Two Doctors and no prescription for any meds, legal or illegal

The cold always bothers me. Not so much the actual temperature -- 20 degrees and sunny here in Northeastern Westchester County, New York -- but the concept of cold -- of worrying about ice, and having to buddle the kid least she die -- that really bothers me. It's all the extra preparation I have to factor into every conceivable action that rankles my spirit. It puts me in the most curmudgeonly of moods and makes me cast dispersions on otherwise honest folk trying to do their best. Instead of a difference of opinion, I see cranial density.

I'll blame it on the weather. I'll plead Seasonal Affective Disorder. Then I'll go in search of meds at Mark and Susie's wine shop in Vista. They always have what the doctor ordered.

North Korea and the other Dr. K

Charles Krauthammer, is a sharp guy, with a Pulitzer Prize under his belt and all that. But I don't get his latest column that derides the Bush Administration's apparent cave to North Korea's blackmail. The relatively affluent Dr. Krauthammer hasn't learned or has forgotten the fine art placating those who demand payment immediately. As the owner of a small business, I recognize the Bushies strategy of telling the demanding party -- North Korea as opposed to Vendor A -- whatever they want to hear while you take care of other matters -- in this case Iraq as opposed to Vendor B. Methinks Mr. Bush et al. are making nice to North Korea and will until Saddam Hussien is bagged and tagged. Then, the ugliness starts.

Shrewd? Of course and on a couple of levels. From the Realpolitick perspective, we have to hammer Saddam first. He has been using Al Qaeda as a Fifth Column for his war on America for years. Taking him out would make my walks thorugh NYC safer, if only on a macro level. Politically, it works too. If Saddam gone in 9 months, what left for Americans to rally around? Prescription drugs benefits? Tax cuts? A Social Security overhaul?

No. North Korea would be a great overseas bogey man for Karl Rove and Company to flog after Saddam has acquired room temperature. Kim Chong-Il is an authentic crazy with no scruples about making his subjects eat grass to keep from starving. Moreover, the US can not let this mutant rattle our militarily weak trading partners (and bond holders), Japan and South Korea. If the US can just keep him quiet for another year, then whack him, Japan and South Korea will collectively exhale and Mr. Bush is looking at an automatic landslide on the order of Reagan v. Mondale. Only he may sweep all 50 states.

Note to Dr.K: the check's in the mail.

Dr. S wants to wait until everything has been planned

A loyal reader, Dr. S, hammered me last week regarding my version US policy in the Middle East. He writes:

[L]et me get this straight and in writing: Are you advocating actively overthrowing (through subversive or direct military means) every government in the middle east?? Just what do you propose we do after we "show them the door"....

A)Walk away (Now, that's self determination)?
B)Middle-Eastern Marshall plan?
C)Military occupation?
D)Immediate elections?
E)Statehood?

I'm sorry, but at this point, and without a real plan, I can't get on-board your interventionist train.

I like the Chinese Menu-type options given and opt for B and C. Hereditary dictatorships are mendacious forms of government and should be overthrown by the forces of liberty, i.e. us. With Iraq, that'll mean a direct attack, ending with Saddam's head on a stick. With Iran, we can underwrite subtle pressure and support of the growing movement already in place to throw the mullahs out. When those two go away, you can bet that the PLO -- which has been fed on a diet of oil money from these two for years -- will be a lot more open to negotiating a real peace with the Israelis. With Iraq occupied like Japan and some form of a federal-type republic in place, the rest of the Middle East will become a very dangerous place for Kings, Princes, Sultans and other hereditary thugs, like the ones that run Egypt and Syria.

Indeed, the Saudis know this, and are working diligently behind the scenes to orchestrate a coup in Iraq. Such a coup, the theory holds, would stop the US from invading Iraq and setting up a free republic next door. The Saudi Royal Family knows that we would immediately begin broadcasting into their air space, stirring up the rabble and letting them know they've been getting screwed by the Saudi Royal Family for decades. The monkey mass of Saudi Society -- the ones that actually do all the grunt work that Saudi princes find beneath their station -- will demand their fair share of all that oil money. That, and a say in how things are run.

And I think it's a great idea. Can you imagine American commercial broad/cable casting being unleased on the unwashed masses yearning to breath free? The Royal Family couldn't get out of town fast enough. I love the concept.

Granted, the price of oil would immediately spike, but it would then fall through the floor as market forces crushed OPEC into oblivion. Russia would open up the spigot and the oil would flow, flow, flow. They have their own problems with dangerous Islamists blowing up chunks of their cities and would be more than happy to steal market share from the Saudis (and Iraqis and Iranians etc.). It would both increase their reserve of hard currency and choke off funding for the same sort of fascists that murdered 3,000 New Yorkers and re-arranged my beloved skyline.

Beautiful People that deserve happiness

On a personal note, I want to wish Ralph and Susie a happy wedding / marriage. Ralph, like Dr.S and myself, is true blue Burl through and through. Indeed, he was witness some of Dr. S' youthful experiments with rear-engine cars at high speed. Those times -- and mindsets -- are long gone. Indeed, Ralph works at the US embassy in Paris doing important, adult-type work. He met the lovely Susie while there at some sort of Embassy function and the knot's to be tied sooner rather than later. We at The Catahoula Press wish them the best of good luck and good fortune. They are welcome at my humble digs are anytime.

17 Jan 03 dpny

After a long hiatus, The Catahoula Press is back online. New uncertainties face the new year, but what else is new? It's the same as every other year and only the naive ever think otherwise. North Korea has always been a loose cannon but had been "cleverly" bought off by Mssrs. Carter and Clinton, two of the most feckless world leaders ever. The always erudite Michael Kelly opines that dealing with North Korea involves a sort of time-shifting -- kicking the can to the next administration. I accept his point. However, the blackmail will continue.

Shifting to domestic issues, the candidacy of John Edwards (D-NC) raises an interesting point about Democrats in general and lawyers in particular. Does anyone -- other than me -- realize that the last two elected lawyers, Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon both ended up on the losing side of the impeachment process.

No. There will be no more lawyers elected to the Presidency in the foreseeable future.

15 Jan 03 dpny