ALL OF THE COLORS ARE BLACK

        We have just celebrated another Memorial Day. It differed little from others in the past. There were wars and rumors of wars. The flags were out marching down the parade route while patriotism, proudly owning the homage paid, lay quietly in most every heart, but blared forth politically.

        As the colors of red, white and blue trouped by; it was hard to believe that at any moment another bomb could explode its hatred on some community. Government officials told us that terrorists could bomb an apartment or a nuclear reactor. Or there might be terrorist suicide bomber in the holiday crowds or dangerous germs dumped into a water supply or scuba divers after our ships. Nowhere was safe.

        "The government is running around issuing warnings about terrorist attacks in order to take everybody's mind off the really bad news. The really bad news seems to be that our government is seriously incompetent at dealing with terrorist threats."
                -- Molly Ivins, Buy Low, Sell High and Cheat Always http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/columnists/molly_ivins/3340293.htm
        All the memos from our spies and intelligence from friendly countries (such as Italy) issued before 9/11 was ignored by the Bush admin. Now the same guys put out "intelligence" gleaned from el-Qaeda detainees. Homeland Security colored the country yellow as it covered all its bases and asses terrorists could strike anytime anywhere anyhow, but we warned you.

        A president, who had deserted his post when he served in the Reserves, visited Normandy and walked among the red, white and blue flag bedecked crosses, all the while oozing his usual righteousness. The media praised him and never commented on the year when he was AWOL from national service and the years he abused alcohol and drugs.

        Another president who visited Normandy and walked among the colorful flags and crosses a few years ago was castigated for acting pious and caring for the war dead. Most of the media called him a hypocrite, and reminded us that he had been a draft dodger when he was in college and reminded us that he had been a draft dodger when he was in college and had smoked marijuana.

        We listened to Tom Ridge being interviewed by CNN. He was asked who was really in charge of Homeland Security. He said the president was. Frankly, that did not fill us with any measure of confidence.

        All of the work by our, and foreign, intelligence agencies previous to 9/11 appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Those deaf ears belong to the responsible party for our country's welfare -- Cheney/Bush. This two headed Commander-in-Chief is endowed with four eyes and four ears. That should give it twice as much attention to detail, right?

        Of course, but only if Cheny/Bush were doing their job properly instead of using the executive branch for oil exploration and acquisition. The red bloodletting of 9/11 and the resulting erosion of human rights in this and other countries might have been prevented.

        WASHINGTON -- FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III acknowledged Wednesday that in the weeks before Sept. 11 the bureau missed "red flags" in Minnesota and Arizona that could have led investigators to the terrorist hijackers. Mueller's sobering concession was at odds with the Bush administration's previous assertions that authorities could not have done anything to disrupt the attacks. And it came even as the FBI disclosed that it had unearthed two additional memos indicating that authorities may have missed terrorist warning signs.
                -- May 30 2002 by Eric Lichtblau and Josh Meyer Los Angeles Times Staff Writers http://www.truthout.com/docs_02/05.31A.Muller.Bush.htm
        Now we see more razzle dazzle and fancy footwork from AG Ashcroft who did not even have terrorists on his priority list before 9/11. In a classic example of "closing the barn door after the horse has been stolen while covering their asses," Cheney/Bush's lawman-in-chief, Ascroft, comes forth to tell us of his new FBI guidelines to prevent terrorism.

        The Bushies expect us to be bamboozled and forget about how they bungled their responsibilities as they try to dazzle us with a veritable rainbow of guideline changes for the hard working women and men in the ranks of the FBI -- as if the fault lies there.

        Picture these high important officials that make up the Bushie Administration and weep. They are the blame-shifters carrying on the great tradition of the rychus GOPpers. Color them jailhouse-garb orange.

        twanda@twanda.org       

        2002-022

        Copyright 2002 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@twanda.org.

        G e n d e r G a p p e r s   T M