Jewish World Review Jan. 30, 2002 / 17 Shevat, 5762
The President's State Of The Union Address
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com --
AS we gather
tonight, our Nation is at war, our economy is in recession, and
the civilized world faces unprecedented dangers. Yet the state of
our Union has never been stronger.
We last met in an hour of shock and suffering. In four short months,
our Nation has comforted the victims ... begun to rebuild New York
and the Pentagon ... rallied a great coalition ... captured, arrested,
and rid the world of thousands of terrorists ... destroyed Afghanistan's
terrorist training camps ... saved a people from starvation ...
and freed a country from brutal oppression.
The American flag flies again over our embassy in Kabul. Terrorists
who once occupied Afghanistan now occupy cells at Guantanamo Bay.
And terrorist leaders who urged followers to sacrifice their lives
are running for their own.
America and Afghanistan are now allies against terror... we will
be partners in rebuilding that country... and this evening we welcome
the distinguished interim leader of a liberated Afghanistan: Chairman
Hamid Karzai.
The last time we met in this chamber, the mothers and daughters
of Afghanistan were captives in their own homes, forbidden from
working or going to school. Today women are free, and are part of
Afghanistan's new government, and we welcome the new Minister of
Women's Affairs, Doctor Sima Samar.
Our progress is a tribute to the spirit of the Afghan people, to
the resolve of our coalition, and to the might of the United States
military. When I called our troops into action, I did so with complete
confidence in their courage and skill - and tonight, thanks to them,
we
are winning the war against terror. The men and women of our armed
forces have delivered a message now clear to every enemy of the
United States: Even seven thousand miles away, across oceans and
continents, on mountaintops and in caves - you will not escape the
justice of this
Nation.
For many Americans, these four months have brought sorrow, and pain
that will never completely go away. Every day a retired firefighter
returns to Ground Zero, to feel closer to his two sons who died
there. At a memorial in New York, a little boy left his football
with a note for his lost father: "Dear Daddy, Please take this to
Heaven. I don't want to play football until I can play with you
again someday." Last month, at the grave of her husband, Micheal,
a CIA officer and Marine who died in Mazar-e Sharif, Shannon Spann
said these words of farewell: "Semper Fi, my love." Shannon is with
us tonight.
Shannon, I assure you and all who have lost a loved one that our
cause is just, and our country will never forget the debt we owe
Micheal and all who gave their lives for freedom.
Our cause is just, and it continues. Our discoveries in Afghanistan
confirmed our worst fears, and show us the true scope of the task
ahead. We have seen the depth of our enemies' hatred in videos where
they laugh about the loss of innocent life. And the depth of their
hatred is equaled by the madness of the destruction they design.
We have found diagrams of American nuclear power plants and public
water facilities ... detailed instructions for making chemical weapons
... surveillance maps of American cities, and thorough descriptions
of landmarks in America and throughout the world.
What we have found in Afghanistan confirms that - far from ending
there - our war against terror is only beginning. Most of the 19
men who hijacked planes on September 11th were trained in Afghanistan's
camps - and so were tens of thousands of others. Thousands of dangerous
killers,
schooled in the methods of murder, often supported by outlaw regimes,
are now spread throughout the world like ticking time bombs - set
to go off without warning.
Thanks to the work of our law enforcement officials and coalition
partners, hundreds of terrorists have been arrested ...yet tens
of thousands of trained terrorists are still at large. These enemies
view the entire world as a battlefield, and we must pursue them
wherever they are. So long as training camps operate, so long as
nations harbor terrorists, freedom is at risk - and America and
our allies must not, and will not, allow it.
Our Nation will continue to be steadfast, and patient, and persistent
in the pursuit of two great objectives. First, we will shut down
terrorist camps, disrupt terrorist plans, and bring terrorists to
justice. Second, we must prevent the terrorists and regimes who
seek chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons from threatening the
United States and the world.
Our military has put the terror training camps of Afghanistan out
of business, yet camps still exist in at least a dozen countries.
A terrorist underworld - including groups like Hamas, Hezbollah,
Islamic Jihad, and Jaish-i-Mohammed - operates in remote jungles
and deserts,
and hides in the centers of large cities.
