George W Bush and the state of the Union

[Spaz59]

Today the President gives his annual address. As the election battle begins, how does his first term add up?
20 January 2004


232: Number of American combat deaths in Iraq between May 2003 and January 2004

501: Number of American servicemen to die in Iraq from the beginning of the war - so far

0: Number of American combat deaths in Germany after the Nazi surrender to the Allies in May 1945

0: Number of coffins of dead soldiers returning home from Iraq that the Bush administration has allowed to be photographed

0: Number of funerals or memorials that President Bush has attended for soldiers killed in Iraq

100: Number of fund-raisers attended by Bush or Vice-President Dick Cheney in 2003

13: Number of meetings between Bush and Tony Blair since he became President

10 million: Estimated number of people worldwide who took to the streets in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, setting an all-time record for simultaneous protest

2: Number of nations that Bush has attacked and taken over since coming into the White House

9.2: Average number of American soldiers wounded in Iraq each day since the invasion in March last year

1.6: Average number of American soldiers killed in Iraq per day since hostilities began

16,000: Approximate number of Iraqis killed since the start of war

10,000: Approximate number of Iraqi civilians killed since the beginning of the conflict

$100 billion: Estimated cost of the war in Iraq to American citizens by the end of 2003

$13 billion: Amount other countries have committed towards rebuilding Iraq (much of it in loans) as of 24 October

36%: Increase in the number of desertions from the US army since 1999

92%: Percentage of Iraq's urban areas that had access to drinkable water a year ago

60%: Percentage of Iraq's urban areas that have access to drinkable water today

32%: Percentage of the bombs dropped on Iraq this year that were not precision-guided

1983: The year in which Donald Rumsfeld gave Saddam Hussein a pair of golden spurs

45%: Percentage of Americans who believed in early March 2003 that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 11 September attacks on the US

$127 billion: Amount of US budget surplus in the year that Bush became President in 2001

$374 billion: Amount of US budget deficit in the fiscal year for 2003

1st: This year's deficit is on course to be the biggest in United States history

$1.58 billion: Average amount by which the US national debt increases each day

$23,920: Amount of each US citizen's share of the national debt as of 19 January 2004

1st: The record for the most bankruptcies filed in a single year (1.57 million) was set in 2002

10: Number of solo press conferences that Bush has held since beginning his term. His father had managed 61 at this point in his administration, and Bill Clinton 33

1st: Rank of the US worldwide in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per capita

$113 million: Total sum raised by the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, setting a record in American electoral history

$130 million: Amount raised for Bush's re-election campaign so far

$200m: Amount that the Bush-Cheney campaign is expected to raise in 2004

$40m: Amount that Howard Dean, the top fund-raiser among the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls, amassed in 2003

28: Number of days holiday that Bush took last August, the second longest holiday of any president in US history (Recordholder: Richard Nixon)

13: Number of vacation days the average American worker receives each year

3: Number of children convicted of capital offences executed in the US in 2002. America is only country openly to acknowledge executing children

1st: As Governor of Texas, George Bush executed more prisoners (152) than any governor in modern US history

2.4 million: Number of Americans who have lost their jobs during the three years of the Bush administration

221,000: Number of jobs per month created since Bush's tax cuts took effect. He promised the measure would add 306,000

1,000: Number of new jobs created in the entire country in December. Analysts had expected a gain of 130,000

1st: This administration is on its way to becoming the first since 1929 (Herbert Hoover) to preside over an overall loss of jobs during its complete term in office

9 million: Number of US workers unemployed in September 2003

80%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce now unemployed

55%: Percentage of the Iraqi workforce unemployed before the war

43.6 million: Number of Americans without health insurance in 2002

130: Number of countries (out of total of 191 recognised by the United Nations) with an American military presence

40%: Percentage of the world's military spending for which the US is responsible

$10.9 million: Average wealth of the members of Bush's original 16-person cabinet

88%: Percentage of American citizens who will save less than $100 on their 2006 federal taxes as a result of 2003 cut in capital gains and dividends taxes

$42,000: Average savings members of Bush's cabinet are expected to enjoy this year as a result in the cuts in capital gains and dividends taxes

