What! A Liberal Opinion Piece In The Amarillo Fishwrap?!?!

Dave Henry in the first paragraph of this Op-Ed piece is an editorial writer for the daily fishwrap. He writes — predictably — right wing stuff and stays away from polysyllabic words. Most of his readers move their lips while they read. It's a good thing that young Restine lives in Boston. Of course, there will be dismissive letters to the editor because an outsider's opinion was printed. If this be treason, make the most of it! Bring 'em on!

Guest Column: 'Businessman' Bush has got to go in 2004

By Kurt Restine

Opinion

BOSTON- I would like to address the incorrect idea, repeated recently again by Globe-News columnist Dave Henry, that it is great that government is run as a business under President George W. Bush.

Government exists, according to the Preamble of our Constitution, "To establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

What business does that?

Why do corporations exist? To make money. They are not alive, so they have no conscience.

With no conscience, there is no sense of morality. Corporations rely on us to give them a conscience.

Since corporations are not living beings, why do Republicans insist on giving them constitutional protections granted to "We the People"? (An argument I constantly hear is that a radio corporation can hassle the Dixie Chicks because it is just exercising its right to free speech. What?)

Government, ideally, is our way to bring companies to heel for killing our kids with bad products or emptying our bank accounts with lies of profitability. With proper limitations, government looks at our markets, provides our defense and protects our health. Its current setup is the result of overcoming slavery, child labor, no minimum wage, no health care, multiple depressions, no help for the sick and needy, and other nifty stuff we get from a completely deregulated world.

Why is it bad to run government as a business? Because we now find that BushCo, Inc. has been keeping two sets of books on America.

n Why we went to war in Iraq: Mushroom clouds or liberation?

n How many of our soldiers are dying: Combat vs. Non-combat? There is no such distinction for the families of those slain.

n How much debt we are borrowing from the next generation: $390 billion or half a TRILLION this year alone?

n Who exactly was responsible for attacking us on 9/11: Al-Quaida or Iraq. None of the hijackers were Iraqi. Saddam and bin Laden were enemies.

n How many civilian women and children we are killing in Iraq? BushCo said it would not release this info anymore.

Who else kept two sets of books? Enron, Worldcom and Arthur Anderson. Do we want America run like them? Bush ran his own company into the ground and used insider trading to make $800 grand. This is the guy overseeing our economy?

I want America to still be around centuries from now, and I know many good Republicans out there do as well.

Ask yourself: If it was Clinton, or any other Democrat, who put us in this mess economically and committed us to war through lies and deception, wouldn't you be the first at the gates demanding accountability?

Bush has to go in 2004. He is a liability to the very idea of America.

Kurt Restine of Boston is a former resident of Amarillo.

© 2003 Amarillo Globe-News