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Our
Tax Cut Maginot Line
May
8, 2001
by Joe Randazzo
The Right Wing, aside from its obsession with all things
Clinton, does have some other disturbing and overwhelming
preoccupations. Well, actually they have a bunch, but two
of them that are relevant recently are enormous tax breaks
for the wealthy and antimissile systems.
Now as much as we all know that this Administration (should
I bother to capitalize?) relies on "good science" to pass
"good law" and doesn't like "bad science"... I have some reservations
about some of its policies.
Their unhealthy preoccupation with tax cuts is illogical
and ill founded. We all know - yes, even the Right Wing -
that thirty years from now we'll be celebrating the fact that
we finally came out from under the massive deficits and debts
brought on by the Bush Administration the Sequel. That is
assuming of course we all survive Boy George's environmental
policies.
It will probably take the efforts of some free-spending,
fiscally irresponsible Democrat to get the country out of
debt (no doubt our future economy will be driven by gas mask
sales).
Now we all know what's coming with these tax cuts, yet these
"patriotic" Right Wingers (do any of them ever really serve
in the military or do they just manipulate others to fight
their battles for them?) will once again attempt to cripple
our country by starving it to death, and - oh yes - stuff
a few more bucks in their pockets. Now, we also all know that
eventually sanity will prevail and taxes will have to be raised
again so that we can really do "the peoples' business" (forgive
me, George). Just ask Texas in the post-Georgie boy era.
It seems our country is threatened more from the inside by
the fiscal terrorists of the Right than by foreign extremists.
Anyway, if responsible lawmakers are unable to stem this assault
on our nation (for that is what it is), we just have to go
through this financial nightmare all over again. The Confederacy,
it seems, is alive and well and still fighting to tear this
government apart. They're just a lot more savvy now and know
how to grind out that propaganda.
I guess it's the Republican version of "Groundhog Day."
The French, it seems, did not only give us the Statue of
Liberty. Now we have inherited their Maginot Line. The Maginot
Line was the "impregnable" line of defense they built in the
1930's. The popular opinion at that time was that no one would
be able to conquer France because of their Maginot Line.
As I remember from my history books, Germany didn't even
break a sweat while defeating France. They pretty much did
it blindfolded with one hand behind its back.
The Maginot Line?
Well, the Maginot Line held well. Not a scratch on it. It's
probably still impregnable; it could probably stem any attack
that comes its way.
The Germans, not in a mood to play fair, simply went around
the Maginot Line. I know, I know, we all now how dastardly
the Germans behaved back then. They didn't play by the rules.
But today, any terrorists or "rogue" states looking to harm
these United States of Bush will undoubtedly play fair. I
am convinced they will load a nuclear device (or a biological
or chemical weapon) onto a ballistic missile. Then they will
launch it at us and wreak havoc upon our society.
As I understand it, our technology allows us to spot missile
launches, fires, heck...cigarette lighters even, as they happen
(or soon thereafter). So basically terrorists or "rogue" states
will announce their intentions and allow us to retaliate.
I am almost positive these very bad people will give our satellites
a nice, bright heat signature to track.
Knocking a ballistic missile out of the air is like "hitting
a bullet with a bullet" (great line... someone on "West
Wing" described it like that). This is a difficult affair
at best, and so far, we haven't had much success. Now this
system will cost billions and billions (luckily for me, most
of my best friends are top ranking execs in the defense industry
- so I'll know people who will benefit from this scam) and
probably not be very effective.
But let's assume the system is effective - assume it's very
effective. There used to be a joke some decades back that
Communist China didn't need missiles; they had enough people
to carry one here, which is somewhat relevant to this discussion.
Isn't it more likely that a nuclear or chemical or biological
device will be smuggled into the country and used in a densely
populated area?
I mean let's be real here folks. Isn't it way more likely
for terrorists or a "rogue" state (knowing their penchant
for irony), would wait until after we spend billions (trillions?)
on an impregnable antimissile system and then carry a device
here and detonate it after the grand opening ceremony? Now,
wouldn't that be a Political Statement?
I think even the conservative think tanks appreciate this
possibility; I think even Boy George can grasp this one. So
why push for it? What is the Right's preoccupation with Star
Wars?
Conservatives are fiscally responsible, are they not? They
hate Big Government and Big Spenders, do they not?
They even hate the French! So why copy them? Why build our
own Super Duper Maginot Line?
The other disturbing aspect of this is the idea of satellites
or platforms with missiles floating around up there (also
discussed as part of this antimissile system). I'm sure our
allies love this idea almost as much as those countries, rogue
or otherwise, that we don't see eye-to-eye with.
Who's to say we don't start planting "offensive" missiles
in orbit? I know, we wouldn't think of such a thing;
we're the good guys. The thought that we would sneak nukes
in orbit to hold the world hostage is a scary one to me and
I'm sure it's an idea that has been kicked around by all sorts
of think tanks.
Unless we're up to something, it just doesn't make sense
to build this system. It's expensive. It probably won't work.
It will probably benefit large campaign contributors to the
GOP.
Hmmmm...
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