Page One

To the Editor: 

Our president’s practice of smoke and mirror politics is becoming outrageous and ridiculous. George W. Bush and his cabinet must feel that the American public, and our representatives, are obtuse and oblivious to their chicanery. 

I hear comments daily from people left incredulous by the latest plans of this political organization: Where is the proof that Iraq has deadly weapons?; Is it legal for America to hold Iraq’s oil reserves as a stick over Europe?; Are they doing anything about our failing health care system?; Can we morally open the last pristine wilderness in this country to oil exploration?; Why disband the National Human Research Protections Advisory Committee?; What is the rational of moving the Animal Welfare Act under Homeland Security?; Can the government take away our rights to contest logging in our National Forests?; Will anything be done about the cost of prescription drugs?; Is there any rational to constantly placating the anti-abortion movement?; How can the United States continually disregard the U.N.’s opinion? 

Bush and his compatriots are all wealthy enough that they will not personally feel the impacts of these decisions. They are also taking advantage of the fact that Americans are still grieving the events of last year, reeling from the economic impact of the fall of many industry giants and dotcoms, shocked by losses to their retirement funds, dismayed by rising healthcare costs and depressed by the looming possibility of war with Iraq. Bush’s cronies seem to feel that this is the perfect opportunity to pull the wool over America’s eyes. 

Melissa Brosnan 

Berkeley