Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2004 (16. évfolyam, 5-50. szám)

2004-01-30 / 5. szám

AMERICAN ^^■■■■KäüHMZXIEEZa

tfuntiarian Journal

Howard Dean:

„I Have a Scream”

DES MOINES, Iowa - Strange words or actions have tripped up many a presidential candidate in the history of the United States. But none have provided such instant notoriety as Howard Dean’s primal scream last Monday night in Iowa.

Never before had one nonverbal utterance such an impact, achieving overnight cult status and threatening to permanently derail the former Vermont governor’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In what has since been dubbed the “I Have a Scream Speech” - delivered on Martin Luther King Day - Dean reacted to his poor showing in the Iowa caucuses with what amounted to a televised larynx-stretching rant in front of his supporters. That is, in front of the whole world.

His high-decibel rallying cry, during which he listed all the states where he would go on to win the primary vote, ended with Dean screeching "... and then we’re going to Washington, DC, to take back the White House! Yeeeearrgh!”

“Now the cows in Iowa are afraid of getting mad Dean disease,”

joked Jay Leno, host of NBC’s “Tonight” show. Newspaper reaction was equally damaging. The New York Post mocked Dean’s “wild Muppet shriek,” while the New York Observer marvelled at his “imitation of an exploding oil refinery.” Dean’s bizarre perrmance was also the talk of the Internet, the very medium, ironically, through which he had built the grassroots support that had made him, pre-Iowa, the Democratic front-runner.

Dean’s speech was jumped n by several DJs, who sampled his words and scream into audio remixes, set them to a techno dance beat and released the end product on the World Wide Web.

Political observers suggested that “the Dean scream” could see his name go down next to that of Edmund Muskie in the book of US political lore.

Thirty-one years ago, Muskie - also a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination - appeared to break down into tears while denouncing a press attack on his wife. The incident is still widely cited as the reason the former Maine senator failed to win the nomination.

THE STATE OF THE UNION

‘ Vigilance Is Protecting America ’

Excerpts from President Bush’s State of the Union address

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished guests and fellow citizens:

America this evening is a nation called to great responsibilities. And we are rising to meet them.

As we gather tonight, hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women are deployed across the world in the war on terror. By bringing hope to the oppressed, and delivering justice to the violent, they are making America more secure.

Each day, law enforcement personnel and intelligence officers are tracking terrorist threats; analysts are examining airline passenger lists; the men and women of our new Homeland Security Department are patrolling our coasts and borders. And their vigilance is protecting America.

*

We have not come all this way — through tragedy, and trial, and war — only to falter and leave our work unfinished. Americans are rising to the tasks of history, and they expect the same of us. In their efforts, their enterprise and their character, the American people are showing that the state of our union is confident and strong.

Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the American people. Twenty-eight months have passed since Sept. 11, 2001 — over two years without an attack on American soil — and it is tempting to believe that the danger is behind us. That hope is understandable, comforting — and false. The killing has continued in Bali, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh, Mombassa, Jerusalem, Istanbul and Baghdad. The terrorists continue to plot against America and the civilized world. And by our will and courage, this danger will be defeated.

Inside the United States, where the war began, we must continue to give homeland security and law enforcement personnel every tool they need to defend us. And one of those essential tools is the Patriot Act, which allows federal law enforcement to better share information, to track terrorists, to disrupt their cells and to seize their assets. For years, we have used similar provisions to catch embezzlers and drug traffickers. If these methods are good for hunting criminals, they are even more important for hunting terrorists. Key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire next year. The terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule. Our law enforcement needs this vital legislation to protect our citizens — you need to renew the Patriot Act.

America is on the offensive against the terrorists who started this war. Last March, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a mastermind of Sept. 11, awoke to find himself in the custody of U.S. and Pakistani authorities. Last Aug. 11 brought the capture of the terrorist Hambali, who was a key player in the attack in Indonesia that killed over 200 people. We are tracking A1 Qaeda around the world — and nearly two-thirds of their known leaders have now been captured or killed. Thousands of very skilled and determined military personnel are on a manhunt, going after the remaining killers who hide in cities and caves — and, one by one, we will bring the terrorists to justice.

As part of the offensive against terror, we are also confronting the regimes that harbor and support terrorists, and could supply them with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. The United States and our allies are determined: We refuse to live in the shadow of this ultimate danger.

