03 February 2005, 12:29 Politics

Bush introduced new enemies and friends

Vasily Sergeev George Bush delivered his annual State of the Union address, in which he outlined the foreign and domestic course of the United States for the coming year. The president promised, as before, to promote democracy, fight terrorism and boost the economy. In conclusion, he presented a new list of enemies of the United States.

Yesterday's speech by the head of the United States before both houses of Congress was broadcast live in prime time on all US television channels. The message took 53 minutes, was interrupted 66 times by applause and several times by disapproving remarks from Democratic legislators. They particularly disliked the program of social reforms first outlined by Bush and the prospects for the country's foreign policy development, which Bush elaborated on.

Bush began, naturally, with positive aspects.

“The United States is in a strong and confident position thanks to healthy economic growth and effective defense of the country.” Legislators greeted this statement with a standing ovation. The President then highlighted three issues that he considers a priority. According to him, “it is necessary to build a better world for our children and grandchildren. This requires strengthening the economy, promoting the values of a free society, and keeping Americans safe.”

Bush spoke unusually a lot about the economy. For example, he promised to halve the budget deficit by 2009, without, however, explaining how (now the US budget deficit has reached a record $400 billion). But the centerpiece of the message was a plan to overhaul the US pension system, which, according to Bush, “is on the verge of bankruptcy.” To ensure that Americans age with dignity, Bush proposed the following scheme: allowing citizens to transfer part of their Social Security funds into private investment accounts. Thus, Americans would be able to use money from the pension fund at their discretion, for example, to purchase stocks and for various banking programs. “This is why money in personal accounts is better than money in a pension fund: your money will work, you can count on greater interest than the current system can provide today,” the president explained.

Not all lawmakers liked the revolutionary proposals of Bush's economic advisers.

When, for example, the president suggested that young Americans invest more money in pension funds, there were shouts of disapproval in the room. As Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid subsequently stated , the Democratic faction will try to block the administration's proposals to reform the social security system.

However, international observers were more interested in the foreign policy part of Bush's message, in which, as in earlier keynote speeches, he divided the world into friends and enemies.

The terms “rogue countries” or “marginal regimes,” which were actively used during the first presidential term, were not used this time.

Bush was simply critical of Iran, calling it a major state sponsor of terrorism and working to develop nuclear weapons, and of North Korea, which also has a secret nuclear program. Syria was also included in the list of feared countries (according to Bush, it provides refuge for terrorists). On the other hand, Bush also outlined a circle of new friends of the United States who have taken the path of democratic development. In this part of the speech, he mentioned Ukraine twice, as well as Afghanistan and Iraq, which “have accomplished great events in the history of freedom.” Speaking about the situation in the Middle East, Bush asked Congress for $350 million to strengthen democratic reforms in the Palestinian Authority. According to him, the goal of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict is quite achievable.

Bush named the fight against international terrorism as another priority task.

According to him, “this fight must be fought to the end, since our country remains a target for extremists who want to intimidate us.” The task of fighting terrorism, according to the president, largely depends on the situation in Iraq. “Today this country is a vital front in the war on terror, and that is why terrorists chose to fight there,” Bush said. Observers note that the president did not even outline approximate dates for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq in his speech. Thus, CNN comments , Bush gave a clear signal to the Democrats: he will not listen to their demands to immediately return American soldiers home. The Democrats got the hint. “We believe the president made the wrong decision; we will not allow Republican interests to harm our country,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid threatened at the end of Bush’s address.