" Cradle of Civilization " and THE EXORCIST

      For a baby boomer letter writer in the Boston Globe today the magic

    phrase " cradle of civilization " takes him back to an old school building

    in 1959. Yes, they did teach Ancient History back then and what pupil

    -even half awake in the dingy old school room - can forget the significance

    of " the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers -now modern  Iraq " ?

    I can almost SMELL the old textbook : " History of Western Civilization ".

    A copy of it is probably still around  gathering dust in some obscure

    section of the public library.

              There was nothing smug about that discredited course. In the

    spirit of the Greek Historian Herodotus it was lively, interesting,

    sympathetic and cosmopolitan -giving credit where it is due, finding

    VIRTUE even in the barbarian. A contagious thought : " Isn't the world

    an interesting place ? "

              But " modern Iraq " I also associate with the Peter Blatty

    horror story " The Exorcist " .The movie begins at an archaeological dig

    in Iraq. Father Merrin has just found a small , gargoyle-like statuette.

     " Suddenly an eerie wind begins to blow, and dogs begin fighting among

    themselves... a demonic force has been loosed upon the world "

            Once again " ancient evil manifests itself ". ( Magill's

    Survey of Cinema  )

              I'll bet that hideous gargoyle was recently stolen from

    the Museum of Iraq. Its new possessor - the next Saddam ?

                  What was the name of the ancient god of Darkness ? I'll

    check the old textbook on " Ancient History ".

Cicilline's own dirty tricks dept. ?

In some ways the " reform " mayor of Providence, David Cicilline,

    despite his many good qualities - is already beginning to show ethical

    narrow mindedness and even CLASS prejudice on certain issues. Being openly

    gay does not make you immune to the prevailing snobbery of your social

    background. When asked on Talk Radio ( WHJJ ) about the nearly impossible

    rental rates in Providence ( the caller was a struggling young artist) ,

    Cicilline did not even suggest the possibility of RENT CONTROL . Now THAT

    is a taboo idea for New Democrats everywhere - enough to make any two bit

    slum lord apoplectic !

              Also the new REFORM mayor wants to raise money for Providence

    by old fashioned dirty tricks -worthy of any creepy bureaucrat in the

    Rhode Island Registry of Motor Vehicles. Beware the not so hidden cameras

    at confusing intersections ! The cops will catch poor foolish violators of

    the law -not for the sake of public safety so much as for the purpose of

    balancing the city budget.

         And are we to believe that a traffic fine of one hundred dollars is

    EQUAL PUNISHMENT for all offenders, whatever their economic class ? Too

    often the logic of the law affronts common sense and common decency.

            The new REFORM mayor, David Cicilline, lacks the common touch.

    No surprise here. " Buddy " Cianci  could at least fake it - with the help

    of booze, cigarettes, and cuss words.

              Can't " Buddy "  host a talk show from jail ? Fill the void

    left by " Providence " ?

Atkins -sure sign of a charlatan

In 1972 the GREAT REBELLION was waning and I might have

    despaired thinking that the only real revolution in town was the

    Atkins Diet Revolution.  Science as a human institution with a well

    established SCIENTIFIC METHOD for finding relative -if not absolute

    TRUTH -will be the final judge of the Atkins diet. But just look

    around you at FAT America. Clearly ALL diet revolutions can claim

    as much obvious success as the WAR ON POVERTY.

               When I read that Dr. Atkins  said that God wanted HIM to

    eradicate obesity - with all due respect for the dear departed - I

    smelled a charlatan.  And the very circumstances of his death - falling

    on ice - suggest that God Himself is helpless to fight gravity.

              The American life style -not metabolic mutation - has given

    us this epidemic of obesity. The other day I could not fail to notice

    an obese man - whom I love as a person - voraciously wipe his dinner

    plate of all visible gravy. I wanted to yell at him : " Please leave

    just a little of that precious gravy for the GERMS ! "

              Outside  an Asian-American - they are usually thin when

    they arrive here - with a middle aged gut was drinking  a coke.

                 Pop psychologists  write that for many people food is

    LOVE. And we are loving ourselves to death !

               Another Great Depression will cure obesity faster than any

    Atkins Diet Revolution. Isn't a high protein diet elitist to begin

    with ?  Of course rice is cheaper than roast beef or lobster.

                 What does the good doctor tell fat poor people ? " Let

    them eat cake !  "

Omar Bradley's politics

Watching the war news on TV, I often caught references to

    the Bradley Tank - a formidable " smart " weapon , I understand . Time

    will tell just how wise  was this pre-emptive attack on Iraq - led by

    the bloody megalomaniac, Saddam Hussein. I do " support the troops " -

    but with great reservations. Patriotism is a poor excuse for brainlessness.

                 That  Bradley Tank had to be named after the famous mild

    mannered and thoughtful World War II American general, Omar Bradley .

    In his biography " A General's Life " he hints at his politics  which I

    do find refreshingly AMERICAN in the best sense : " I was in sympathy

    with most New Deal measures because, like my father,I always pulled for

    the little man, worker and farmer . "

                 Such a general today - assigned to rebuild Iraq  - might

    truly win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Imagine an

    American general establishing a workers and farmers government in Baghdad

    -and saying " Nuts ! " to  Big Oil - like Exxon  ?

                    At least a good idea for a Hollywood movie -starring Martin

    Sheen and Jane Fonda -with music by the Dixie-chicks .