December 27, 2004

UNDERSTANDING NATURE'S RAGE: BUSH TO BLAME

        In an addendum to his Sunday column Tom Friedman adds an 11th reason why the Bush administration is upsetting his wife: the Asian tsunami- clear evidence that Nature is angry. Let us try to empathize and understand. Friedman's reasoning: Bush's mindless tax cuts deprive our scientists, teachers, United Nations diplomats, environmentalists, social workers and psychiatrists of the resources they need to work with Nature's understandable grievances so that they never explode in such devastating ways. Surely anger is a reaction to frustration, and nature has had to endure one term of Bush; a second may have been more than she could bear. Instead of tax cuts for the rich, why not raise taxes and give it to those who understand the reasons why Nature's wrath is so great? After all, the original state of nature, before profit seeking oil companies despoiled it was kind, loving, full of happily singing, harmonious creatures. According to Friedman and the New York Times, all that stands between us and universal happiness is higher tax revenues. The record speaks for itself; there were no 9.0 Richter scale earthquakes during the Clinton years--and Mrs. Friedman never sulked.