Tuesday, June 27, 2006
"Incompetence" is the wrong frame
In an article entitled, "Bush is not incompetent," George Lakoff and colleagues list ten major Bush Administration conservative-agenda successes, including:
Lakoff et al point out
[Link]
* Centralizing power within the executive branch to an unprecedented degree
* Starting two major wars, one started with questionable intelligence and in a manner with which the military disagreed
* Placing on the Supreme Court two far-right justices, and stacking the lower federal courts with many more
* Cutting taxes during wartime, an unprecedented event
* Passing a number of controversial bills such as the PATRIOT Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Medicare Drug bill, the Bankruptcy bill and a number of massive tax cuts
* Rolling back and refusing to enforce a host of basic regulatory protections
* Appointing industry officials to oversee regulatory agencies
* Establishing a greater role for religion through faith-based initiatives
* Passing Orwellian-titled legislation assaulting the environment - "The Healthy Forests Act" and the "Clear Skies Initiative" - to deforest public lands, and put more pollution in our skies
* Winning re-election and solidifying his party's grip on Congress
Lakoff et al point out
Incompetence obscures the real issue . . . The issue that arises every day is which philosophy of governing should shape our country.
[Link]
Technorati Tags: Bushco, Politics, Framing
Comments:
Post a Comment
