02/02/2006 4:38:58 pm
State of the Union. The State of the Union speech delivered by US President George W Bush the other day was much as I would have expected. Lots of clever and principled rhetoric, half about foreign policy and half about domestic issues, and no really big surprises. (The one about breaking oil dependence may qualify partly to that category, perhaps.)

The most interesting part was the domestic one, about the economic development and reforms to come. He pointed out, for example, that in "last two-and-a-half years, America has created 4.6 million new jobs - more than Japan and the European Union combined." And he argued for permanent tax relief - it was foolish to do it temporary from the start - and social security reform.

But largely, it was as expected, especially the foreign policy part. Predictible, but a clear and well-argued policy. George W Bush has a Jack Welch-kind of management style; he sets out a direction and follows it. He is fond of saying that tactics may change, but not the aims. Regardless of temporary opinion, he continues on the same path.

One can always argue about the policies - I agree wich much - but that is the only kind of leadership that ever changes anything substantially and thus ever enters the history books.

Read the entire speech here - >