The reason I'm so sure about Belafonte is mostly just that I saw him in that particular interview, and could plainly see that he cared deeply about what he was saying. No other reason than that.

Well, no, one more reason... He is more free to speak than Colin Powell, for the simple reason that he is not a politician. I think the realities of politics virtually require most politicians to say misleading things and outright lies from time to time. In that sense, they are not as free as private citizens to speak their minds. This doesn't mean they are worse people, it means they are in a more difficult spot. I suspect that you or I would both have to be a lot more careful what we said in public if we were Senators or Congressmen. Careers can be broken by one careless (or honest) statement when you're in politics.

So...I look on a politician more skeptically, generally speaking, than I do on most people, simply because of the nature of his job. I'm suspicious of ALL politicians, not just the right-wing ones. They have virtually ALL betrayed the voters in this country, whether or not they were "liberal" or "conservative". I kid you not.

Harry Belafonte has nothing to gain and a good deal to lose by being so candid, and he's not under the pressure of representing a political party or an administration. He said as much himself, when explaining to a caller why he had not chosen to run for office.

Donahue's comment IS patronizing. Agreed. I laughed out loud the other day when I heard a right-wing spokesman (I forget who) stating quite seriously his belief that left wingers are "fuzzy thinkers and just not very smart". Yikes! You know why I laughed? Because that is EXACTLY what left wingers think about right wingers!!! (Whether or not they say it...)

And you know what? They are both wrong. There are some exceedingly bright people in both camps, and always will be. There are also some dummies in both camps and always will be. But it is the common conceit of both to imagine that the opposing side is just basically...a bit simple-minded.

It's not the case at all. People should not make the mistake of underestimating their erstwhile opponents in such a facile manner...or of condescending to them either.

It reminds me of the myths that were prevalent early in World War II. The Japanese (initially) thought that Americans were soft, decadent, cowardly, and lacking in determination when the going got tough. The Americans (initially) thought that the Japanese were nearsighted, incompetent, couldn't aim a gun properly (supposedly because they couldn't close only one eye at a time!!!), had outmoded airplanes which were inferior copies of western designs (Ha!), and similar ludicrous nonsense.

They were both utterly dead wrong. Couldn't have been wronger.

The fact is, Doug, some "liberals" are anything but liberal, some are fools, some are brilliant, and some are just average. I can say the same thing about conservatives. Barbara Amiel is a brilliant conservative (Canadian). I seldom agree with her, but she is one sharp cookie. And I'm sure she is sincere. She bugs me, and I'm sure I would bug her if I wrote a national column, but I would never make the mistake of holding her in contempt, just cos she's on the other side of the argument.

- LH