A Look at the Bush Era, Harper's Index Style

Alternet.org
January 14, 2009News & Politics

Harper's has released a retrospective of the Bush years Harper's Index that is both hilarious and saddening. Here's just a taste:

Estimated percentage by which Social Security benefits would have declined if Bush’s privatization plan had passed: –15

Estimated total calories members of Congress burned giving Bush’s 2002 State of the Union standing ovations: 22,000

Percentage change since 2002 in the number of U.S. teens using illegal drugs: –9

Percentage change in the number of adults in their fifties doing so: +121

Number of White House officials in 2006 and 2007 authorized to discuss pending criminal cases with the DOJ: 711

Number of Clinton officials ever authorized to do so: 4

Percentage of the amendments in the Bill of Rights that are violated by the USA PATRIOT Act, according to the ACLU: 50

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