There is a story going round that a Democratic administration took office in early 2009. It must be a myth; consider:
• the appointment of a conservative economic team;• the absence of a jobs program in the face of high and persistent unemployment;
• a plan to drastically cut spending during a long recession;
• extension of the Bush tax cuts;
• acceptance of the notion that Social Security is part of the deficit problem;
• turning our longest war into a seemingly permanent one, ignoring the human and financial cost;
• abandonment of a promise to close Guantánamo, and resumption of military trials;
• bombing Libya and claiming exemption from the War Powers Act;
• continued invocation of the state-secrets defense.
The latest sign is the claim by the new Secretary of Defense that we invaded Iraq because of 9-11, to defeat al-Qaeda.