$42,228: Median household income in the US in 2001

$116,000: Amount Vice-President Cheney is expected to save each year in taxes

44%: Percentage of Americans who believe the President's economic growth plan will mostly benefit the wealthy

700: Number of people from around the world the US has incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1st: George W Bush became the first American president to ignore the Geneva Conventions by refusing to allow inspectors access to US-held prisoners of war

+6%: Percentage change since 2001 in the number of US families in poverty

1951: Last year in which a quarterly rise in US military spending was greater than the one the previous spring

54%: Percentage of US citizens who believe Bush was legitimately elected to his post

1st: First president to execute a federal prisoner in the past 40 years. Executions are typically ordered by separate states and not at federal level

9: Number of members of Bush's defence policy board who also sit on the corporate board of, or advise, at least one defence contractor

35: Number of countries to which US has suspended military assistance after they failed to sign agreements giving Americans immunity from prosecution before the International Criminal Court

$300 million: Amount cut from the federal programme that provides subsidies to poor families so they can heat their homes

$1 billion: Amount of new US military aid promised Israel in April 2003 to offset the "burdens" of the US war on Iraq

58 million: Number of acres of public lands Bush has opened to road building, logging and drilling

200: Number of public-health and environmental laws Bush has attempted to downgrade or weaken

29,000: Number of American troops - which is close to the total of a whole army division - to have either been killed, wounded, injured or become so ill as to require evacuation from Iraq, according to the Pentagon

90%: Percentage of American citizens who said they approved of the way George Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 26 September, 2001

53%: Percentage of American citizens who approved of the way Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 16 January, 2004

-----------------------------------------------

Isn't that nice.

[shotglass]

If you want an anti-American page, why don't you just start one in the Fight Club?

[Spaz59]

Originally posted by shotglass
If you want an anti-American page, why don't you just start one in the Fight Club?

It's your country, or don't you give a damn?

[shotglass]

It's not my country, it's OUR country. And yes, we give a damn. That's why we're making the MFers pay that wiped out 3000 innocent men, women, and children. Maybe you would have just turned that other cheek, but we here in the USA don't play that shit. Well, we did under Clinton, but that's another story. Just in case you don't remember, here's a little reminder for you:

http://www.thenausea.com/elements/WTC/freefalling_w.wmv

For some reason, it won't play if you click it, but if you right click and save the target, you can play it from your hard drive.

That's the video of poeple jumping from 1000 feet to avoid burning to death. Watch that video, and tell me that your country wouldn't get pissed off about something like that.

[Spaz59]

So this gives your president the right to lie to you, give tax breaks to rich, execute children, oversee 2.4 million Americans losing there jobs, take twice the amount of Holidays the average American does, weaken enviromental and public health measures?

Sorry, but I don't see the connection.

[shotglass]

Would you mind giving me a few more specifics on the executing children part? We'll start there, and if you don't make too big an ass of yourself, we'll go on to other points.

[Spaz59]

Originally posted by shotglass
Would you mind giving me a few more specifics on the executing children part? We'll start there, and if you don't make too big an ass of yourself, we'll go on to other points.

3: Number of children convicted of capital offences executed in the US in 2002. America is only country openly to acknowledge executing children.

Which part of this don't you understand?

[shotglass]

Name the children, and the crimes they committed to earn their sentence. Then show in what years they were tried and convicted.

[Spaz59]

Napoleon Beazely 5-28-2002 Texas. 17 at time of crime
T.J. Jones 8-8-2002 Texas.17 at time of crime
Toronto Patterson 8-28-2002 Texas 17. at time of crime

[shotglass]

I read up on these three, and your case is weak. Beazley and Jones murdered people for their cars. Patterson killed his own family for some nice car wheels. Real princes you've chosen here.

[Barb101]

Originally posted by Spaz59
Napoleon Beazely 5-28-2002 Texas. 17 at time of crime
T.J. Jones 8-8-2002 Texas.17 at time of crime
Toronto Patterson 8-28-2002 Texas 17. at time of crime

17 is hardly a child & how old were they when they were actually executed?

[RicardoHead]

I see MoveOn.org has sent out its propaganda slaves to bombard people with their onesided negative take on the world.

[shotglass]

I guess Spaz finally got his allowance and went outside to play. Where you at, Spaz?

