I was never much into politics. I always thought they should free Mumia, and the War on Drugs was wasteful, just like this “War on Terror.” But I’m far from a political activist and only as informed as I have time to be. Still, it feels good to rattle off about things that, you know, “grind my gears.”

That being said, from what I’ve gathered, Dubya seems to believe with all his little empty tin heart that our influence will be the one thing that finally installs the calm and ends a multi-century war of religious values in Iraq. Because our American values are so superior. Because our systems are so strong, and work so well.

In our country we’re all fed and full by dusk and all tucked warm in pillowy beds at night. Here in America, food’s accessible to everyone. Anyone can come up with 99 cents for a junior bacon cheeseburger. Or even 25 cents for a hot dog at the convenience store. I hear heroin’s pretty cheap these days, too.

Nope, no problems here. Our president is attentive to the fundamental structure of democracy, and he listens to our problems. He knows what we think about the war in Iraq, and speaks of our representatives. “I fully understand they could try to stop me. But I’ve made my decision. And we’re going forward.”

I’ve never felt this way until now. Each day when I read the latest Bushisms or the stories of young 20-somethings struggling with post-traumatic stress from the war, I feel a nationwide, full-blown slap in the face. I think about my high school friends being someone’s disturbed dad one day, permanently colored by the moral immaturity of our leaders today.

I’m sick of President Bush. He, in addition to local government officials, dropped the ball and watched this city drown. He made a mockery of New Orleans and its people by sitting on his Texas ranch doing nothing while insisting he had his people in place for the storm. According to the Associated Press, when presented with the information about the condition of the levees, Bush expressed nothing but confidence, saying, “We are fully prepared.”

And yet it’s difficult to be prepared for a Category 5 storm when you have (reportedly) asked no questions and showed little sign of concern. If Bush was confident in one thing on Aug. 28, it was that he wanted to get back to his golf game or whatever it is that rich, stuffy, high-horse-riding Texans do.

In our society it’s become a common impulse to blame others when things go wrong, and it feels pretty damn good. But I can’t understand why Bush is choosing to invest even more lives and money into an idealist, imperialist pipe dream while the American citizens of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities are still struggling to survive.

But then again, I never was much into politics.