Interesting. Epicurus' philosophy reminds me much of Ayn Rand's, although a little more laid-back and less ambitious about life. I am sure Rand would protest that she leaned more towards Aristotle.

"Our culture has said, if it feels good, do it," he intoned gravely, echoing ideas first thought up by his intellectual forebears in the think tanks and pulpits of the early 1980s. "Our dream, or my dream for the country is that we usher in a culture that says each of us are responsible for the decisions we make in life. We have a chance to change our culture for the better."

First part is a quote from the State of the Union speech--don't know where the second quote came from.

It is clear we must change and learn not to do those things that feel good. Certainly we will have a "better" culture if we give up those pleasant things and learn the Republican way of deprivation and self administered flagellation.

Cute. Total horse manure, but cute. Everybody knows exactly what Bush is talking about. It's called maturity--growing up. Realizing that actions have consequences, and that they're YOUR consequences. Realizing that some important things need to get done in life that won't always feel good. In fact, it might hurt a lot. It might not do you any good at all, but do some good for someone you love, or your country. Realizing that some values you hold are higher than your own comfort, or even your own life. Anyone with kids knows this, or should. Certainly any soldier knows this.

Bush was also pointing out that shallow self-indulgence, largely a relic of the sixties but haunting us in later years as these sixties kids grow up and infect our institutions, is one of the big problems our country has.