An amazing editorial piece, considering that it is the very first one I have seen that didn't have Shrub's balls slapping against the author's chin: http://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/11/01/column.billpress/index.html WASHINGTON (Tribune Media Services) -- Almost two months into the war against terrorism -- and one month into the war against anthrax -- it's fair to ask: 'how are we doing?' The answer is: 'fabulous!' Just ask anyone in the White House. Thanks to Lloyd Grove of the Washington Post for assembling this verbal collage of praise issued by members of the Bush administration to each other. Let others play the blame game. They're busy playing the praise game, showering each other with compliments, not always well-deserved. Of course, the praise starts from the top. President Bush boasts: "I've put together a fabulous administration. I picked a great vice president in Dick Cheney." He's proud of his Treasury Department, too: "Secretary Paul O'Neill is doing a fabulous job." And he has no doubt we'll win the war: "I've got great confidence in the American military." In each case, the truth belies the praise. If the military's doing such a great job, why -- after three weeks of nonstop, intensive bombing of one of the poorest countries on earth, with no navy, no air force and only a ragtag band of soldiers using obsolete weapons -- is the Taliban still in power? Why do they still control every major city in Afghanistan? What's left to bomb? And why are Osama bin Laden's whereabouts still unknown? For that matter, if Dick Cheney's doing such a fabulous job, why are his whereabouts still unknown and why isn't he allowed back into his White House office? And is Paul O'Neill really doing such a fabulous job when the nation's suddenly in a recession? The president is also quick to stroke Secretary of State Colin Powell: "He's done a fabulous job of assembling a coalition of people from all around the world to fight terror." Nice words, but again, the reality falls short. Of the so-called coalition, only Britain is contributing man- and firepower. Saudi Arabia won't let us fly sorties from their soil. Egypt has refused to supply troops. And Pakistan, our most important ally in the region, is urging the United States to stop bombing. Except for England, for all practical purposes, we're fighting this war alone. Other Bush team leaders join in self-praise. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld brags: "We've done a pretty good job of being able to now function over that country from the air." Which is as meaningless as his assertion, on the second day of bombing, that we had "run out of targets." In three weeks, we have learned the same lesson Russia learned the hard way: Being able to fly military jets safely over Afghanistan is far from being able to dislodge Afghani fighters from their mountain strongholds. By the way, where are the massive defections of Taliban fighters we were told to expect once bombs started dropping? But it's not just the war against terrorism. On the home front too, fighting anthrax, administration members are lavish with praise. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson gives kudos to the Centers for Disease Control: "They're doing a good job of identifying cases that might be anthrax." And White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card chimes in: "We have outstanding health care experts that understand this problem and are addressing it quickly." Tell that to postal workers, who were assured by the CDC there was no need to wear protective clothing or be tested against anthrax. That was before two mail carriers died from exposure to the disease. Completing the congratulatory circle, Card singles out his boss for praise: "He is in great shape. He's a very disciplined man. He gets up very early in the morning. He does his homework. And he works hard during the day. He exercises, and he sleeps well at night." So, there you have it. Things must be going well, because not even the Taliban can keep George Bush from his treadmill. Actually, there are disturbing signs that neither war is going well. The generals warn we may not be able to defeat the Taliban until November 2002. Secretary Rumsfeld recently said we may never catch Osama bin Laden. And neither the CDC, the FBI or the CIA have any idea where the anthrax-laden letters came from. Maybe the Bush administration would do a better job fighting both terrorists and anthrax if they weren't so busy patting each other on the back. -- Yours, J.A. Terranson sysadmin@mfn.org If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they should give serious consideration towards setting a better example: Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate... This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers, associates, or others. Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the first place... --------------------------------------------------------------------