While the most visible military action is in Afghanistan, America
is acting elsewhere. We now have troops in the Philippines helping
to train that country's armed forces to go after terrorist cells
that have executed an American, and still hold hostages. Our soldiers,
working with the Bosnian government, seized terrorists who were
plotting to bomb our embassy. Our navy is patrolling the coast of
Africa to block the shipment of weapons and the establishment of
terrorist camps in Somalia.
My hope is that all nations will heed our call, and eliminate the
terrorist parasites who threaten their countries, and our own. Many
nations are acting forcefully. Pakistan is now cracking down on
terror, and I admire the leadership of President Musharraf. But
some governments will be timid in the face of terror. And make no
mistake: If they do not act, America will.
Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening
America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction.
Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since September 11th.
But we know their true nature. North Korea is a regime arming with
missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens.
Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while
an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom.
Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support
terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve
gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade. This is a regime that
has already used poison gas to murder thousands of its own citizens
- leaving the bodies of mothers huddled over their dead children.
This is a regime that agreed to international inspections - then
kicked out the inspectors. This is a regime that has something to
hide from the civilized world.
States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis
of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons
of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger.
They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means
to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to
blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of
indifference would be catastrophic.
We will work closely with our coalition to deny terrorists and their
state sponsors the materials, technology, and expertise to make
and deliver weapons of mass destruction. We will develop and deploy
effective missile defenses to protect America and our allies from
sudden attack. And all nations should know: America will do what
is necessary to ensure our Nation's security.
We will be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait
on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws
closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit
the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's
most destructive weapons.
Our war on terror is well begun, but it is only begun. This campaign
may not be finished on our watch - yet it must be and it will be
waged on our watch.
We cannot stop short. If we stopped now - leaving terror camps intact
and terror states unchecked - our sense of security would be false
and temporary. History has called America and our allies to action,
and it is both our responsibility and our privilege to fight freedom's
fight.
Our first priority must always be the security of our Nation, and
that will be reflected in the budget I send to Congress. My budget
supports three great goals for America: We will win this war, we
will protect our homeland, and we will revive our economy.
September 11th brought out the best in America, and the best in
this Congress, and I join the American people in applauding your
unity and resolve. Now Americans deserve to have this same spirit
directed toward addressing problems here at home. I am a proud member
of my party - yet as we act to win the war, protect our people,
and create jobs in America, we must act first and foremost not as
Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Americans.
It costs a lot to fight this war. We have spent more than a billion
dollars a month - over 30 million dollars a day - and we must be
prepared for future operations. Afghanistan proved that expensive
precision weapons defeat the enemy and spare innocent lives, and
we need more of them. We need to replace aging aircraft and make
our military more agile to put our troops anywhere in the world
quickly and safely. Our men and women in uniform deserve the best
weapons, the best equipment, and the best training - and they also
deserve another pay raise. My budget includes the largest increase
in defense spending in two decades... because while the price of
freedom and security is high, it is never too high - whatever it
costs to defend our country, we will pay it.
The next priority of my budget is to do everything possible to protect
our citizens and strengthen our Nation against the ongoing threat
of another attack. Time and distance from the events of September
11th will not make us safer unless we act on its lessons. America
is no longer protected by vast oceans. We are protected from attack
only by vigorous action abroad, and increased vigilance at home.
My budget nearly doubles funding for a sustained strategy of homeland
security, focused on four key areas: bioterrorism, emergency response,
airport and border security, and improved intelligence. We will
develop vaccines to fight anthrax and other deadly diseases. We
will increase funding to help states and communities train and equip
our heroic police and firefighters. We will improve intelligence
collection and sharing, expand patrols at our borders, strengthen
the security of air travel, and use technology to track the arrivals
and departures of visitors to the United States.
Homeland security will make America, not only stronger, but in many
ways better. Knowledge gained from bioterrorism research will improve
public health ... stronger police and fire departments will mean
safer neighborhoods ... stricter border enforcement will help combat
illegal drugs.
And as government works to better secure our homeland, America will
continue to depend on the eyes and ears of alert citizens. A few
days before Christmas, an airline flight attendant spotted a passenger
lighting a match. The crew and passengers quickly subdued the man,
who had been trained by al-Qaida, and was armed with explosives.
The people on that airplane were alert, and as a result, likely
saved nearly 200 lives - and tonight we welcome and thank flight
attendants Hermis Moutardier and Christina Jones.
