Martial And Fiscal Insanity

Material Breach: Against an Absurd War. Cheeky commentary at Popmatters.

For the first time in American history, the federal government is cutting taxes at the same time as it prepares to wage an expensive war. Not only is Bush doing something unprecedented in storming ahead with "preemptive warfare", but he's casting fiscal sanity to the winds at the same time. He prefers the idea of extending America's dubious hegemony in the Middle East to the ethos of making America a strong and principled nation. Popular protests in hundreds of cities throughout the world have been screaming constantly in Bush's ear that this war is a dangerous lunacy with grave consequences. And these aren't just gentle beer-bong peaceniks placing daisies in gun barrels: the protesters include blue-collar workers, investors, grandmothers, Gulf War veterans, farmers, priests, peasants, and politicians. President Bush is not eyeball-to-eyeball with Saddam Hussein. He is eyeball-to-eyeball with the rest of the world, and I fear that his administration's arrogance will reap some tragic and embarrassing results.