George,

I have never been a follower of "the sky is falling" mentality, but what is happening contemporaneously in our nation is chilling. Cheney's latest fear mongering is straight out of the "Goering-Goebbels' " play book. If the nation is kept on edge, rational thinking will be be overridden by paralyzing fear. Roosevelt said it best in his first inaugural speech, "mindless fear." He also said, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." There is something more sinister going on here, the real goal of these "latter day Nazis" is to get the power to work their nefarious plan to undermine and eliminate the very basis of our Democracy.

The signs are everywhere! Just the Bush Gang's tax schemes are geared to eliminate taxes on capital gains, interest, corporate profits, dividends on corporate stocks, etc, and estate transfers. Simply stated, an elite freeloading class, living in a society giving them all the benefits of government, paid for by payroll taxes, alone. In short, the working stiffs will be the worker ants for the fat cats! This is no exaggeration! It starts with things like the flat tax and medical savings accounts, that give the wealthy the right to salt away medical expense money, tax free. All progressivity in our tax code, that goes back to 1913 , is eliminated under the future Bush Scheme.

Elimination of estate taxes, which already give every living, breathing citizen a 1. 5 million dollar exemption will protect those with enormous wealth and create a lopsided hoarding of assets, unseen since the turn of the century in 1900. The deficit will grow to such montrously high levels, that the right wing will "sell" the idea that all entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare etc. must be curtailed or eliminated to "save" the nation. It is called "Starving the Beast," and zealots like Grover Norquist and other neocons have Bush's ear and he likes what he is hearing.

Balanced budgets are "SO Eisenhower"! SO old GOP! This isn't fiction; it isn't partisan politics, it is factual and much of it, such as the obscene deficit is already in place-- the estate tax is phased out in 2010 and taxes on capital gains, interest and dividends are in the first phase of ultimate elimination. So it serves the radical right wing perfectly to keep the nation in fear and with the anniversary of 9-11 around the corner, rest assured, that horror will be trotted out for maximum exploitation.

Taxes first, then they'll finish the "war on the Bill of Rights (exception, 2nd Amendment), already underway with their "Patriot Act" in phase two.

I think it is interesting that Cheney goes after Reagan for the Beirut barracks bombing in 1983 and Clinton for the attacks on his "watch" but fails to take any blame for the "Mother of All Attacks," 9-11-01, while the evidence of negligence and failure to heed warning after warning to Bush and his minions is overwhelming! They had everything but the time, date and location! AND it was on their watch! Many will drink the Kool-Ade. America is locked in FEAR!

- Harry Tenney (electronic mail, September 8, 2004)