Star Wars

Posted by PeterAtLarge

... But first an admiring word for the late Art Buchwald, who died an apparently cheery death a couple of days ago, with a teasing jab at the man with the scythe that was worthy of the best of his irreverent assaults on the pomposity, self righteousness and hypocrisy of those in power. I used to turn to his syndicated column with pleasurable anticipation in the days when the Los Angeles Times still carried it, and missed it when--for whatever specious editorial policy reason--it was gone. I have to say, too, that I feel a kinship with him as a writer, even though I can only aspire to the excellence of his sardonic wit. For him, I believe, as it is for me to this day, all politics was personal.

On another front, Bush, I'm hoping that you're too hamstrung with other weighty matters to respond with your typical bellicosity to the Chinese provocation in destroying one of their own aging satellites in space. It became clear not long ago that you thought the US owned this extra-territory when you nixed negotiations on an international treaty to ban space weaponry and asserted the freedom of this country to do exactly as it pleased beyond this new frontier, as it did--remember?--to its lasting shame, with the native residents of that other new frontier in the 19th century. I find myself wondering what Art Buchwald's imagination would have produced by way of a response to China's action and your arrogant, dismissive America-firstism?

Enough for a lovely Saturday, though. I'm not wasting another minute of it on you, Bush, nor on the state of the world you have created. Have a good weekend.