ZELL AND HIS JEREMIAD

Well, everybody's talking about the Zell Miller hate-a-thon, so I guess I'll offer my two opinion on the subject. First of all, I kept asking myself what everyone, Miller and his oh-so-receptive audience as well, is so angry about. For crying out loud, they've controlled the every move of government since 9/11. The Dems have been helpless, ineffective at combating any of GWB's initiatives -- he's gotten pretty much everything his way, by hook or by (too often) crook.

So what's the cause of such ravening Kerry hatred? Aha! I finally got it. Old Zell is just plain furious with anyone who would criticize the Commander In Chief during a war! That, in a nutshell, is it. All Democrats (except DINO Miller) are despicable traitors who would rather invite Osama to tea than to tear his throat out.

Now personally, I wouldn't mind seeing Osama's throat torn out -- my problem with the BushCo war was that it is tearing out the throats of the wrong guys...innocent Iraqis and "expendable" U.S. troops.

The whole night was an effort to inflate fear, fear, fear in the minds and hearts of Americans. Bush has nothing to run on except an irrational fear of terrorists. And yes, I mean irrational. Let's get real. Do people in middle America really believe they're in more danger from international terrorists than from poor crops, lack of health insurance, and loss of jobs? Do we really want to live every day in fear of an attack or do we want to get on with life, knowing everything that can reasonably be done is being done to keep us safe, through domestic precautions and international cooperation?

You know, back in the sixties and seventies there were lots of terrorist groups like Black September around and they did a lot of damage. International law enforcement did a fine job of putting them to rout. But the sight of Bush, Cheney, Giuliani, Miller et al FREAKING OUT LIKE A BUNCH OF GIRLY MEN over Al Qaeda is not macho, it's not impressive. It doesn't make America look strong and resolute, it makes America look paranoid and frightened.

It's not that I "don't get it" -- of course I recognize the awful threat. But I understand the causes and effects, and what we're doing to combat terrorism is not effective because it doesn't come near affecting the causes. We're exacerbating the problem because we're led by a bunch of unimaginative, chickenhearted ideologues who are as motivated by profit as by responsibility to the American citizenry; and woe to the citizens when the two seem to be in conflict.