I cannot believe President Bush is now throwing Middle East peace negotiations into the Iraq-war quotient.
In these past two years, what ONE thing has Bush done to plant seeds of hope for a Palestinian state?
Big hint: NOTHING.
From day ONE, he has done nothing except to pay lip service.
In his speech to the loyal-conservative-only audience at the American Enterprise Institute last night (would he have it any other way?), he began to speak of the need for Israel to back off on settlements. I could scare believe my ears...what was the catch?
*With Bush, there is always a catch.*
Ah! IN the next few sentences I clearly understood.
He may as well have chanted: "No War! No Peace! No War No Peace!" (between the Palestinians and the Israelis, that is... ).
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Meanwhile, Hamid Karzai is expressing grave concern about U.S. commitment to fostering democracy and peace in Afghanistan.
In Washington yesterday, Karzai nearly begged the Senate Relations Committee for the United States not to leave the whole situation for Afghanistan citizens to fight all over again. He believes, if we enter an Iraq war, we will not be able to concentrate on the terror that we have fought lo these past brutal months...and it will be repeating the most unfortunate mistake the United States made during the Soviet occupation...the prelude to 9-11.
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From the "Life's About to Get Harder" department:
We face an impending retirement of the baby boom generation. This is a development that will surely increase the already-heavy demands on the government's big benefit programs.
Fed Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said in his testimony to the Senate's Special Committee on Aging today that any changes Congress decides to make in retirement programs could end up having a profound impact on the overall economy.
If Congress decides to make up the funding gap by increasing payroll taxes on workers, that could cause employees to decide to hire fewer workers because of the increased tax burden.
Changes in the system are surely coming. Bush's new round of 10-yr-projected $1.46 trillion tax cuts are not paid for...no offset is in sight. Unless things change, expect an increase in age for receiving the full retirement benefits. Expect reforms to slow the growth of Medicare spending. Expect fewer job opportunities.
Alas....I wish I could be more optimistic.
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A wonderful idea
Joel Meyerowitz supports a great idea for a WTC Memorial
Excerpt: "With the choice of the design by Studio Daniel Libeskind for the World Trade Center site, this space has a chance of being preserved. Mr. Libeskind centered his memorial on the bathtub, keeping it uncovered, allowing sunlight to grace it. Of course, his design is only the beginning, and in the days ahead it will be subject to constant pressures and alterations. For this reason, New Yorkers need to stand watch to ensure that the final plans sanctify this space deep in the earth. Although unasked for, it is our Parthenon, our Stonehenge. Purified by loss, it is ours to shape and renew."

I'm back from vacation!