Watch out for 'let's make a deal'

You remember how we were sold the war in Iraq, right? Existential threats, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism links, all very dramatic. Oh hey, you mean oil revenue will pay for the whole thing? How can you pass up that deal?

No, don't bother giving the troops enough guns or armor, we won't be there long. I'm sure the fine folks at BP thought they were getting a good deal when they decided to drill down from that deepwater platform on the cheap.

Hey, secondary wells and life-saving emergency shutoff equipment cost money, don't you know? All it cost us was a large portion of the Gulf coast, a major supply of food, and possibly an entire region of our country for longer than many of us will be alive. Now that's a deal. That last tax cut was a good deal.

After all, if tax cuts are good, then more tax cuts can only be better, right? It's not like taxes ever paid for anything useful, after all.

I wonder why teachers are always complaining about class sizes; why that road never seems to get fixed; why we never developed a good countermeasure for rocket-propelled grenades. Maybe Israel will let us copy Trophy if we ask nicely. What a deal.

That flight I just took was a good deal. Wait, you mean I have to pay extra for baggage, drinks, and snacks, just because fuel costs went up? And I have to hope the flight's on time, and that the pilot got enough sleep after coming back from his second job?

Why should I pay extra just because he's directly responsible for hundreds of lives? I was supposed to get a deal!

The next time someone wants to make you a deal, inspect the merchandise.

John Boske Jr.

Bartlett