Republican Mind Tricks (caveat lector...written in rage)

For this weekend's NY Times Magazine, Deborah Solomon interviewed Jeanne L. Phillips, the chairwoman of the inaugural committee.

[Side note #1: it really irks me that Bush surrounds himself with women and members of minority groups, as if to show that he is a friend to these groups, while his actions that count clearly show the opposite to be true. And, I cannot fathom how any self-respecting woman could do ANYTHING to further Bush's aims, even something as trivial as planning his inauguration parties, without developing a horrible case of self-loathing. ]

Despite the fact that we have known all along that the troops aren't getting the equipment they need and that the Republicans were nevertheless planning expensive inauguration parties, and despite the fact that a number of other people have commented on these facts, I am still enraged by the following exchange:

Solomon: I hear one of the balls will be reserved for troops who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Phillips: Yes, the Commander-in-Chief Ball. That is new. It will be about 2,000 servicemen and their guests. And that should be a really fun event for them.

S: As an alternative way of honoring them, did you or the president ever discuss canceling the nine balls and using the $40 million inaugural budget to purchase better equipment for the troops?

P: I think we felt like we would have a traditional set of events and we would focus on honoring the people who are serving our country right now -- not just the people in the armed forces, but also the community volunteers, the firemen, the policemen, the teachers, the people who serve at, you know, the -- well, it's called the StewPot in Dallas, people who work with the homeless.

S: How do any of them benefit from the inaugural balls?

P: I'm not sure that they do benefit from them.

S: Then how, exactly, are you honoring them?

P: Honoring service is what our theme is about.

[Side note #2: it is bizarre that Phillips doesn't even seem to want to MENTION a homeless shelter or soup kitchen or whatever "the StewPot" is-- and a good indication of the type of people Bush keeps close: people who are so far removed from reality that a homeless shelter is somehow a taboo subject. Why? Because the homeless are untouchables? Because God forbid someone should mention within earshot of W that homelessness exists?]

Anyway, this exchange is infuriating because it is a perfect example of the kind of bizarre thinking that goes on in this administration: they say that they're honoring people who "are serving our country right now", so they are. Period. They aren't actually doing anything to honor them, but they say they are, so it is so.

[Side note #3: How disturbing is it that fire fighters, police officers, and teachers are lumped in with "community volunteers"? These are actual professions! Teachers, certainly, are not valued as they should be, are not respected as they should be, and are not paid as they should be. So don't say that a bunch of rich white guys partying while the rest of the world goes to hell equates honoring them!]

This quote reminds me of two things:

1) Genesis-- God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Under what other circumstances does saying something equal doing it? (This could degenerate into a diatribe about creationists, Bush's God complex, etc., but I won't go there.)

2) Jedi mind tricks-- Bush says, "I will be able to cut taxes, reform social security, fight an endless war, and cut the deficit," and with a wave of his hand, people believe him. Perhaps this explains how it is possible that so many people would vote for such a clearly horrible person....and now we know what the Democrats need to do in 2008: find someone who can bring balance to the Force.