[Spaz59]

Originally posted by Barb101
17 is hardly a child & how old were they when they were actually executed?

Can they vote? No.

They're Kids then.

[shotglass]

A 17 year old knows the difference between right and wrong. He may not be able to vote, but apparently these 3 were old enough to get their hands on some guns and kill innocent people for property that if they had just done some legit work, they could have bought for themselves.

These 3 won't be killing anymore innocent people, and that is not a bad thing.

[Kim Possible]

Spaz, it doesn't matter what our government officials do - we tick off some group of people whether we have a republican or democrat in the White House. Our leaders are damned if they do and damned if they don't. We have enough problems (especially in an election year) with our own citizens being divided by personal opinions that I don't necessarily appreciate a foreigner offering their 2 cents.

I didn't agree with Clinton, didn't vote for him - but while he was our President I respected his position and power. I agree with Bush, I voted for him and I respect his position and power as well. I don't mind a good debate about policy, ideas and politics but I just hate plain old nasty bashing.

Basically - if you can't DO anything about the problem - then don't BITCH about things.

[JBMoney]

Libs are so blatantly duplicitous!!

If Bush were a Democrat --- with his UNQUALIFIED foreign policy successes, his willingness to spend money like a rich sailor on leave in Thailand, his reluctance to veto a single Congressional spending bill, his expansion of 'Great Society' type programs, his increasing the ability of the feds to monitor private lives --- EVERYBODY would be saying he's the greatest American president since FRANKLIN FUCKING DELANO ROOSEVELT!!!

Even the Republicans would, because they expect a Dem to spend themselves silly, but they don't expect them to stand up for America.

I don't see any sources listed. Where did you get this pile of crap? I'll assume I can take the same liberties.

Originally posted by Spaz59
232: Number of American combat deaths in Iraq between May 2003 and January 2004

501: Number of American servicemen to die in Iraq from the beginning of the war - so far

0: Number of American combat deaths in Germany after the Nazi surrender to the Allies in May 1945


Talk about comparing Apples and Oranges? Let's assume you are right.. *rolls eyes* The will of Germany and the Germans was sapped dry and they had no neigboring Allies to back them up, or that had any stake making the Allies look bad.

Do you think Americans in Iraq are predominantly getting killed by Iraqi's? Hell no... they are threatened by muslim fanatics being recruited and imprted from all over the middle east. Their goal is to make America look bad, not to help Iraq. They could care less about Iraq.

If you want to make some weak attempt to compare allied action in Iraq and WW2, let's fucking do it right:

452,000: Number of British Empire and Commonwealth combat casualties during WW2.

295,000: Number of US combat casualties during WW2.

501: Number of American servicemen to die in Iraq from the beginning of the war - so far.

Originally posted by Spaz59
100: Number of fund-raisers attended by Bush or Vice-President Dick Cheney in 2003

$113 million: Total sum raised by the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, setting a record in American electoral history

$130 million: Amount raised for Bush's re-election campaign so far

$200m: Amount that the Bush-Cheney campaign is expected to raise in 2004

$40m: Amount that Howard Dean, the top fund-raiser among the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls, amassed in 2003


Libs got their McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform, thanks to Dem votes, so it's all good. STFU!

BTW, $40m for a primary candidate, one of nine (now eight), is nothing to sneeze at. That's one-third of what Bush has raised in four years AS THE SITTING PRESIDENT. You honeslty don't think the Dem nominee will be able to match Bush?

$25 million: Amount George Soros, a foreigner, who, thanks to McCain-Feingold (through soft money contributions), has already pledged to get rid of President Bush, who he says reminds him of the Nazis

$12 million: Amount Peter Lewis, an ardent advocate of hard drugs, has personally committed to help Saros.

$400 million: Saros and Lewis's fundraising goal, all to be contributed through McCainFeingold loopholes, to defeat the President. They are already half way there.


Originally posted by Spaz59
10 million: Estimated number of people worldwide who took to the streets in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, setting an all-time record for simultaneous protest.

Great. A bunch of unemployed folks who live off the state, students, and professional protesters in Europe want to run U.S. Foreign policy - even worse than creating policy through polls. We'll just let all the folks who have nothing better to do than defecate in the streets, and who couldn't find Iraq on a world map, decide how best to look after U.S. safety and interests.


