One of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, once asked:
“What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and
tried, against the new and untried?”
Apparently President Bush never heard that definition. Bush and
his band of neoconservatives have embarked on such a disastrous and
unprecedented undertaking in Iraq that it appears their brand of
conservatism would best be labeled activist and outrageous. Iraq is
in disarray and becoming a more expensive liability every day.
Furthermore, new funding requests for Iraq ““ made while
domestic programs suffer ““ reflect dangerously misplaced
policies.
Bush’s lack of fiscal sense is shocking. Bush recently
requested $87 billion in additional funding for Iraq, but it
appears that will not be enough. Actually, it appears that Bush has
almost no understanding of the costs of the Iraq operation, in
either a monetary or military sense. And at home, economic
conditions have yet to improve significantly.
Before going to war in Iraq, Congress gave Bush considerable
authority, but was assured by him that most American troops would
be withdrawn rapidly and that the expenses of the conflict would be
kept down. That has not happened.
Bush needs an additional undisclosed sum on top of the
approximately $70 billion already spent in Iraq. (This figure does
not include the $87 billion request). And if this amount does not
ensure smooth reconstruction, Bush will likely ask for more money.
If Bush were a corporate executive, he would already have been
fired for gross financial mismanagement. Unfortunately,
Bush’s models of financial prudence seem to be Kenneth Lay
and Jeffrey Skilling, his illustrious friends at Enron.
Militarily, the situation is not much better. According to
recent reports in The Los Angeles Times, U.S. troops are being
ordered to stay overseas for extended periods of time, and troop
rotations are not occurring as often as necessary. Thus, units are
getting worn out and the general readiness level of the U.S.
military.
Worst of all, this intense focus and energy directed toward Iraq
is starting to take a real toll on domestic life. We can look
around our own state, and our own lives, and see many examples of
this cost.
Student fees have already increased by 30 percent within the UC
system, with more increases possible in the future if funding
remains in such a precarious state. This will likely force many
students to work extra hours in order to finance their educations,
and it will impose further burdens on low-income families for whom
education is the best means of upward mobility.
Furthermore, since services have already been cut so
drastically, the fee increases will not entail a higher, or even
similar level of services. UCLA students thus find their education
is a low priority to their leaders, and is in as dismal a state as
it has ever been. Elementary education is also being subjected to
cuts, which harms the chances that future generations will have the
skills to succeed in academic environments such as UCLA.
Likewise, Los Angeles County hospitals have already taken
substantial cuts, limiting their ability to serve many poor
communities, and gang prevention and education outreach programs
are in an extremely shaky position. The Los Angeles Police
Department is still operating under the full capacity of officers,
and the murder rate is higher than it was just 4 years ago.
These social problems are not limited to California, but they
could be fixed if the current misplaced priorities were altered.
The money being spent in Iraq, if directed as block grants to
states, would help keep hospitals and schools open and continue
outreach and gang prevention.
We are what 2001-2002 USAC President Karren Lane called
“the future generation of global leaders,” and the
burden to change our lives and make the world better for future
generations and ourselves falls squarely upon our shoulders. This
obligation cannot be dismissed or taken lightly, for history shows
us that actions taken today will determine our futures.
With this in mind, I would urge all UCLA students to use this
coming school year to organize against the misplaced priorities of
our education and state services, and also against the current
administration’s reckless policies that are harming so many.
Otherwise, this campus will surely become a less desirable place to
be, and in the near future, you might find me driving down
Exposition Boulevard or Vermont Avenue instead of Westwood
Boulevard and Strathmore Drive.
Unlike many fellow progressives, I do believe there are
certainly “just wars” which fully deserve our support.
However, wars cannot be started for flimsy and nonexistent reasons,
or without fully considering the implications of such actions.
President Bush’s philosophy resembles the teenage mentality
““ he’s gotten himself into a tricky situation and is
looking for everyone else to bail him out. But we cannot afford to
bail him out. I understand if you never really grew up, President
Bush. It’s abundantly clear. But please, don’t pursue
this as a political “strategery” because at the end of
the day, I and every other American suffer at home for your actions
abroad.
Bhaskar is a third-year political science student. E-mail
him at sbhaskar@media.ucla.edu.