the neocon war on poverty

Are the neocons publicly sprouting a conscience? Hmm. When you listen to Bush (and the first lady) speaking about poverty, it's kind of embarrassing, really. His oblivion seems pubescent, somehow. Watching him gives me an uncomfortable feeling, like watching a kid go through puberty.

Assuming Bush is sincere about this --- a wild assumption I know --- you might be wondering what the neocon war on poverty will be like. Well probably a lot like their "war on terrorism." Ignoring common sense and any sound advice, fighting in the wrong place at the wrong time with too little resources and hopelessly mucking everything up.

Maybe they will start fighting poverty by attacking it at the source: taxes on the rich. Once they destroy the poverty cells among the wealthiest, the world will be a richer place for all of us.

Cleverly, they will ignore any tried and true methods. Just listen to this fellow, vice chairman of the American Conservative Union, as he tips their collective hand: "We all want to solve poverty," says Donald Devine. "The question is, will we do it the way we did it in 1932, or have we learned something since then?"

Hmmmm, yeah. Let's NOT do it in a way we know will work. Let's try something different that WON'T work, but won't make a single wealthy person give up a single cent because that would be AWFUL.

We've learned something all right. We've learned that when a neocon asks a question like that, he means "we're not doing anything we don't want to do. So THERE! bleah."