Wednesday, August 29, 2001
Dr. Paranoia sees a bright future
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
Dr. Paranoia sees a brightening potential ahead of us
For the neighbor who are distressed by the continuing escalation of Palestinian terrorist suicide attacks and Israel's ever harsher responses, by the Gramercy Park revelations and by our President's policies, Dr. Paranoia brings new hopes. The President and the Texas Senator Kay Bailey
Hutchinson both insist that the Palestinian terrorism must stop, and you know how strong-minded those Texans are..Parenthetically, the Arabs should realize that now they have gone too far,
with the bombing of a pizza parlor in Tel Aviv, potentially bringing a new powerful
participant into the war. Sicilians are even tougher than Texans. The best news is that Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer wants to shepherd new pace talks, in Berlin. A former pro-Palestinian New Left guerrilla himself, he had his epiphany in 1976 when the German kidnappers at Entebbe decreed that the Jewish hostages would be killed. That smacked of Hitler, and Fisher, after reproaching Arafat, changed his direction. Alas, some pesky Germans still distrust his rebirth Come, who knows terrorists better than a former colleague.
Further upbeat news in Macedonia - the major Albanian parties have agreed to
disarm their fighters, if this is done under the supervision of NATO. All that remains is a detail,- convincing the minor Albanian parties and the Kosovar interlopers, and determining how many weapons will be turned in. Unfortunately, the distrusting Macedonians feel that 3,500 of 80,000 guns is somewhat inadequate.
In North Ireland, something positive. A general of the IRA has declared
his willingness to disarm the militants. But the pesky Protestants are
not satisfied, and will not accept the peace until some real arms have been
surrendered. There's always a spoiler. Of course, Ireland has its own
problems. The one million Irish voters have rejected the European Union
treaty that will add 500 million members to EU, in 12 nations, helping to
build brotherhood and peace and avoid wars. The Irish voters don't want
poor nations in, such as might need help, forgetting that Erin for years
survived with the $25 billion of aid of the 14 other member nations. That's good
thinking, supposing we be needing assistance again?
Incredibly, the Indians and Pakistanis have spoken to each other, for the first
time in decades. The Pakistani leader is hopeful, but the Indian leader, speaking on
India's Independence Day behind a bullet-proof shield, claims that it is
hopeless to have meetings. All that the man from Islamabad wants to talk
about is Kashmir, Kashmir, Kashmir...
Locally, good news, gasoline is down to $1.39 a gallon. And we were
worrying about an energy crisis. Silly us. Of course OPEC is cutting down
on production by 4 percent, a million barrels a day, to bring the numbers
back to a high profit level, but there are plenty of smugglers. Iraq will
keep the oil gushing, and save the day.
A victory for the environmentalists, Secretary Christine Todd Whitman has
determined that the Hudson must be dredged, above Albany, to get rid of
200,000 lbs of PCBs in the silt. No word of where the contaminated silt
will be deposited, so as not to poison arable land and agricultural
products. But they have not heard the last from GE - the upstate locals
are protesting about the stirred up river bed . Guess which corporation
helps them with a wee bit of PR and ad money. Governor George Pataki is happy,
his pressure persuaded Washington to act. Don't expect him to push around
the recalcitrant upstaters as well.
And the NYS budget has been passed, relatively early. But do not expect
anyone to be happy about it, supplementary budgets will be needed, and no
one can plan with such a moving target. But. a first, nevertheless, no matter how wrongheaded...
The Supreme Court of the US had another problem. First, they decided who
would be the President of the US in 2001, an action that seems
unconstitutional, but since they are the ultimate authorities on the
Constitution... More recently, a tied vote had caused a man to be scheduled for execution, for a
crime he committed while still a juvenile (fortunately, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, of all people, bailed the Supremes out). Tied, in my book, means to go back
and reexamine, re-judge However, since they write the book.
More good bits. Chandra Condit is momentarily off the front pages (did i speak too soon?).. Michael Bloomberg is nearly off the front pages. And there are jobs - 37 of the 51 New
York City Council seats are open, due to term limits. It's a good income, $90k a year, tens of thousands of dollars to apportion to causes of your choice, no experience required. In eight years you can build up connections that will assure you of an excellent post-councilmanic career. Ethnicity is a plus - this is a lethargic election, and a turnout of your landsmen can swing you in.. Thanks, Ronald Lauder, for your gift of term limits to NYC.
Meanwhile, happy Labor Day weekend to all readers, do not go out in the midday sun, watch out for mosquitoes and
West Nile fever, stay away from bushes, high grass and Lyme disease ticks.
Watch out for sharks in the ocean and drink plenty of water, but do not
swallow the stuff if you are swimming in a algae-infested lake. If the President should happen to catch this - he is doing the right thing in staying out of international forces and active participation in Israel, no mattr what the Muslim states request. That’s deep you-know-what country, to quote G.H.W. Bush.
Dr. Paranoia suggests that any racial, ethnic and religious groups blaming him for inadequate representation, good or bad, write to the Editor of this newspaper (or any other newspaper, activism is good for the soul). However, this column needs correspondence, for job security. Sometimes it is very lonely in the tower, while the all the good writers are busy bashing Met Life.
