Nation Topics - George W. Bush | The Nation

This article reflects on the National Security Agency wiretapping controversy as well as the brutal interrogation policies for prisoners held at the United States Guantánamo military base in Cuba. It argues that despite the President George W. Bush administration's insistence that it is following the Geneva Conventions, Guantánamo has become a torture camp that should be closed down. It also highlights efforts to expand the powers of the Patriot Act by incorporating wiretaps into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or by simply making them legal.

The article presents the poem "If George W. Bush Had Worked Up The Nerve To Ask Dick Cheney To Be More Forthcoming About His Hunting Accident," by Calvin Trillin. First Line: Perhaps there's some more info you could share. Last Line: Just take a walk.

The article looks at the investigation by the United States Congress into the President George W. Bush administration's post-Hurricane Katrina response. The article analyzes Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Michael Brown's testimony, where he explained the problem in response as a disconnect between FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. The author states the real problem is weak leadership from the White House and declares the need of an independent investigation.

The article reflects on the U.S. President George W. Bush administration's handling of the prewar intelligence information about Iraq in the days before the United States invaded Iraq. It argues that Bush and his aides did not study the intelligence to ascertain if an urgent danger really existed and that the administration made the decision for war based on their own reasons.

The article presents the last article in a series called "Letter From Ground Zero." The author explains the reasons for ending the series, which center around the complexity of the U.S. President George W. Bush administration's policies originating from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the inability to continue to trace the origins of the policies. The author speaks about the crisis of the balance of powers and popular freedoms in the United States.

This article reflects on the 2006 annual budget laid out by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. It argues that Bush's spending priorities in his budget proposal distort what matters to United States citizens. It questions why the Pentagon needs so much money if the Iraq War is allegedly winding down. It offers information on funds to domestic programs in the areas of education, healthcare, food assistance, and Medicare that are being cut from the budget.

The article looks at why the United States Congress passed the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the similarities between Presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush in their authorization of warrant-less wiretaps. Operation Shamrock and Operation Minaret were two abuses by the National Security Agency that prompted Congress to pass the Surveillance Act. The article examines other wiretap abuses by Nixon, including the Salisbury intercepts and the Huston Plan.

The article presents letters to the editor in response to two articles from "The Nation." "The Impeachment of George W. Bush" by Elizabeth Holtzman from the January 30, 2006 issue, and "The Torture Complex," from the year-end Dec. 26, 2005 issue are discussed.

The author comments on the U.S. economy. In the last quarter of 2005 the national economy plummeted. This development may be ominous, particularly for millions of struggling Americans. Forecasters expect slower growth in the next six months. Everything appears to be declining, except for household debt and the trade deficit. President George W. Bush's growing budget deficits led to a halting, lopsided recovery. American households experienced negative savings in 2005. For Democrats, the situation is an opportunity, if they will begin thinking again like economic liberals.

The author comments on the U.S. President George W. Bush administration and its role collecting information. The Open Source Center, created by the Central Intelligence Agency, is designed to gather unclassified information and piece together information to give a better sense of where trouble may arise. The problem is that this is happening at a time when Bush seems to think that the process of such collection does not need to be subject to review.