In his attempt to puff up his bad poll numbers and give his beleaguered party a boost for this fall’s congressional elections, George W. Bush keeps wrapping himself in the bloody flag of 9/11 and posing as America’s valiant defender. For example, he scooted over to the National Counterterrorism Center last month for a PR tour and photo op, declaring solemnly to the cameras: “We’re doing everything in our power to protect you.”
If only.
Although the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld axis of incompetence and insecurity has dumped nearly a third of a trillion of our tax dollars and more than 2,600 American lives into their diversionary war and disastrous occupation of Iraq, they have deliberately left Americans exposed to more attacks by failing to take some of the most basic security steps.
Port security, for example, is so sloppy that only a small percentage of shipping containers coming onto our shores are screened. They’re checking every single American for shampoo at airports, but thousands of containers are merrily waved through each day without inspection — all because the Wal-Marts of the country don’t want the stuff they bring here from China to be delayed.
Speaking of shampoo seizures, the technology to detect and protect us from liquid explosives has long existed. Yet Bush & Co. failed even to test detection technology that Japan gave to our government early this year. They also tried to divert $6 million that was budgeted for development of such technology — instead using it to provide more security for federal officials.
Bush’s perverse preoccupation with Iraq has sapped money and focus from real protection here at home, leaving us vulnerable to real terrorist threats.
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, columnist, and author.
This article appears in Sep 7-13, 2006.
