Describing Bush Fairly

A woman I know (who describes politics-- meaning government-- as "boring") has to write a paper for her civics class on the most recent State of the Union message. She knows I follow such things. She asked if I wouldn't mind digging up for her a list of the proposals set out in that bold and historic address. Being good natured, I tried to find a drab set of bullet points for her, to pass it along without comment. I could not find a clean, concise list but I found this...

White House Press Release

The President's plan includes:

1. Growing Our Economy and Renewing Great Institutions.
   
   
2. Saving Social Security for America 's Future Generations.
   
   
3. Protecting America 's Families and Promoting Compassion Across the Nation.
   
   
4. Making America Safer with Decisive Action to Win the War on Terror and Spread Freedom.
   
   
5. Growing Our Economy and Renewing Great Institutions.
   
   

That's not a typo on my part, they repeat one. I couldn't help it, after reading that I put my own list together for her:

This President will continue to:

1. Reaffirm the economics of scarcity and establish a permanent ruling class.
   
   
2. Dismantle Social Security, the fair-share tax system and other incentives which help low-income people to take risks and survive hardship.
   
   
3. Undermine our children, erode families, and raise the abortion rate to an all-time high through fiscal irresponsibility, denial of access to healthcare, religious intolerance and substandard public education.
   
   
4. Conflate a spectral war on terror with a military fireworks show in order to force the population to accept an extremist agenda.
   
   
5. Obliterate the constitutional balance of powers.
   
   

Etcetera, yawn-- I'm not really a kind persuader. I'm a bad politician. If people don't pay attention to their government they get what they deserve, I usually say. But I'm personably sensible and I'd prefer to give her facts if there are any. She just recently helped me move some furniture in her truck. I went back and checked through the speech again for some concrete points not belabored by ideology:

The President hopes to:

1. Cut the budget deficit in half by 2009.
   
   
2. Make permanent all tax legislation enacted over the past four years.
   
   
3. Expand NCLB to high schools.
   
   
4. Enact changes in the way the legal system handles class action lawsuits.
   
   
5. Begin substituting personal retirement accounts for the current Social Security system.
   
   
6. Continue to insist that political, social, and economic changes occur in the Middle East.
   
   

Pulling that out was hard work and I even gave her six items. It seems pretty dry and square, I could give her that. But is it fair? I could say: "I looked all over and I couldn't find anything." She should search it out for herself. Her husband is in the army, for crying out loud. Please take the poll and tell me which version I should give to her.

•  Tell her she should do her own work

  It won't kill her to google for a few min.

  by HiD on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 02:24:20 AM PDT

  •  she claims

    she googled, watched the speech, couldn't parse the concrete proposals. Maybe I could recommend to her some links and leave it at that.

    by hhex65 on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 03:22:19 AM PDT

    •  good call

      if she can't do the work, she doesn't earn the grade.  Something extra sleazy about having someone else do your civics homework.  

      by HiD on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 04:07:22 AM PDT

  •  Or

    Point her to the actual text of the speech here, then tell her to translate key passages into gangsat here.

    "Mr . Freak y'all, into the beat y'all. Playa Vice President Cheney, crazy ass nigga of Congress, distinguished guests, n fellow citizens n shit: America this ho-slappin' is a nation called ta bootylicious responsibilizzles gangsta style. And we is ris'n ta mizzy thizzem n shit."

    by RubDMC on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 03:22:22 AM PDT

•  Start with WH nonsense,

  then show punch card rendering and promise to show one more list tomorrow. The rest is up to herself.

  by ray z on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 02:38:33 AM PDT

•  the thing is....

  she should watch the sou address herself.  it is impossible for her to get an objective view of what bush said by getting her info from a third party.  its something we should have well learned by now...  biased is inherent in third party information.

  i would tell this girl to do her own research.  i am sure she could watch it online or get a transcript.  watching it might be her best bet.  i'd say the wh one, or maybe just a list of what he discusses...

  social security
  budget defecit
  etc.  

  by ejpoeta on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 03:21:55 AM PDT

•  Make her do it

  I know you are trying to be a good friend, but maybe in the course of finding it for herself she will see something to help her form her own opinions...

  by Burton Halli on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 04:01:35 AM PDT

  •  i like

    all of the suggestions. Her request really pulled me up short. She avoids even thinking about what goes on in government. There's a lot of things I'd like to tell her. What if I could show her some information that could shake her up? And she has two kids, husband in the army. Maybe it would just bum her out.

    It's almost like a dream opportunity but I keep thinking: "f*ck it," she should learn about it on her own. That's what would be the right thing to do, that's what school is for. Or the gangta translation is good...

    by hhex65 on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 04:19:54 AM PDT

    •  The fact

      That you've given it so much thought tells me that you are a good friend, but if it were me I would make sure I explain to her that it's literally impossible to find a truly objective description of something like that. If she takes it from the WH website, it's only going to say what the president wants it to say, if she accepts your list, it will say what you want it to say... If she is ok with that, then make a "real" list that reflects your opinions. She couldn't say you didn't warn her...

      The fact that she has a husband in the military and doesn't care about this is the most troubling part to me, but then I guess it's not really your place to tell her that...

      by Burton Halli on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 04:35:17 AM PDT

•  I guess

  I'll say she should get it together herself, maybe mention some of the bullet points I dredged up as possible search topics.

  It was hard for me to look at the speech again. If she talks about politics anymore with me all bets are off.

  by hhex65 on Fri Apr 15, 2005 at 04:55:26 AM PDT