Once we have funded our national security and our homeland security,
the final great priority of my budget is economic security for the
American people. To achieve these great national objectives - to
win the war, protect the homeland, and revitalize our economy -
our budget will run a deficit that will be small and short term
so long as Congress restrains spending and acts in a fiscally responsible
way. We have clear priorities and we must act at home with the same
purpose and resolve we have shown overseas: We will prevail in the
war, and we will defeat this recession.
Americans who have lost their jobs need our help and I support extending
unemployment benefits, and direct assistance for health care coverage.
Yet American workers want more than unemployment checks - they want
a steady paycheck. When America works, America prospers, so my economic
security plan can be summed up in one word: jobs.
Good jobs begin with good schools - and here we've made a fine start.
Republicans and Democrats worked together to achieve historic education
reform so no child in America will be left behind. I was proud to
work with Members of both parties - Chairman John Boehner and Congressman
George Miller, Senator Judd Gregg - and I was so proud of our work
I even had nice things to say about my friend Ted Kennedy. The folks
at the Crawford coffee shop couldn't quite believe it - but our
work on this bill shows what is possible if we set aside posturing
and focus on results.
There is more to do. We need to prepare our children to read and
succeed in school with improved Head Start and early childhood development
programs. We must upgrade our teacher colleges and teacher training
and launch a major recruiting drive with a great goal for America:
a quality teacher in every classroom.
Good jobs also depend on reliable and affordable energy. This Congress
must act to encourage conservation, promote technology, build infrastructure,
and it must act to increase energy production at home so America
is less dependent on foreign oil.
Good jobs depend on expanded trade. Selling into new markets creates
new jobs, so I ask Congress to finally approve Trade Promotion Authority.
On these two key issues, trade and energy, the House of Representatives
has acted to create jobs - and I urge the Senate to pass this legislation.
Good jobs depend on sound tax policy. Last year, some in this hall
thought my tax relief plan was too small - and some thought it was
too big. But when those checks arrived in the mail, most Americans
thought tax relief was just about right. Congress listened to the
people and responded by reducing tax rates, doubling the child credit,
and ending the death tax. For the sake of long-term growth and to
help Americans plan for the future, let's make these tax cuts permanent.
The way out of this recession, the way to create jobs, is to grow
the economy by encouraging investment in factories and equipment,
and by speeding up tax relief so people have more money to spend.
For the sake of American workers, let's pass a stimulus package.
Good jobs must be the aim of welfare reform. As we re-authorize
these important reforms, we must always remember the goal is to
reduce dependency on government and offer every American the dignity
of a job.
Americans know economic security can vanish in an instant without
health security. I ask Congress to join me this year to enact a
Patients' Bill of Rights ... to give uninsured workers credits to
help buy health coverage ... to approve an historic increase in
spending for veterans' health ... and to give seniors a sound and
modern Medicare system that includes coverage for prescription drugs.
A good job should lead to security in retirement. I ask Congress
to enact new safeguards for 401(k) and pension plans, because employees
who have worked hard and saved all their lives should not have to
risk losing everything if their company fails. Through stricter
accounting standards and tougher disclosure requirements, corporate
America must be made more accountable to employees and shareholders
and held to the highest standards of conduct.
Retirement security also depends upon keeping the commitments of
Social Security - and we will. We must make Social Security financially
stable and allow personal retirement accounts for younger workers
who choose them.
Members, you and I will work together in the months ahead on other
issues: productive farm policy ... a cleaner environment ... broader
home ownership, especially among minorities ... and ways to encourage
the good work of charities and faith-based groups. I ask you to
join me on these important domestic issues in the same spirit of
cooperation we have applied to our war against terrorism.
During these last few months, I have been humbled and privileged
to see the true character of this country in a time of testing.
Our enemies believed America was weak and materialistic, that we
would splinter in fear and selfishness. They were as wrong as they
are evil.
The American people have responded magnificently, with courage and
compassion, strength and resolve. As I have met the heroes, hugged
the families, and looked into the tired faces of rescuers, I have
stood in awe of the American people.
And I hope you will join me in expressing thanks to one American
for the strength, and calm, and comfort she brings to our Nation
in crisis: our First Lady, Laura Bush.
