In a country that, for whatever reasons, is unwilling to solving its many domestic problems (to do so might necessitate embracing policies that some people regard as "socialistic" and are, hence, unacceptable), war or the threat of war provides a time-honored method of directing the attention of the populace elsewhere. It also provides a way of getting most of its citizens to overlook the erosion of their rights in the name of "national security."

For decades, it was the Soviet Union. Now that the Cold War is over, the government has been groping around, trying to find a "viable" external enemy. From the government's viewpoint, 9/11 was a gift. That gift has the advantage of being a perpetually unsolvable problem because the enemy could by anyone and anywhere. But "terrorism" has the disadvantage of being too diaphanous. No point source to justify a massive military machine. What is needed is a more concrete enemy. Hence, the "axis of evil," a menu of choices. Today, the Special of the Day is Iraq.

While one hand points with alarm at the "enemy," don't forget to notice what the other hand is doing.

Basic Machiavelli. History repeats . . . and repeats . . . and repeats . . . .

Don Firth