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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (18832)	7/22/2001 2:25:17 PM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 82486

Well, as a person (the individual character issue), he claims/seems to be reformed, true. I think there's some mendacity about his previous record, but I could care less about that (I mean, puh-lease, show me a politician who hasn't covered up exploits with women or drugs, or produced a somewhat glossier CV than the facts would bear...). But his choices of advisors don't make him look exactly independent of certain special interests, and betray a very backwards-thinking mentality. They seem rather isolationist - which is unwise, in a world where global trading is so vital (especially for the US!); and also rather pre-emptory even of allies, still less 'strategic competitors', which at best is ignorant arrogance and at worse stores up and forbodes real trouble. And the tax plans are economically risky, at best - illiterate at worst; and show genuine stupidity in cutting tax before receiving either the surplus or the spending cuts... every politician and govt. finance expert must surely know, by now, that it's easy to cut taxes, hard to raise them - but with government spending, especially when (as in the US) it's relatively low, the opposite is true... Obviously I disagree with his stance on the environment, and also on certain social issues. But the latter aren't really my main concern (especially since I live in a different country!). Lastly, Bush and his advisors seem in favour of a very powerful, intrusive, and controlling state, with astonishing power to monitor and dictate your behaviour - unless you're rich (top 5%), in which case you get more freedom and less taxes; and/or run a large business (in a favoured state/sector), which may well have more leeway with less responsibility. Still, I suppose it is still early days...