* Do you feel safer?
* Is unemployment down?
* Is the stockmarket up?
* Are we better liked in the world?
* Is the environment in better shape?
* Are corporations behaving better?
* Has education improved?
* Has defense improved?
* Are more people above the poverty line?
* Is Social Security in a better position?
* Is Medicare in a better position?
* Are we still running a budget surplus?
* Are state budgets doing better?
* Is our international appearance better off?

I think that's a big fat obvious NO to all of those questions.

Obviously, but lets go a little more in-depth.

* Do you feel safer?

No. The security beef-ups are all nice and stuff, but they are really just devices to cause the general populace fear. The terror alert levels are the same way.

* Is unemployment down?

No way. In fact, this administration has created a lot of fear within the middle class. They are teetering between fear of unemployment and hope for the future when the new economy kicks in. Which it won't.

* Is the stockmarket up?

Its better than it was, but nowhere near what it was years ago. As much as the conservatives would like to blame 9/11 for the stocks, note that the market was alright after that event. The stocks really messed up with the Enron, Anderson, and WorldCom scandles.

* Are we better liked in the world?

No. Our apparant lack of concern for the opinions of our closest allies have taken quite a lot away from our international appeareance. I remind you that it was the US's lack of participation in the League of Nations that caused it to fail and ultimately led to World War II.

* Is the environment in better shape?
* Are corporations behaving better?

No, and the environment is worse mainly BECAUSE the corporations are behaving worse. Lets think about this. If a corporation is allowed to write its own environmental policy, are they going to choose better for the environment or cheaper for them? This is not a hard question.

* Has education improved?

Schools are being closed, children are in classes too large, and none of this is being payed attention to. I guess Bush would rather have the future populace ignorant to what is really going on, and what does THAT tell you?
* Has defense improved?

Maybe. This one is too hard to tell.

* Are more people above the poverty line?

Actually, more are BELOW it. Alan Greenspan is the only highlight to the poorest economic policy controlling group that has ever been in existance.

* Is Social Security in a better position?
* Is Medicare in a better position?

If anything, they'll run out quicker.

* Are we still running a budget surplus?

No way! And somehow, this taxcut that will benefit the rich more than anyone is supposed to help. Huh? How does a tax cut while there's increased government spending make sense at all?

* Are state budgets doing better?

Definately not. 'Nuff said.

* Is our international appearance better off?

See "Are we better liked in the world?"

In short, we are much worse off. The government cares more about battling terrorists then they care about our safety, well-being, education, and the like. They are suffering from acute tunnel-vision.

* Do you feel safer? No.

* Is unemployment down? No.

* Is the stockmarket up? bah... so-so as far as the stock market goes...

* Are we better liked in the world? lol... HELL, no.

* Is the environment in better shape? No.

* Are corporations behaving better? No.

* Has education improved? Not at all.

* Has defense improved? yeah, a bit.

* Are more people above the poverty line? No.

* Is Social Security in a better position? No.

* Is Medicare in a better position? No.

* Are we still running a budget surplus? very much no.

* Are state budgets doing better? lol... I live in California... now, no... we'll see what Arnold does, I have a little faith.

* Is our international appearance better off? No, sadly, no.

For state budgets, check out higher education costs

Rofl.