America is dazed and confused with the Bush years....

[kentuck]

In major newspapers, it is being reported that Bush's polls are under 50% going into his inaugaral. At the same time, they are reporting that 56% think we are safer because we invaded Iraq. And also, 50-plus percent now think Iraq was a mistake?? What the hell are we supposed to interpret from such numbers, if not confusion and ignorance?

The American people have been on a trip to the circus. They all stood in line to play the shell game and try to find the bean under the shell. Their heads are spinning as they leave the circus, all with less money in their pockets, but convinced they have somehow been entertained....

[rkc3]

1. Maybe it's because 44% of Amerika are on prescription drugs.

[salvorhardin]

3. That's not really fair

I'd like to see that number less the number of people on things like heart medication, insulin, etc.

On edit: I'm sure it's still a huge number and I'm sure many more people than need to be are on things like anti-depressants, mood elevators, oxycontin/vicodin, etc. That's not even counting the number of people who are self-medicating with alcohol and other substances. Actually, a-b+c may be greater than a.

[rkc3]

11. You're right. I'm being a bit harsh to those taking medication for

actual problems - diabetes, heart problems, etc.

I have little empathy for those with "social anxiety disorders." If you haven't gone into a room at some point in your life with a little trepidation, there's something wrong with you - but just because you do doesn't mean you need medication to get you through it.

This is a bit rough too, but I think a lot of people look for the easy way out. Rather than trying to identify the source of the problem choose the easiest path - medication.

[salvorhardin]

13. I'm far more critical of big pharma's influence on medicine

Mother's Little Helper (Rolling Stones)

I hear ev'ry mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill
There's a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day

First of all, I know some people with real social anxiety disorders and more generalized anxiety disorders. They benefit enormously from the medication they take. However, as with vicodin, oxycontin, etc. there are far too many people taking psychiatric medication. It's sort of a dual problem in that we both have a societal pressure to medicate every little concern while at the same time big pharma is literally selling doctors on the latest, newest wonder drug.

[Gyre]

2. morons who're really gonna find out about

"stupid should hurt" after Jan 20. :)

Gyre

[AG78]

4. Doublethink

No...triplethink.

[Beetwasher]

5. It's Called Propoganda Piled On Top Propoganda Infused W/ A Healthy

dose of bullshit.

[izzie]

6. Nothing runs right any more. It is like the bad apples got to the top

I think it has to do with all the business men in office, They run things from the top down and gov. is run from the bottom up. They just do not under stand the whole thing. On the military I just do not think they have it up to date with the world yet. They need a good military but more a sort of peace corp army that goes in right after to make things work where they pull out the guys that shoot at anything that moves is done. Some one who knows the countries we are going to blow up. If they would help.

[DemGirl7]

7. either drugs or Propaganda

I'm going with a combination of the two

[DeaconBlues]

8. Bush and his policies ain't been popular since the faux bump after 9/11

He still won the election partially because of the terrible campaign ran by the competition. Kerry and company sat on their laurels and thought they could win with a positive campaign. And like Dukakis, who did the same, they got creamed. Hate to say it, but its true.

A Democrat with a little fire in his/her belly could have wiped the floor with Bush. Kerry is smarter, more photogenic, more charismatic, etc., than Bush, but he didn't fight back.

[Northern Perspective]

9. Okay. Maybe this is reductive

but how can anyone justify *'s electoral 'success' on the basis of Iraq? When everyone - including Republicans - now wants his Secretary of Defense fired, ie.the principle architect of his bloody, stupid war? When public polls show support for that war plumeting? The election was barely a month ago. What changed?

[kentuck]

10. More confusion ??

They don't want to take responsibility for their vote - after the fact?

[Rambis]

12. Sorry, I gotta get going me and my loser friends gotta go get Aerosmith

tickets, top priority of the summer! Wake up "Merica" we are screwed, blued and tatooed.