history speaks, but who is listening?

The United States economy is suffering from an undeniable, massive
loss of jobs, due largely to outsourcing, downsizing, and corporate
mergers. At the same time, the Bush administration has given tax cuts
to citizens with the highest incomes, as well as tax breaks, subsidies,
and other forms of corporate welfare to its supporters in the business
world. All this, while spending enormous amounts of money on military
engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq, and on the reconstruction of
infrastructure in both countries. Meanwhile, working class America
is waiting for relief.

Like his father, the current President Bush prefers to direct most of his
attention (and that of the nation) towards the Middle East, and away
from domestic issues. What was bad policy then is even worse now.

History demonstrates that military strength alone can neither negate
nor mitigate the economic weakness of a nation. Our 'leaders' would
do well to remember the collapse of the Soviet Union. Among the
factors that led to its downfall--in addition to its already anemic and
unstable economy--were the vast expenditures of its protracted war
in Afghanistan, and the arms race with the United States.

Perhaps our government hasn't learned anything from the fall of the
Soviet empire, but Osama bin Laden--who participated in the Afghan
resistance against the Soviets--has:

"...we, alongside the Mujahideen, bled Russia for 10 years, until
it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat.

...al-Qaida spent $500,000 on the event [the 9-11 attacks], while America,
in the incident and its aftermath, lost--according to the lowest estimate--
more than $500 billion. Meaning that every dollar of al-Qaida defeated a
million dollars...besides the loss of a huge number of jobs.

As for the size of the economic deficit, it has reached record astronomical
numbers estimated to total more than a trillion dollars. And even more
dangerous and bitter for America is that the Mujahideen...forced Bush
to resort to emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and
Iraq, which is evidence of the success of the bleed-until-bankruptcy plan..."

--Osama bin Laden, from videotaped speech aired on Al Jazeera (11-1-04)

Our elected representatives have all had the opportunity to read or listen
to the words of Mr. bin Laden by now. Presumably, most of them are at
least somewhat knowledgeable about the events leading to the demise
of the U.S.S.R. (although the Republicans prefer to claim that President
Ronald Reagan single-handedly defeated the Soviets). This isn't rocket
science--how difficult is it to read the writing on the wall, Uncle Sam?

"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is
the most important of all the lessons history has to teach."
--Aldous Huxley, from Collected Essays (1959)

"Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it."
--George Santayana, from The Life of Reason (1905)