"The Rich Are Very Different From You and Me."
F. Scott Fitzgerald
And How! They Can Actually Eat
They also can afford better medical care, better housing, better medication, better education, and a remarkably better quality of life. So, Marie Christine said (I don't know where her tongue was) what's wrong with George Bush's budget if it helps the richest of the rich on the backs of the middle and poorer classes? Marie Christine continued, saying that Bush is planning on cutting, grotesquely, sizeable amounts from Medicare and Medicaid, in total she said, he plans to slash funds for 141 programs, none of which, thank you, hurt the rich. In her opinion, this budget is a moral disgrace.
Now, About That Nasty Little Invasion of George's
Schuyler was at the drinks table, mixing us a batch of Bloody Marys with Chopin Vodka, his homemade beef consommé, with a beautiful, pink prawn for garnish. Utterly delicious. Once Marie Christine was served her cocktail, she continued, saying, along with her husband Jean Paul, that tradition has long held that the lives of the ultra-rich are more valuable than the lives of the homely poor. And further, she told us, maybe the poor don't deserve the things great wealth can buy, and furthermore, it was just Napoleonic, to fight an invasion on the backs of those least able to protect and care for themselves.
Jean Paul winked, knowing that these were not Marie Christine's real feelings. She was just trying to make a point. The point being, Jean Paul said, that it was pretty much obscene that while Bush was increasing the budget of the mismanaged and corrupt Department of Defense by 6.9 percent, $439 billion, he was slashing funding for 141 social programs. His budget does not include the costs of Afghanistan and Iraq, since after his budget is passed, then he will come back and request total war funding of $120 billion just for 2006, with another $50 billion request coming for next year.
Napoleon too, taxed and underfed the poor to support his bloody wars, and, Jean Paul said, it was obscene then and it is obscene now. Bob and Judy agreed, reminding us that this was an invasion of choice. Not once, Bob said, not once, were we fed the story line that the invasion of Iraq was being undertaken for humanitarian purposes, and now, Judy said, it's the poor, the old, the students, the hungry, that are paying the highest price for George's morbidly deleterious invasion. Bob and Judy, Marie Christine and Jean Paul, and actually all of us, refuse to call this a war because Saddam was not rattling his saber at us or threatening to invade us. It was an invasion, plain and simple, that did not have to occur but for Bush's criminal megalomania.
Pleasurable Sound: The Dinner Gong
Though the subject of tonight's discussion made us all uncomfortable and uneasy, after a day of working on our farms and ranches we still needed to eat. Beatrix had been in touch with a wonderful vineyard in California, the Navarro Winery, and had gotten some good menu ideas from them matched perfectly to their wines. With help from Terry and Kim, dinner was prepared and served to a whole bunch of truly hungry people. Usually it's the teenagers who say that they're hungry, but today I think we all were.
The first course Beatrix served us was Dungeness Crab Croquettes with Lemon Paprika Aioli. She used russet potatoes, some pepper, and just enough paprika to give the croquettes a little bite. The winery had suggested we served the croquettes with their 1999 Navarro Brut Blanc de Blancs. The pairing was a match made in heaven.
Following that perfect appetizer, Beatrix next served us another dish suggested by Navarro Vineyards to go with their Navarro Muscat Blanc, Ginger Double Duck Wonton Soup. You might wonder if the Muscat Blanc is not too sweet a wine for the soup, but try it and you'll find it a magical companion to the soup.
Our next course, prepared by Terry and Kim, was something we had never tried before but thoroughly loved because we love Pinot Gris, a wine that we had all been reading about and were anxious to try again. The dish, also from the Navarro Winery, was Lemon Roasted Asparagus over Spaghettini, so, nobody can ever tell you again that asparagus doesn't like to be shared with wine. This combination was perfection.
Max stepped in to help at the grill. Our meat course was Grilled Churrasco (flank steak) with Chimichurri Sauce. Max helped Terry and Kim grill some elephant garlic, fingerling potatoes, and corn on the cob. From Qupé Vineyards, Terry had chosen their 2003 Syrah "Central Coast." This wine has good acidity, with notes of hardspice, black pepper, and berries with hints of lavender and licorice.
Winding Down
As a good note to end the evening, Beatrix served us slices of her almond torte along with little glasses of Reserva del Señor Tequila Almendrado, an almond-flavored tequila liqueur.
We then went back to the great room to join the teenagers, where we had some of Max's fantastic secret-blend after dinner coffee. Liz, speaking about the Bush family's famous insensitivity to the plights of the less fortunate, told us what Mother Theresa had once said: "…the poor are our brothers and sisters…people in the world who need love, who need care, who have to be wanted." 29 December 1975
Summary
Bush Budget: A Moral Disgrace
Bush has decided to step on the backs of the less fortunate to give tax cuts to the ultra-rich and spend more and more on his nasty little invasion of a non-agressor country. He is spending our national treasure, not on a war, but on an invasion that he was hell-bent on accomplishing. The billions that his invasion have cost could have solved a lot of humanitarian problems both here at home and abroad, instead, we have accomplished nothing in the way of good.
