Bush ha tenuto il discorso sullo Stato dell’Unione, spiegando la riforma della Social Security per evitare l’inevitabile bancarotta (che prima o poi tocca a tutti gli stati). Ha parlato anche di liberta economica (‘Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claim’) e dei principi che regolano l’assistenza dello stato (‘A taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all’). Ha esordito salutando i nuovi leader eletti nei Territori, in Afghanistan, in Iraq e in Ukraina. Quindi lo scoppiettante finale, retorico ma d’effetto:

The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom’s power to change the world. We are all part of a great venture: to extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that freedom brings.
As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, “Each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth”. And we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was only a dream until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream until it was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream until, one day, it was accomplished.
Our generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with confidence. **The road of providence is uneven and unpredictable, yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom **

UsaToday