George W. Bush is delusional if he believes that America is on a moral pedestal and has the right to use force or moral authority to spread his twisted version of “freedom and democracy” in which corporations, the wealthy, and a warped version of Christianity put a chokehold on the rest of the populace. We lack both the financial means and the moral authority to impose our system of government or economy on the rest of the world.

Gays represent five per cent of our population, and our own government encourages and legalizes suppression of their civil rights. Women and blacks still face discrimination. The minimum wage is well below poverty level. Many Americans lack adequate health care. Major corporations are running family farmers out of business. Wal-Mart’s practices are lowering wage standards and putting many small companies out of business. The federal government is violating our own Constitution with the Patriot Act and faith-based initiatives.

We are involved in an imperialistic occupation of a country the size of Texas, and aside from the fact that we are engaged in an immoral, illegal war, this alleged superpower cannot crush the resistance waged by under-trained and under-equipped insurgents. We have some serious soul-searching and house-cleaning to do before we carry out Bush’s ambitious, hallucinatory goals that he gushed about in his inaugural address. Remember that disgustingly decadent event? Was that an inauguration or a coronation? Under Bush, I get the two confused.

It is time that more Americans, especially our seriously misguided leader, realized that although the U.S. is a power, we are no longer the superpower of the world. We no longer lead the world. Many countries now have nuclear weapons. We are drowning in debt. An illegal invasion of a small country has stretched our military to its limits. We are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. We have been caught engaging in widespread and systematic torture.

In these times, I struggle to feel a sense of pride in my national identity but I intend to continue working hard as an activist to help improve the situation in America. For better or for worse, I am an American, and I intend to try to make our nation better. I recognize that there are many aspects of this nation that are worthwhile but Bush has us in reverse with the throttle wide open. It is time to apply the brakes and shift gears so we can move forward again.