Friday, February 24, 2006

Don't They Tell Him Anything?

The Vice President shoots his friend in a hunting accident, and nobody knows until the next day. No one even bothers to tell the president. I suppose there was nothing he could do, but you think he might have been interested. (I told a group at work that Cheney was the first sitting vice president to shoot a man since Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel and killed him. A couple of people said "Aaron who?" I think the others were wondering who Cheney was.)

Now a British company is getting ready to sell the management of several major eastern U.S. sea ports to a company owned by the government of Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates. There is a lot of discussion as to whether or not this is really a security risk, but Bush goes public with a vehement defense of the sale, and threatens to use his first veto ever against any bill Congress passes to postpone or cancel the sale. Then word leaks out that Bush himself only heard about the sale 3 days before Congress did.

Don't they tell him anything?

Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College

Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies,
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
‘tis folly to be wise.

Thomas Gray