Nation Topics - President | 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.

This article reflects on the resignation of Harvard University president Larry Summers. It argues that Summers' technocratic neoliberalism does not work in the real world. The article compares Summers to Robert McNamara, who helped execute the Vietnam War and former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, who ran for president in the 1980s. The author suggests that the neoliberal model of "every man (or country) for himself" may be on the decline.

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 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.

The article considers disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff's ties to the U.S. President George W. Bush administration. Evidence has emerged that the Justice Department played a role in shutting down an investigation of Abramoff in 2002. This finding raises questions about whether the Justice Department can be trusted with prosecuting Abramoff. There is also the issue of whether top White House officials abetted Abramoff's questionable dealings as early as 2001.

The author comments on the State of the Union address delivered by U.S. President George W. Bush. Bush did not mention the government's defense pact with the Shiite leaders who will dominate Iraq. While Bush paid tribute to civil right leader Coretta Scott King, antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan was tossed out. Bush addressed issues like healthcare, education and gas prices. He thinks we have too much insurance, so he offered to privatize healthcare. Bush didn't mention that he has not funded his own education programs and is cutting education spending. He remains in denial about global warming.