a strongly penned but unfortunately rather agreeable assessment of the situation, to my gray matter. not to discount all the opposing arguments, but i hope the right among us can see the validity of Le Carre's perspective...he's far indeed from alone in the world with it.

i was struck by paragraph 5:

"How Bush and his junta succeeded in deflecting America's anger from bin Laden to Saddam Hussein is one of the great public relations conjuring tricks of history. But they swung it. A recent poll tells us that one in two Americans now believe Saddam was responsible for the attack on the World Trade Centre.

(that's fucking sad)

But the American public is not merely being misled. It is being browbeaten and kept in a state of ignorance and fear. The carefully orchestrated neurosis should carry Bush and his fellow conspirators nicely into the next election."

i know Bushies hate it when these parallels are drawn, but i'll be darned if they don't get unavoidable at times:

"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. . . All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

yes, that's right, it's our old pal Hermann Goering, offering us dark insights from beyond the joyfully spinning grave. shame that the History Channel lost the ratings wars to Star Search a long time ago.