Bush Budget Eliminates Reading
April 21st, 2008 at 3:34 pm
President Ahab’s proposed 2009 budget “eliminates all the funding for Reading Is Fundamental’s book distribution program that has, since 1966, provided more than 325 million books to more than 30 million underprivileged children.”
This is sour news. Especially since President Ahab’s mother and wife have both served on Reading is Fundamental’s board in the past. And his daughter, Jenna, is a published author.
I cringe at George W. Bush’s reckless buffoonery as much as the next Patriot, but what has consistently amazed me is his utter oblivion to irony. It’s as if he hasn’t read enough books to properly appreciate the rhetorical device. Irony and World Leaders. Irony is just not something that heads of state seem to grasp very well. Something about history repeating…
But this kind of news is to be expected in the American Age of Unreason where Everything Bad is Good For You and our modern robber barons like Steve Jobs proudly and profitably proclaim that no one reads.
An Assault on Reason indeed.
Yes. The book is about as appealing as a Ball and Cup when we are mesmerized by gadgets like the iPod and hypnotized by gimmicks like Shock and Awe.
Because the right people aren’t doing enough to make reading sexy.
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