I am bemused at the reports in today’s NY Times (p. A16).  People have been throwing money at Mr. Presidential Candidate Bush.  His announced goal is $170,000,000.00.  He has collected thus far $70,000,000.00 and is short only $100,000,000.00.  I have a question.  Why is there wide approval for expeditions on a massive scale to rebuild Iraq to the tune of $87,000,000,000.00 at the same time people are giving this man this kind of money? The bill for the cost of our forces being in Iraq is $90,000.00 a MINUTE (source: Nicholas S. Kristoff in today’s NY Times p.A23)

I wonder who these people are who throw money at Mr. Bush in order to give him another four years as President to continue the process of throwing money away on rebuilding Iraq and all our other adventures in distant places. These people seem to be numerous with enough resources to shove Mr. “W” into the White House for another ruinous term.  They have the money but they do not have the vision to see that their own country is lacking the monetary support to restore cuts in social services, education and local needs for the betterment of American lives.

What we have in the United States today are over-abundance of agricultural products due to our blessed land where corn and pigs are easily raised with scientific knowledge that provides over abundance and bumper crops (despite this being a time of troubles) and our people are fat and happy.

Iraq is far away and Afghanistan is further away.  We have this propensity to be involved from the boundaries of the Sudan to the muddle of the Middle East where we do not stay but drop Billions of taxpayers’ money.  Taxes are returned to the rich while the burden of paying the costs of our wars is borne by everyone else.  Everyone else is throwing money at George W. Bush in seeming approval of his policies and prospects. Something is wrong here.

What is wrong with this picture is the ignorance of the whole culture of America that occupies itself with technologically wondrous toys while supping at Starbucks and gorging under the Golden Arches.  Throwing money at Mr. Bush does not solve Iraq’s problems or make our troubles with Syria any less. 

By the way, where are Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden and the Weapons of Mass Destruction?  Where are the voices that tell us we must work in concert with the United Nations and build security for the whole world with them – not to spurn them and go it alone?