By DAVE STEELE

Yet again, a large plurality of Americans has voted against their own interests. George W. Bush will be President of the United States for four more years. 

American voters have ignored the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost under George Bush’s watch. They’ve ignored tax policy changes aimed at increasing the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few. They’ve ignored a grossly irresponsible fiscal policy that has seen the United States National Debt skyrocket by 40 percent in just four years. They’ve ignored the deaths of over 100,000 innocent Iraqi and Afghan men, women and children. All this for the counterfeit bone of "family values" that the Republican Party has thrown their way. To most Canadians, it looks like collective insanity.

We could try to dissect the reasons why so many Americans voted this way. We could cite the fear that 9/11 has engendered. We could cite the fusion of state and religion that is so deeply ingrained in so many American minds. We could cite the widespread American belief that whatever their government foments overseas — no matter how terrible and terrifying the results — their government means well. We could look into the media and education systems that propagate this worldview. But we couldn’t do the subject justice in this short column. Instead, let’s consider just a few of the significant problems we’re likely to be dealing with over the next four years:

Militarism. George W. Bush is a dangerous man. His militarism has already killed some 100,000 Iraqi and Afghan civilians. Who knows what he’ll do with North Korea and Iran. While he claims to be fighting terrorism, he is really trying to consolidate power and to control the world’s oil supply — murderously — and fomenting terrorism in response. As a byproduct, he’s helping to return Afghanistan to its former position as the world’s leading opium supplier. Afghan warlords aren’t complaining; that’s for sure. 

Plans are in the works for new, smaller, "more useable" nuclear weapons. Expect those plans to be implemented. The "Missile Defense" plan, an excuse for the militarization of space, will go ahead as well. Both dramatically increase the pressure on other countries to develop nuclear weapons. They see it as the only way to fend off the United States. Vladamir Putin has just announced new, "improved" Russian nuclear missiles. Supposedly, they can overcome any defense system the United States may realistically develop. George W. Bush may well manage to return Russia to its old status of Cold War adversary, a status strongly preferred by the military-industrial complex.

Economics. George W. Bush’s economic policies have been disastrous. The United States’ annual budget deficit is approaching 500 billion dollars. The current account deficit is even worse, and the National Debt is ballooning to astronomical proportions. It now stands at seven and a half trillion dollars. That’s nearly three-quarters of the Gross Domestic Product. Amazingly, Bush has managed to grow the deficit so dramatically without making even a small dent in joblessness. His tax cuts stimulate yacht sales. They do little for the average American.

The financial world is responding. Bush’s election victory has been accompanied by a run on the American dollar. The stronger loonie is already hurting Canada’s ability to export to the United States. A collapse of the American dollar is not out of the question. If that happens, interest rates will soar; and because most consumer goods in the U.S. today are imported, so will inflation. Canada will be dragged down with the American economy. Too much of our own economic health depends upon the U.S. appetite for Canadian goods.

Environment. Bush cares about the environment. He cares about how much his friends can extract from it and how much money can be made doing so. Expect oil drilling to begin in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in this term. Expect nothing on Kyoto. Logging is likely to increase dramatically as well. Republican gains in the House and Senate virtually guarantee it. 

If there is any good news to be gleaned from all of this, it is that the damage Bush has already wrought may well end up constraining him before he can do too much more. The Iraqi quagmire, the massive budget deficit and the falling dollar may force Bush to back off on his military pursuits. The price for the average American will be very high. And Canadians will not come out unscathed either.

But being economically harmed, even seriously, may be far better than the alternative. If George W. Bush is not constrained — if he attacks Iran or North Korea, for example — watch out! The consequences will be far worse than just economic. A full-fledged nuclear war could ensue. Economic collapse would then be the least of our worries.

It would behoove Canada and the rest of the world to refuse to cooperate with this radical in the White House. He’ll react and he’ll likely react badly. Nevertheless, whatever the costs may be in the short run, the cost of cooperation in the long run will probably be far higher. The future of our planet may depend upon our resistance.