AMERICA BEWARE Of BECOMING A LYNCH MOB

               OF COURSE THERE IS A LOT TO BE ANGRY ABOUT - BUT.......

Raw emotion has been unleashed in America for obvious reason. We are living in difficult and dangerous times. But we had better come to our senses and insist that we individually and collectively live under a rule of law - where reason prevails - or we shall make matters infinitely worse.

It doesn't take much imagination to conjecture that the anger at AIG - and the excessive bonus issue - and others - is but a symptom of a more fundamental issue - namely uncertainty anxiety.

Reports from a number of respected sources indicate that most likely no one knows the full extent of our current economic mess. That not knowing creates fear and anxiety. Fear and anxiety typically get converted into diffuse anger and rage. And sooner that later diffuse aggression gets focused and directed to the scape goat of the moment.

I am no apologist for greedy corporate America but the contracts were legal documents and partially authorized by our government. It will due no one any good if we act as a self righteous lynch mob and 'kill' the legal bonuses of a relatively few people while missing a golden opportunity to channel our passion where it could make a substantial difference and benefit everyone except for those who deserve our individual and collective wrath.

To whom am I referring.....

I wouldn't be surprised to discover that whipping up the fog associated with the economic crisis is ex President Bush and his wise sage ex VP Mr. Cheney. Have we forgotten who got us into this mess in the first place. Have we forgotten who got us into an unjust war by violating our precious rule of law - a war that has been estimated to have cost us s0 far - 4 trillion dollars.

Look carefully at that figure of 4 trillion as it would about wipe out our present estimated headache's expenses.

Have we so quickly forgotten the multiple insults to our constitution and our bill of rights with an obnoxious argument based on phoney and in some cases made up information --- . Have we forgotten the specious tortured logic that might is right when we say it is justified ?  Have we forgotten the horrifying pictures at Agugraib of not only prioners having been tortured but those images flashed around the world undercutting the best of what we have to offer?

We are suffering a world wide crisis of confidence brought on in large part because of ourselves. God surely is not on our side. But who is?

If we want to harness and focus our anger in a constructive way I think congress should immediately call for extensive and intensive hearings and expose all that is exposable to the American people so we can cl;early pin point all those who did us a great disservice.

In this connection note the following headline in today's news:

"Over objections from the U.S. intelligence community, the White House is moving to declassify-and publicly release-three internal memos that will lay out, for the first time, details of the "enhanced" interrogation techniques approved by the Bush administration for use against "high value" Qaeda detainees. The memos, written by Justice Department lawyers in May 2005, provide the legal rationale for waterboarding, head slapping and other rough tactics used by the CIA. One senior Obama official, who like others interviewed for this story requested anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity, said the memos were "ugly" and could embarrass the CIA. Other officials predicted they would fuel demands for a "truth commission" on torture."

i WOULD IMAGINE THAT THOSE WHO ARE STENUOUSLY OBJECTING TO THE RELEASE OF THESE MEMOS BEAR A STRIKING SIMILARITY TO EX President Bush and his wise surrogate ex Vicepresident  Cheney.

Meanwhile unless we are truly experts in the management of what is obviously extraordinary economic matters we should ask good questions, keep alert but don't collective run off as if each of our emotional opinions is equated with absolute truth.