Dec. 23, 2004 - 15:05 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

"Let Them Eat Cake"

The news seems to have its usual sickening content. Just changes of name or type of incidentbut barfology says it is about at the same level. I see an article by Ellen Goodman of The Boston Globe about Mr. Rumsfeld. In essence she seems to have found out that Rummy is using a signature machine or some such device to sign letters of condolence to relatives of deceased soldiers.

One paragraph I quote, The news that condolence letters from his office had been signed -- if signed is the right word -- by a machine echoed everywhere." "In the interest of ensuring timely contact with grieving family members, he has not individually signed each letter, admitted a Pentagon spokesman." Unquote

I begin to wonder if in the interests of efficiency they will begin to bury our dead military in mass graves in Iraq ? My opinion only, but they are my thoughts.

Then there is an article by Juliet Eilperin of The Washington Post. In part:

Major forest rule change pairs ecology, economy

FORESTS: Animal counts, impact statements no longer required

WASHINGTON -- "The Bush administration issued comprehensive new rules Wednesday for national forests, jettisoning environmental protections that date to Ronald Regan's administration and putting in place the biggest change in forest use policies in neary three decades."

"The regulations affect recreation, endangered species protections and livestock grazing, among other things, on all 192 million acres of the country's 155 national forests."

"Sally Collins asscociate chief of the U.S. Forest Service, said the changes will replace a bureaucratic planning process with a more corporate management approach . . . . . . .

"The new rules give economic activity equal priority with preserving the ecological health of the forests in m aking management decisions and in potentially Liberalizing caps on how much timber can be taken from a forest.

"We're really in a new world," collins said. "You've got to have different plans fore different places, and you've got to have more dynamic plans."

"With (President) Bush's anti-enviromental forest policy, you can't blame him for trying to hide behind other news, but not even Scrooge would unveil these regulations," Udall said. "These regulations, being offered two days before Christmas, cut the public out of the forest planning process, will inspire many more lawsuits and provide less protection for wildlife. It's a radical overhaul of forest policy."

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There is much more to the article, pro and con, back and forth, ifs ands and buts. But it looks as if Mr. Bush's IF I SAY SO will stand and deforestation, oil-patching and other commercial enterprises will tend toward making our country a place where it is not too plesant to exist. But it is the country we have, not the country we want - - - - as Mr. Rumsfeld recently applied to military matters.

The thing I keep thinking about is that when deforestation and consequent reversals of environment happen, then trees as we knew them will no longer be able to grow into forests. Animals once extinct cannot make a reappearance. Watersheds once denuded will funnel the water to the seas. At least that is how it looks to me. But then, perhaps those in the administration have Marie Antionette's philosophy as she so aptly put it, "Let Them Eat Cake" . . . . . . . . .

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