Shadowy evil threatens our democracy By Curt Andersen News-Chronicle The pyramids in Egypt were built about 4,500 years ago. Some of the massive structures were covered with smooth limestone or granite, which must have shimmered in the sunlight. Over the millennia since their completion, most of the smooth limestone and granite was carted away under orders of this or that caliph to build the nearby city of Cairo. Now that President Bush wants to bring democracy to Iraq, it appears he means to dismantle our democracy and then cart the chipped and cracked remains of what used to belong to us off to Baghdad. Bush's ironically named "Patriot Act" and its successor will undermine the rights of citizens in ways that would make earlier fascist governments smack their foreheads for not thinking of it first. This will become more obvious as Bush's minions begin to pry into the affairs of regular citizens. Many people who lead simple lives and commit no crimes might think they would be immune from government prying. Those who secretly buy or sell Packer pulltabs or who deal in the underground economy might be surprised to find themselves being investigated. Then there's the bad-boy investigator who wants your boat, your car or your house. He might have to get you in trouble. If it can happen in the movies ... Back in the 1950s, there was a religious television program that had a theme song with the line, "If everyone lit just one little candle, What a bright world this would be." Evil lurks in darkness. We picture burglars hiding in the shadows, but those are just obvious, petty miscreants. Those who hide their intent pose a greater threat than common cat burglars or cattle rustlers. The Bush administration has been dealing blow after blow to the environment. They release information in a cleverly worded new attack on environmental regulations on a Friday afternoon, or just as a long holiday weekend is about to begin. That way, the stories are not widely read, even if they are printed. By Monday it's already "old news." This is a very clever idea, though manipulative and dishonest. Why is everything kept in the dark? Bush promised to return integrity to the White House. Instead, he has brought his oil and munitions buddies together to squeeze the lifeblood out of our economy. Many suspect the real reason for attacking Iraq is to steal its oil. Bush is an oilman, and birds of a feather flock together. We should recognize the real cost of a gallon of gas includes the deaths of service people, poor health for returning veterans, the cost of aircraft-carrier groups and cruise missiles and perhaps revenge attacks for centuries to come. Because the price doesn't show up at the gas pump, people don't care. People like to crunch numbers; how much does gasoline actually cost? If part of the cost is hidden in your income taxes, it's hard to calculate the real cost of fuel. If we had to pay the real cost of gasoline, we wouldn't need any Congressional push for hydrogen fuel cells or efficient engines. Citizens would be voting for both with their pocketbooks. That would tip the oilmen on their heads. You and I know it, the automobile manufacturers know it, and you can bet the oily boys know it. Andersen is a lifelong resident of the Green Bay area and a Navy veteran. He owns a small business and is an adjunct instructor at NWTC. He is vice president of the Clean Water Action Council. His column runs Wednesdays. Contact him via e-mail at [email protected]