State of the Union

I watched US president Bush's State of the Union address this evening. I chatted online with mary throughout it, booing and heckling when appropriate. (In other words, a lot)

The really fun parts were where Bush obviously contradicted himself.

On exporting democracy:

As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: we have been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq.

What a nice list of places the United States has played a major roll in bringing democracy to. Afghanistan and Iraq most obviously and most recently. Ukraine by economically destroying the USSR and Palestine mostly through diplomacy. Democracy is good. I like democracy.

The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life.

Ummm... Democracy is good... But, uh, yeah, you kinda actually have been imposing it on other countries. Like those ones you just mentioned...

Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror - pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.

America stands with you, but if/when they invade they promise not to impose anything... I guess they'll just bomb you...

On social security:

Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement - and for them the system is strong and fiscally sound. I have a message for every American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you. For you, the Social Security system will not change in any way.

For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago, for a very different era. In those days people didn't live as long, benefits were much lower than they are today, and a half century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for each person drawing benefits.

Our society has changed in ways the founders of Social Security could not have foreseen. In today's world, people are living longer and therefore drawing benefits longer - and those benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over the next few decades. And instead of 16 workers paying in for every beneficiary, right now it's only about three workers - and over the next few decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.

Oh my, that sounds pretty bad. But everyone 55 and up can relax as none of this next bit is going to affect them.

Here is how the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money you earn is taken out of your pay check to pay for the Social Security benefits of today's retirees. If you are a younger worker, I believe you should be able to set aside part of that money in your own retirement account, so you can build a nest egg for your own future.

Wait... If today's workers are paying for today's retirees... And they're gonna set aside money for their own retirement too... Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that either mean less benefits to current retirees or higher deductions? Or maybe everyone can have their cake and eat it too...

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It was a big speech and there are a few more, but those two were my favourites. The really sad thing about the State of the Union speech was that it preempted West Wing and a smarter president I like a lot more...