 billion U.S. rebuilding effort in which roughly half of the money was eaten away by the insurgency, a buildup of Iraq's criminal justice system and the investigation and trial of Saddam Hussein." – Washington Post, Jan. 2

Bush: "In the last two-anda- half years, America has created 4.6 million new jobs."

Fact: Most economists claim that 125,000 to 140,000 jobs need to be created each month just to keep up with population growth. Bush's figure averages out to just above 150,000 new jobs per month.

Bush: "Breakthroughs on [alternative energy] and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025."

Fact: According to a Jan. 31 story published in Knight Ridder newspapers, "Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait together accounted for 2.1 million barrels per day [-] that the United States imported during the first 11 months of 2005." There is a simple way to achieve this goal: improving gas mileage on cars.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy claims that "[r]aising CAFE standards by 5 percent annually until 2012 [-] could save 1.5 million barrels of oil per day by 2010." At five percent, this is a yearly increase of about 1.5 miles per gallon.

Bush: "The Supreme Court now has two superb new members, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito. I thank the Senate for confirming both of them. And I will continue to nominate men and women who understand that judges must be servants of the law, and not legislate from the bench."

Fact: The New York Times published a study in their July 6, 2005 issue that conducted a survey to research judicial activism on the Supreme Court. The reporters researched the following question: How often has each justice voted to strike down a law passed by Congress? They found that conservative justices were more inclined to be judicial activists, with Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia voting to overturn Congress nearly twothirds of the time.

Bush: "I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected al-Qaida operatives and affiliates to and from America."

Fact: According to an NBC News report, "A UC-Santa Cruz 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' protest, which included a gay kiss-in, was labeled as a 'credible threat' of terrorism [by the Pentagon]."

James Schulte

Last Tuesday, the President of the United States stood before the world and delivered his fifth State of the Union Address. Though it was one of his weaker speeches, he did not waver on important issues such as foreign policy and the fight against terrorism. The most valuable issues he addressed were those that the press refuses to.

His speech had to remind us all that Iraq and Afghanistan have moved steadily and rapidly toward democracy.

Women and other minorities are now voting in both countries. Now, because of America's intervention, these oppressed countries will join over 100 others in the messy arena of democratic government, but only if we stay the course.

With the trial of Saddam Hussein, we are witnessing the birth of the rule of law and its first tests in Iraq. Because of the United States' intervention, many other nations in the Middle East have taken steps toward individual freedoms. A good example is the recent developments in Lebanon. Lebanon has thrown out their Syrian occupiers and is developing a self-governance. Clearly America is playing a pivotal role in the developments of democracy and free markets in this region for future generations.

In the future, America will have a neighbor and partner in a democratic and market-driven economy in a free Iraq. Hopefully, the success of Iraq will act as a shining example for other states in the region. As it said, every country that has a McDonald's has never attacked America.

But we in America must be wary that there are still radicals that would want to put a stop to all that we are doing in the region and here at home. What they don't understand is that the renewal of the Patriot Act will provide us with the tools to defend ourselves and apprehend and eliminate the enemies that want to attack us and stop the progress in the Middle East.

With the disruption of the terror networks, we not only defend our homeland, but also remove the threats to newly born democracies abroad. These terrorists are the same people who are trying to take away the freedoms that countries in the Middle East are beginning to foster.

This is why America must not fold in on itself. As Bush said in his speech, "the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting, yet it ends in danger and decline. The only way to protect our people, the only way to secure the peace, the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership." Before Sept. 11, 2001, the only democracy in the Middle East was Israel. Now, two democracies have emerged to join over 100 others in the rest of the world. I hope that America's imprint will survive and flourish in the Middle East, even in the harsh conditions of Iraq and Afghanistan.



This article appears in the Feb. 6, 2006 print edition of La Voz.

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