Rhinocrisy

For example, here are two likely candidates appearing in one press conference:

President Bush on Friday ruled out raising taxes to pay for Gulf Coast reconstruction, saying other government spending must be cut. “You bet it will cost money, but I’m confident we can handle it,” he said.

…

[Later he said] “As we clear away the debris of a hurricane, let us also clear away the legacy of inequality.”

So, let me get this straight: we’re going to cut taxes for the rich, increasing inequality, then cut social service programs to rebuild the shattered New Orleans. Which legacy is he talking about?

But don’t cast your vote yet, people. Vladimir Putin was at the same press conference, and HE said:

“The old Soviet Union had lived by the rule that money should not be taken from the pockets of future generations, Putin said. “But we never thought about the existing, current, present generations. And at the end of the day, we have destroyed the country not thinking about the people living today,” he said.

“Therefore, of course, yes, we need to spend money,” the Russian leader said. “There is no two ways about it.”

Chee! And here I thought you destroyed the country by privatizing every damn public industry into the hands of irresponsible gangsters and running away with wheelbarrows full of money (thank you, Jeffrey Sachs).

Meanwhile, does anyone want to mention the corpulent, ruling-class-shaped^* elephant in the living room? Egad! We couldn’t possibly address inequality by, err, addressing inequality, could we?^†

^† Anyone mocking my Marxist wealth-redistribution schemes, even in their heads, will be condemned to the hell where you have to peel onions for all eternity, with a really dull peeler. And no goggles.

^‡ I am fully aware of the contradictions of having a pinniped-shaped elephant. Pretend it’s an elephant seal.