Originally posted by Spaz59
16,000: Approximate number of Iraqis killed since the start of war

10,000: Approximate number of Iraqi civilians killed since the beginning of the conflict

$100 billion: Estimated cost of the war in Iraq to American citizens by the end of 2003

$13 billion: Amount other countries have committed towards rebuilding Iraq (much of it in loans) as of 24 October

45%: Percentage of Americans who believed in early March 2003 that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 11 September attacks on the US

130: Number of countries (out of total of 191 recognised by the United Nations) with an American military presence

40%: Percentage of the world's military spending for which the US is responsible

700: Number of people from around the world the US has incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1951: Last year in which a quarterly rise in US military spending was greater than the one the previous spring

90%: Percentage of American citizens who said they approved of the way George Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 26 September, 2001

53%: Percentage of American citizens who approved of the way Bush was handling his job as president when asked on 16 January, 2004

After 9-11 the left was so quick to jump on the bandwagon screaming for action from the President... he gave them action. Now they are bitter as hell, because he succeeded. There's no doubt in any rational mind that if he didn't and there was another 9-11 type attack, he'd be crucified by the same people who try to paint Iraq and Afghanistan as quagmires now.

2002: A year with no major terrorist attacks on US soil.

2003: A year with no major terrorist attacks on US soil.

200,000: Approximate number of Iraqi civilians murdered during Saddam Hussein's Infal operation, a genocidal campaign carried out in 1987 to 1989 in the northern part of Iraq.

250,000: Approximate number of Iraqis that Saddam had murdered during, and after as retribution, the 1991 uprising in Southern Iraq.

375,000: Estimated Iraqi casualties from the Iran-Iraq war, started by Hussein (1980-1988). Another 60,000 taken prisoner.

800,000: Estimated Iranian casualties from the Iran-Iraq war, started by Hussein (1980-1988). Over 300,000 of these were killed, the rest injuries.

Priceless: Libya renouncing WMD and inviting open inspections.

Priceless: Iran on the verge of collapse due to pressure from democratic political forces.

Priceless: Syria seriously discussing coming to the table with Isreal.

Priceless: Afghanistan - a constitution, education & other rights for women, no Taliban in power.

Priceless: The Butcher of Baghdad in a cell.

Priceless: Saudia Arabia, the hotbed for terrorism, finally taking the fight against terrorism seriously.


If I get the time I'll get to more of this garbage.

[Spaz59]

Originally posted by JBMoney


2002: A year with no major terrorist attacks on US soil.

2003: A year with no major terrorist attacks on US soil.

200,000: Approximate number of Iraqi civilians murdered during Saddam Hussein's Infal operation, a genocidal campaign carried out in 1987 to 1989 in the northern part of Iraq.

250,000: Approximate number of Iraqis that Saddam had murdered during, and after as retribution, the 1991 uprising in Southern Iraq.

375,000: Estimated Iraqi casualties from the Iran-Iraq war, started by Hussein (1980-1988). Another 60,000 taken prisoner.

800,000: Estimated Iranian casualties from the Iran-Iraq war, started by Hussein (1980-1988). Over 300,000 of these were killed, the rest injuries.

Priceless: Libya renouncing WMD and inviting open inspections.

Priceless: Iran on the verge of collapse due to pressure from democratic political forces.

Priceless: Syria seriously discussing coming to the table with Isreal.

Priceless: Afghanistan - a constitution, education & other rights for women, no Taliban in power.

Priceless: The Butcher of Baghdad in a cell.

Priceless: Saudia Arabia, the hotbed for terrorism, finally taking the fight against terrorism seriously.


If I get the time I'll get to more of this garbage.

Oh my God! It's been staring in my face all this time. George Bush is doing a great job!

So we've proven Saddams links with Al-Qaeda, we've found the WMD's and all the other nasties he's been hiding and as an added bonus we've got Osama!

And here I was thinking this was a war about, revenge, oil and lining Georges election donors pockets.

I feel like such a dumbass!

No, wait. That was being a dumbass.

Do you know the great thing about my position? I don't believe what George says for one second and yet I don't believe half of what his detractors say either.

Ps. I supported the war on Iraq.