Lots of talk about the importance of educating American children, but not at the expense of the U.S. War Machine.Whoop-dee-do.
No sense in debating whether or not it was a good speech. All of Obama's speeches are good. He's a great speaker and has the ability to make a shit sandwich sound like a filet mignon. But when you look what's inside the bun... eewwww!
The question is what is behind the pretty language and the $954,000,000,000 smile (the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001). Despite a long speech with lots and lots of self-serving applause and back slapping, Congress, the *Supreme Court and the cabinet sat compliantly as Obama proved that he can talk tough like Bush and wag his finger at other countries.
What caught my ear most was when BHO said, "We need to invest in the skills and education of our people... In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education. (Applause) And in this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential."
Ok, yes- education is the key to success in the 21st century... No, we'll never play second fiddle to China or Europe... Yes, investing in education is investing in our future, blah, blah, blah.
It all sounds nice, but Obama failed to remind his audience that he comes from Hawaii, the state with the fewest classroom days in the entire nation and one of the lowest academic achievement levels. He neglected to remind his listeners that in his own home state, the governor, the Department of Education and the Board of Education are literally furloughing all public school students. As of last Friday, Hawaii public school kids have had eight days of classroom instruction cut (with nine more to come before this school year ends) all because in Hawaii public education is not a top priority.
He forgot to mention while the nation under his rule has trillions of dollars to export war and death, our nation, and his own home state can't even keep its children in school because the states are broke and the federal government chooses to spend its money on war.
And while he says he "hated" bailing out the banks (applause), there has been no bail out for education programs in Hawaii or anywhere else -- just lofty rhetoric about "investing in education" and "the future of our children."
As Rep. Dennis Kucinich said not so long ago: "Why is it we have finite resources for health care, but unlimited money for war? ...Trillions for war, for Wall Street. Billions for insurance companies. When we were promised change, we weren't thinking it meant we give a dollar and get back two cents.... A Democratic version of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is no more acceptable than a Republican version of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."
If unfathomable amounts of spending for war continues while we can't even keep our own schools and libraries open represents the kind of change we're being offered, I'll pass thanks.
By chance, renowned historian, activist and thinker Howard Zinn died less than 24 hours ago in California. In what may have been his final published column of his long and productive life, he wrote:
"I think people are dazzled by Obama's rhetoric, and that people ought to begin to understand that Obama is going to be a mediocre president -- which means, in our time, a dangerous president -- unless there is some national movement to push him in a better direction."
If we, the American electorate, are going to continue to sit docile and silent while we are fed an endless stream of lies about how valued our health and well-being are, even as our government neglects our own basic needs in favor of manufacturing and exporting more war, than it is we who should be wearing the dunce caps.
*Brought to you by GE, DuPont, Bechtel, Time Warner, Bank of America...
