George Bush is cruising up and down Walker’s Point in his speedboat while the tens of thousands of young men he has sent to the gulf face hardships, uncertainties, and possibly death. For what? To protect democracy? To “do the right thing”? (For whom?) To show that “might doesn’t make right”? (How ironic.) Hardly. To protect plutocracy and ensure a constant supply of relatively cheap raw materials for Big Oil would be more accurate. Don’t expect oil and gas prices to go down. This is an opportunity for more profits….

Rich Miller stated in his Aug. 23 column that the picture of Bush playing golf, fishing, and speed-boating during a three-week vacation to avoid being “held hostage in the White House” doesn’t fit. Sure it does. He’s done his job. He’s insured that the war on the poor and working families started with Reagan will continue. Even more money better spent on human needs back home will be scoffed up by the military and defense contractors. New weapons systems will be approved, more money the government doesn’t have will be spent, more government bonds will be issued, to be paid back with interest by you and me. Then when Gramm-Rudman forces cuts, many beleaguered social programs will go the way of the dodo. Anticipating these cuts, President Bush has had the vision to exempt the budget for military salaries.

Through his gas-guzzling pursuits and, more importantly, through his administration’s priorities, Bush shows himself to be short on empathy but long on lip service to the average struggling American. (Not surprising for a man who was chauffered to private school in a limo during the Depression.) Now, along with the Chinese people, the people of El Salvador, and not-so-wealthy Americans, the rights and lives of our troops in Saudi Arabia are just an afterthought.

Such a drastic measure as trying to starve the Iraqi people through a blockade is contemptible. More negotiation is needed, but Bush just wants the slightest excuse to go in and flatten Iraq. As usual, the innocent will be killed. This isn’t World War II again. This is blood for oil. The troops should be brought back home, and not in body bags. Mark Rose Orono