Dr. Paranoia sees a brightening potential ahead of us
For the neighbor who are distressed by the continuing escalation of Palestinian terrorist suicide attacks and Israel's ever harsher responses, by the Gramercy Park revelations and by our President's policies, Dr. Paranoia brings new hopes. The President and the Texas Senator Kay Bailey
Hutchinson both insist that the Palestinian terrorism must stop, and you know how strong-minded those Texans are..Parenthetically, the Arabs should realize that now they have gone too far,
with the bombing of a pizza parlor in Tel Aviv, potentially bringing a new powerful
participant into the war. Sicilians are even tougher than Texans. The best news is that Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer wants to shepherd new pace talks, in Berlin. A former pro-Palestinian New Left guerrilla himself, he had his epiphany in 1976 when the German kidnappers at Entebbe decreed that the Jewish hostages would be killed. That smacked of Hitler, and Fisher, after reproaching Arafat, changed his direction. Alas, some pesky Germans still distrust his rebirth Come, who knows terrorists better than a former colleague.
Further upbeat news in Macedonia - the major Albanian parties have agreed to
disarm their fighters, if this is done under the supervision of NATO. All that remains is a detail,- convincing the minor Albanian parties and the Kosovar interlopers, and determining how many weapons will be turned in. Unfortunately, the distrusting Macedonians feel that 3,500 of 80,000 guns is somewhat inadequate.
In North Ireland, something positive. A general of the IRA has declared
his willingness to disarm the militants. But the pesky Protestants are
not satisfied, and will not accept the peace until some real arms have been
surrendered. There's always a spoiler. Of course, Ireland has its own
problems. The one million Irish voters have rejected the European Union
treaty that will add 500 million members to EU, in 12 nations, helping to
build brotherhood and peace and avoid wars. The Irish voters don't want
poor nations in, such as might need help, forgetting that Erin for years
survived with the $25 billion of aid of the 14 other member nations. That's good
thinking, supposing we be needing assistance again?
Incredibly, the Indians and Pakistanis have spoken to each other, for the first
time in decades. The Pakistani leader is hopeful, but the Indian leader, speaking on
India's Independence Day behind a bullet-proof shield, claims that it is
hopeless to have meetings. All that the man from Islamabad wants to talk
about is Kashmir, Kashmir, Kashmir...
Locally, good news, gasoline is down to $1.39 a gallon. And we were
worrying about an energy crisis. Silly us. Of course OPEC is cutting down
on production by 4 percent, a million barrels a day, to bring the numbers
back to a high profit level, but there are plenty of smugglers. Iraq will
keep the oil gushing, and save the day.
A victory for the environmentalists, Secretary Christine Todd Whitman has
determined that the Hudson must be dredged, above Albany, to get rid of
200,000 lbs of PCBs in the silt. No word of where the contaminated silt
will be deposited, so as not to poison arable land and agricultural
products. But they have not heard the last from GE - the upstate locals
are protesting about the stirred up river bed . Guess which corporation
helps them with a wee bit of PR and ad money. Governor George Pataki is happy,
his pressure persuaded Washington to act. Don't expect him to push around
the recalcitrant upstaters as well.
And the NYS budget has been passed, relatively early. But do not expect
anyone to be happy about it, supplementary budgets will be needed, and no
one can plan with such a moving target. But. a first, nevertheless, no matter how wrongheaded...
The Supreme Court of the US had another problem. First, they decided who
would be the President of the US in 2001, an action that seems
unconstitutional, but since they are the ultimate authorities on the
Constitution... More recently, a tied vote had caused a man to be scheduled for execution, for a
crime he committed while still a juvenile (fortunately, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, of all people, bailed the Supremes out). Tied, in my book, means to go back
and reexamine, re-judge However, since they write the book.
More good bits. Chandra Condit is momentarily off the front pages (did i speak too soon?).. Michael Bloomberg is nearly off the front pages. And there are jobs - 37 of the 51 New
York City Council seats are open, due to term limits. It's a good income, $90k a year, tens of thousands of dollars to apportion to causes of your choice, no experience required. In eight years you can build up connections that will assure you of an excellent post-councilmanic career. Ethnicity is a plus - this is a lethargic election, and a turnout of your landsmen can swing you in.. Thanks, Ronald Lauder, for your gift of term limits to NYC.
Meanwhile, happy Labor Day weekend to all readers, do not go out in the midday sun, watch out for mosquitoes and
West Nile fever, stay away from bushes, high grass and Lyme disease ticks.
Watch out for sharks in the ocean and drink plenty of water, but do not
swallow the stuff if you are swimming in a algae-infested lake. If the President should happen to catch this - he is doing the right thing in staying out of international forces and active participation in Israel, no mattr what the Muslim states request. That’s deep you-know-what country, to quote G.H.W. Bush.
Dr. Paranoia suggests that any racial, ethnic and religious groups blaming him for inadequate representation, good or bad, write to the Editor of this newspaper (or any other newspaper, activism is good for the soul). However, this column needs correspondence, for job security. Sometimes it is very lonely in the tower, while the all the good writers are busy bashing Met Life.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 3:08 AM 
