Byrd's Brilliant Blast

Senator Byrd reminds the nation why the Emperor has no clothes in his latest speech. $Q: And the phrase, "war on terror," while catchy, certainly is a misnomer. Terror is a tactic used by all manner of violent organizations to achieve their goals. It has been around since time began, and will likely be with us on the last day of planet earth. We were attacked by Bin Laden and by his organization Al Qaeda. If anything, what we are engaged in should, more properly, be called, a war on the Al Qaeda network. But, that is too limiting for an Administration that loves power as much as this one. A war on the Al Qaeda network might conceivably be over some day. A war on the Al Qaeda network might have achievable, measurable objectives, and it would be less able to be used as a rationale for almost any government action. It would be harder to periodically traumatize and terrorize the U.S. public, thereby justifying a reason for stamping secret on far too many government programs and activities. Sadly, his eloquence is likely to sail over the heads of those lost in the cult of personality cultivated by the Leader and his administration. There is no conservative principle they will refuse to jettison, nor liberal principle embrace and vice versa. Whatever George Bush does becomes the party line: foreign adventurism; government intrusion into private affairs; massive deficits—all these have become conservative dogma for those who worship every mangled phrase spoken and misguided policy taken by the man.