Loyalty

Since the first day of Bush's first term, Americans have suffered and paid the price for loyalty.

From "The Price of Loyalty" by Ron Suskind:

In the days and months that followed, O'Neill and I talked often about the war, about what creates conviction, and about the nature of loyalty. He said, "Loyalty and inquiry are inseparable to me," and that may be where he and the President most fundamentally diverged. Bush demands a standard of loyalty--loyalty to an individual, no matter what--that O'Neill could never swallow.

Continuing with a quote from Former Secretary of Treasurer Paul O'Neill:

"That's a false kind of loyalty, loyalty to a person and whatever they say or do, that's the opposite of real loyalty, which is loyalty based on inquiry, and telling someone what you really think and feel--your best estimation of the truth instead of what they want to hear."

Everyone should fear the possible effects that the current Bush administration has had and could have. Our environment is constantly neglected. The wealthy are raised to higher status while the middle and lower class are often asked to fill in for the wealthy. Issues that have been given attention have been given the wrong attention. For instance, education and taxes were looked at and measures were enacted that hurt America. The NCLB Act is not good for education. The Bush tax cuts only made it difficult for our country to control its deficits plus it hurt Bush's chances of being able to reform Social Security the way he wants. With the war, the Iraq threat did not exist and facts were construed and situations were exploited to support a war. All of this happened because the people talking (like Paul O'Neill, Christine Whitman, Colin Powell) that were important were ignored while other people who were parroting what Cheney, Rove, or Rumsfeld wanted were listened to. Since Bush makes up his mind quickly and sticks with it regardless of facts, there was limited time to make points on issues and often Cheney, Rove, or Rumsfeld got to Bush first. Only one side of the story was listened to: The side that was not providing cons to the situation.

I am afraid for the future of Americans right now because the reform of Social Security lies in the hands of the Bush administration right now. While I agree that it needs reform and that private accounts could benefit Americans more than the current program, I do not believe that the Bush administration can or will do what is necessary correctly. Better, with the way loyalty works in the administration, I wonder if someone will have the balls to speak up when it is time to do so. This voice can't come from Congress or anywhere else. It has to come from within the administration itself. Right now, I do not think anyone in the administration, given the chance to do the right thing, would speak up because of what not being loyal to Bush could do to them.