The first to see our determination were the Talibán, who made Afghanistan the primary training base of A1 Qaeda killers. (...) These killers, joined by foreign terrorists, are a serious, continuing danger. Yet we are making progress against them. The once allpowerful ruler of Iraq was found in a hole, and now sits in a prison cell. Of the top 55 officials of the former regime, we have captured or killed 45. Our forces are on the offensive, leading over 1,600 patrols a day, and conducting an average of 180 raids every week. We are dealing with these thugs in Iraq, just as surely as we dealt with Saddam Hussein’s evil regime.

The work of building a new Iraq is hard, and it is right. And America has always been willing to do what it takes for what is right. Month by month, Iraqis are assuming more responsibility for their own security and their own future.

Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing for the better. Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose and dismantle all of his regime’s weapons of mass destruction programs, including a uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons. Col. Kadafi correctly judged that his country would be better off, and far more secure, without weapons of mass murder. Nine months of intense negotiations succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq did not. And one reason is clear: For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible — and no one can now doubt the word of America.

*

The men and women of the American military — they have taken the hardest duty. We have seen their skill and courage in armored charges, and midnight raids, and lonely hours on faithful watch. We have seen the joy when they return, and felt the sorrow when one is lost. I have had the honor of meeting our servicemen and women at many posts, from the deck of a carrier in .the Pacific to a mess hall in Baghdad. Many of our troops are listening tonight. And I want you and your families to know: America is proud of you. And my administration, and this Congress, will give you the resources you need to fight and win the war on terror.

I know that some people question if America is really in a war at all. They view terrorism more as a crime — a problem to be solved mainly with law enforcement and indictments. After the World Trade Center was first attacked in 1993, some of the guilty were indicted, tried, convicted and sent to prison. But the matter was not settled. The terrorists were still training and plotting in other nations, and drawing up more ambitious plans. After the chaos and carnage of Sept. 11, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal papers. The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States — and war is what they got.

*

For all who love freedom and peace, the world without Saddam Hussein’s regime is a better and safer place.

Some critics have said our duties in Iraq must be internationalized (meaning the UN - by DP). This particular criticism is hard to explain to our partners in Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands, Norway, El Salvador and the 17 other countries that have committed troops to Iraq. From the beginning, America has sought international support. There is a difference, however, between leading a coalition of many nations and submitting to the objections of a few. America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.

*

As long as the Middle East remains a place of tyranny, despair and anger, it will continue to produce men and movements that threaten the safety of America and our friends. So America is pursuing a forward strategy of freedom in the greater Middle East. We will challenge the enemies of reform, confront the allies of terror, and expect a higher standard from our friends. To cut through the barriers of hateful propaganda, the Voice of America and other broadcast services are expanding their programming in Arabic and Persian.

AMERICA IS A NATION WITH A MISSION — and

that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace

— a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman. America acts in this cause with friends and allies at our side, yet we understand our special calling: This great republic will lead the cause of freedom.

In these last three years, adversity has also revealed the fundamental strengths of the American economy. We have come through recession, and terrorist attack, and corporate scandals, and the uncertainties of war. And because you acted to stimulate our economy with tax relief, this economy is strong, and growing stronger. (...) These numbers confirm that the American people are using their money far better than government would have

— and you were right to return it.

*

Some want to undermine the No Child Left Behind Act by weakening standards and accountability. Yet the results we require are really a matter of common sense: We expect third-graders to read and do math at third-grade level — and that is not asking too much. Testing is the only way to identify and help students who are falling behind. This nation will not go back to the days of simply shuffling children along from grade to grade without them learning the basics. I refuse to give up on any child — and the No Child Left Behind Act is opening the door of opportunity to all of America’s children.

*

Congress has some unfinished business on the issue of TAXES. The tax reductions you passed are set to expire. Unless you act, the unfair tax on marriage will go back up. Unless you act, millions of families will be charged $300 more in federal taxes for every child. Unless you act, small businesses will pay higher taxes. Unless you act, the death tax will eventually come back to life. Unless you act, Americans face a tax increase. What the Congress has given, the Congress should not take away: For the sake of job growth, the tax

cuts you passed should be permanent.

*

Tonight I also ask you to REFORM OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS, so they reflect our values and benefit our economy. I propose a new temporary worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing employers, when no Americans can be found to fill the job. This reform will be good for our economy — because employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system. A temporary worker program will help protect our homeland — allowing border patrol and law enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security. I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal immigration and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of American life.

( PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS! )

January 30, 2004

English Page