Bush: Eavesdropping Saves U.S. Lives

President Bush delivers his live radio address in the Roosevelt
Room at the White House, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Facing angry criticism, challenges to his authority in Congress, and national outrage, President Bush defended his right to conduct secret spying in the United States as "saving American lives."

"Often appearing angry in an eight-minute address, the president made clear he has no intention of halting his authorizations of the monitoring activities and said public disclosure of the program by the news media had endangered Americans." [Associated Press]

How many lives had been saved since this domestic spying operation was deployed? So far, no one is saying.

All This Is That came up with a short (and by no means comprehensive) list of other possibilities for saving American lives.

- Revoke the Seond Amendment.
- Ban gasoline-based cars. Allow hybrids temporarily.
- Bolster Medicaid for the poor and aging.
- Require cars that sustain impacts greater than five MPH.
- Put another liberal on the Supreme Court.
- Mandate more rigorous drug testing standards by the F.D.A.
- Ban capital punishment.
- Increase medical research into AIDS.
- Increase enforcement of existing seat-belt laws.
- Withdraw all American troops from Iraq.
- Eliminate the sales of tobacco.
- Revoking the licenses of all D.U.I. drivers permanently.
- Crank up the E.P.A.'s act.
- Increase entitlements for needy children.
- Mandate national health care.
- Enact a national speed limit of fifty miles per hour.
- Ban skydiving, mountain climbing, hang-gliding, and car races.
- Eliminate motorcycles from public highways.
- Rebuild the levee system in New Orleans.
- Eliminate building in flood zones.
- More closely monitor the activities of hate groups.
- Disband the Republican party.
- Enact compulsory national conscription with no deferments.
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