Charles Davis

Op/Ed: Why do so Many Americans Hate America?

No matter where one turns these days, it seems impossible to avoid negative news stories about President Bush and his mission to bring peace and freedom to the people of Iraq. All too often the liberal media, which has wanted our troops to fail from the start, has reported only the bad things happening while completely avoiding all of the positives. For instance, while 30 people may have burned to death in a Baghdad market as the result of an ongoing wave of sectarian violence, what about all the people that did not erupt in flames or watch a cherished loved one agonizingly die before their eyes – shouldn’t the media cover them as well? Furthermore, in their ongoing war against America and its values, liberals and others of dubious patriotism have even gone so far as to question our leader’s policies and conduct in a time of war – a clear act of treason. The president’s critics must realize that he is only doing what is best for America, and questions are best saved for the end of the conflict, which, as Vice-President Cheney has told us, should be in just a few short generations.

To further their anti-American agenda, many critics of the Bush administration have made extremely outlandish claims, such as claiming that the president lied the nation into launching a war on a country that posed no discernible threat. These critics point to statements made by people like former Bush Treasury secretary Paul O’Neill, who stated that the administration discussed plans for invading Iraq from the very first cabinet meeting in 2001, and said that "it was all about finding a way to [invade]. That was the tone of it. The president saying 'Go find me a way to do this.’” Others point to the Downing Street memos, wherein a British intelligence officer who met with the Bush administration back in July 2002 reported to his superiors that Bush was set on going to war but that “the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.” Of course, these partisan critics of the president inevitably act like misleading the public into war is a bad thing -- but is it? In reality, Bush is only ensuring that Americans have plenty of future adversaries and conflicts, meaning plenty of business for our nation’s patriotic defense contractors.

Ever since World War II, the United States’ economy has been dependent on what former president Dwight D. Eisenhower called “the military-industrial complex.” As the Department of Defense website states, “[w]e are America’s oldest, largest, busiest and most successful company,” employing millions of people while operating over 6,000 bases in the United States and 702 overseas bases in about 130 countries. For 2007, the defense budget is roughly $463 billion, not including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which account for an additional $120 billion. Overall, the United States’ defense budget accounts for just under half of world military spending. By courageously launching wars and provoking and planning future ones, Bush has allowed our economy to thrive. Since launching the war on Iraq in 2003, companies like Lockheed-Martin have seen profits rise by over 73%, and Halliburton CEO Dave Lesar declared “2005 was the best in our 86-year history” after seeing his company’s profits soar to $2.4 billion. Without endless war, the American economy would collapse, forcing defense contractors and their families to live on the streets begging for scraps of food. By ignoring international law and bravely declaring the right to preemptively invade any country in the world, Bush has shown his bold foresight and commitment to creating well-paying American jobs, while proving to swarthy foreigners that America means business.

Some critics might say that by heralding militarism and international belligerence Bush is neglecting other important fields, such as science and medicine; however, nothing could be further from the truth. By allocating $22 billion for the Energy Department to develop a new class of tactical, bunker-busting nuclear weapons, Bush is providing jobs for some of America’s brightest scientists. Not only that, but by launching a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, the president has ensured that hospitals, funeral homes, and coffin makers all receive ample business for the foreseeable future, all while allowing doctors to innovate in finding new and improved ways to remove shrapnel embedded in one’s skull. With all that said, too many Americans seem to have unfortunately bought into the lies of the mainstream media and liberal academia. According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, Bush’s approval rating sits at a dismal 33%, with the three most frequent words used to describe him including “incompetent” and “liar.” Like Jesus Christ before him, President Bush is being unjustly crucified by his detractors. With 2/3 of the public apparently not appreciative of all the work Bush has done perpetuating the success of our war economy, one is left with no other option but to ask: why do so many Americans hate America?