“GOODNESS, GRACIOUS GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!”

12/31/09

“Paid cash?

One way ticket?

No baggage?

On a terrorist watch list?

Welcome aboard, sir…have a nice flight.”



The above conversation could have taken place, word for word, with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab before he boarded the Amsterdam-New York Northwest Flight that he almost brought down with his literal crotch rocket. Rather than apply common sense, and the guidelines that have already been provided, the government has decided that we law abiding citizens will now have to be subjected to searches that amount to auditions for Penthouse or Playgirl Magazine. Further, the Obama Administration, with the full acquiescence, indeed the encouragement, of the “small government” GOP, is going to get us more involved with money and “advisors” (perhaps sons and grandsons of the “advisors” who JFK and LBJ sent to Vietnam) in the “insurgency” (civil war, really) in Yemen. Great.

It all makes sense, however, from the typical politician’s perspective when you consider that there is very little money in common sense while there is lots and lots of money in gee-whiz, big brother technology and virtually uncountable piles of cash in war. Why miss an opportunity to make campaign contributors, and one’s self, rich? When terrorists send us lemons, our politicians make lemonade.

For my money, give me the machine politicians of yesteryear. (See The Chairman, A Novel of Big City Politics, by yours truly.) Yes, they stole from us, but they made no bones about it; they didn’t trot around piously pontificating about their concern for mankind and their ability to lead us to a new American Valhalla under their wise and prudent leadership. We knew they were making themselves rich at our expense, but at least we got something out of it…a clean street, a garbage can, a contribution to the Little League team, a fixed parking ticket, maybe a job. All we get from the current crop of popinjays and poltroons is hot air, huge bills, and effective theft on a scale that would make the Honorable Alderman Thomas Keane (34th) blush. And, believe me, the Honorable Alderman Vito Marzullo (25th), would have never allowed the likes of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Flight 253.