*Mark Leno represents San Francisco in the state assembly. This oped appeared in the Dec. 21-27 issue of the San Francisco Bay Guardian .
The
horror, lies, corruption, deceit, death, and destruction of the
Bush-Cheney administration have all evolved to a scale beyond any of
our worst nightmares. Our once-great nation has been reduced to a
preemptive war machine, squandering our limited national resources on
its imperial conquests while our domestic needs are left unattended.
This administration, aided by the one-party rule in Washington,
DC, has traded governing for propaganda, allowed a treasured major city
to decay in its own ruins, allowed the Department of Homeland Security
to feed the voracious, petty appetites of lawmakers, replaced science
with superstition, transformed torture into policy, enriched the most
privileged by indebting future generations, and ignored the urgency of
global warming ( while doing everything in its power to supplant our
democracy with a theocracy.
While referencing every national concern back to 9/11, the
Bush-Cheney administration has underfunded domestic port security by $1
billion and the need of our first responders by $98 billion. While
declaring education among his top priorities, President George W. Bush
has shortchanged the No Child Left Behind Act by $9 billion. In the
midst of a national health care crisis, five million Americans have
lost their health insurance since Bush took office. Food stamps to
prevent malnutrition, student loans providing access to higher
education, and indigent medical care are all at risk to allow for
further tax cuts to the nation’s wealthiest. Women’s reproductive
rights and health issues have been reduced to a political football.
Under Bush’s leadership, corruption has become the newest fashion in
Washington. The likes of Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Bill Frist, Scooter
Libby, Randy (Duke) Cunningham, and Karl Rove have set new standards of
deceit, greed, and intolerance.
And then there is the war in Iraq. After hundreds of billions
of dollars have been carelessly and shamelessly spent on sole-source
contracts to Halliburton and other presidential cronies, Iraq’s
infrastructure is in near shambles. International terrorists have found
a new and welcoming home, while our own national security is arguably
at greater risk than before September 2001.
Though the darkness has seldom appeared so absolute, the
disenchantment of millions of Americans is beginning to find
articulation. The World Can’t Wait, a national movement to drive out
the Bush regime, is exhibiting extraordinary leadership in harnessing
and directing the myriad oppositional voices within our land. Having
successfully executed numerous street demonstrations across the country
Nov. 2 and with a full page New York Times ad last week, the World Can’t Wait is in need of your immediate attention and support to continue its efforts.
In this dire situation, politics as usual will not do. Each of
us has the responsibility, if not the obligation, to participate in
this collective effort. We will spend many years repairing the damage
Bush has already done to our economy, the environment, the health of
our urban centers, and to our international reputation. The question we
all need to ask is, at what cost do we suffer three more years of this
abusive administration? Don’t we all agree that the world can’t wait
three more years?
If everyone reading this piece were to visit
www.worldcantwait.org and to take the next step, we would make a
significant impact. Whether you are able to make a contribution of any
size, volunteer your time in organizing a response in your community to
Bush’s State of the Union address in January, or share this information
with everyone in your e-mail universe, I urge you to get involved. The
reigning powers are counting on our being too disgusted, discouraged,
and disheartened to challenge them in any creative fashion. They
believe they can continue their assaults unimpeded.
A recent Ipsos Public Affairs poll indicates that by a margin
of 50 percent to 44 percent, Americans believe Congress should consider
impeaching President George W. Bush if he did not tell the truth about
his reasons for going to war. Let’s hold Bush accountable. Engage
today. The world can’t wait!