None of us would ever wish the evil that was done on September 11th,
yet after America was attacked, it was as if our entire country
looked into a mirror, and saw our better selves. We were reminded
that we are citizens, with obligations to each other, to our country,
and to history. We began to think less of the goods we can accumulate,
and more about the good we can do.
For too long our culture has said, "If it feels good, do it." Now
America is embracing a new ethic and a new creed: "Let's roll."
In the sacrifice of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters,
and the bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed
what a new culture of responsibility could look like. We want to
be a Nation that serves goals larger than self. We have been offered
a unique opportunity, and we must not let this moment pass.
My call tonight is for every American to commit at least two years
- four thousand hours over the rest of your lifetime - to the service
of your neighbors and your Nation.
Many are already serving and I thank you. If you aren't sure how
to help, I've got a good place to start. To sustain and extend the
best that has emerged in America, I invite you to join the new USA
Freedom Corps. The Freedom Corps will focus on three areas of need:
responding in case of crisis at home, rebuilding our communities,
and extending American compassion throughout the world.
One purpose of the USA Freedom Corps will be homeland security.
America needs retired doctors and nurses who can be mobilized in
major emergencies ... volunteers to help police and fire departments
... transportation and utility workers well-trained in spotting
danger.
Our country also needs citizens working to rebuild our communities.
We need mentors to love children, especially children whose parents
are in prison, and we need more talented teachers in troubled schools.
USA Freedom Corps will expand and improve the good efforts of AmeriCorps
and Senior Corps to recruit more than 200,000 new volunteers.
And America needs citizens to extend the compassion of our country
to every part of the world. So we will renew the promise of the
Peace Corps, double its volunteers over the next five years, and
ask it to join a new effort to encourage development, and education,
and opportunity in the Islamic world.
This time of adversity offers a unique moment of opportunity - a
moment we must seize to change our culture. Through the gathering
momentum of millions of acts of service and decency and kindness,
I know: We can overcome evil with greater good.
And we have a great opportunity during this time of war to lead
the world toward the values that will bring lasting peace. All fathers
and mothers, in all societies, want their children to be educated
and live free from poverty and violence. No people on earth yearn
to be oppressed, or aspire to servitude, or eagerly await the midnight
knock of the secret police.
If anyone doubts this, let them look to Afghanistan, where the Islamic
"street" greeted the fall of tyranny with song and celebration.
Let the skeptics look to Islam's own rich history - with its centuries
of learning, and tolerance, and progress.
America will lead by defending liberty and justice because they
are right and true and unchanging for all people everywhere. No
nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them.
We have no intention of imposing our culture - but America will
always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity:
the rule of law...limits on the power of the state... respect for
women... private property... free speech... equal justice... and
religious tolerance.
America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these
values around the world - including the Islamic world - because
we have a greater objective than eliminating threats and containing
resentment. We seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on
terror.
In this moment of opportunity, a common danger is erasing old rivalries.
America is working with Russia, China, and India in ways we never
have before to achieve peace and prosperity. In every region, free
markets and free trade and free societies are proving their power
to lift lives. Together with friends and allies from Europe to Asia,
from Africa to Latin America, we will demonstrate that the forces
of terror cannot stop the momentum of freedom.
The last time I spoke here, I expressed the hope that life would
return to normal. In some ways, it has. In others, it never will.
Those of us who have lived through these challenging times have
been changed by them. We've come to know truths that we will never
question: Evil is real, and it must be opposed. Beyond all differences
of race or creed, we are one country, mourning together and facing
danger together. Deep in the American character, there is honor,
and it is stronger than cynicism. Many have discovered again that
even in tragedy - especially in tragedy - God is near.
In a single instant, we realized that this will be a decisive decade
in the history of liberty - that we have been called to a unique
role in human events. Rarely has the world faced a choice more clear
or consequential.
Our enemies send other people's children on missions of suicide
and murder. They embrace tyranny and death as a cause and a creed.
We stand for a different choice - made long ago, on the day of our
founding. We affirm it again today. We choose freedom and the dignity
of every life.
Steadfast in our purpose, we now press on. We have known freedom's
price. We have shown freedom's power. And in this great conflict,
my fellow Americans, we will see freedom's victory.
Thank you, and may God bless the United States of
America.
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© 2002
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