Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 5, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A11 Winnipeg free press focus monday july 5, 2004. . Political debate Rush to Sling mud at Bush gains Speed president was overzealous self deluded about Iraq Media have turned from information to entertain ment from nuance to table thump ing. By Nicholas d. Kristof s o is . President George w. Bush a liar plenty of americans think so. Bookshops Are filled with titles about Bush like lies and the lying liars who Tell them big lies thieves in High places and the lies of George w. Bush. A consensus is emerging on the left that Bush is fundamentally dishonest perhaps even evil ? a nut yes but mostly a liar and a schemer. That View is at the heart of Michael Moore a scathing new documentary fahrenheit 9/11. In the 1990s, nothing made conserva Tives look More Petty and simple minded than their demonization of Bill and Hillary Clinton even accusing them of spending their spare time murdering Vince Foster and others. Right Wing Clinton in other words left the right Wing addled. Now Bush is doing the same to the left. For example Moore hints that the real reason Bush invaded Afghanistan was to give his cronies a Chance to profit by building an Oil pipeline there. I a just raising what i think is a legitimate question Moore told me a touch defensively adding i a just posing a right. And right Wing nuts were just posing a question about whether Clinton was a serial killer. I a against the liar Label for two Rea sons. First it further polarizes the Politi Cal cesspool and this polarization is making America increasingly difficult to govern. Second insults and rage impede understanding. Lefties have been asking me whether Bush has already captured Osama bin Laden and whether Bush will Plant wed in Iraq. Those Are the questions of a conspiracy theorist for even if officials wanted to pull such stunts they would be daunted by the fear of leaks. The free press welcomes letters from readers. They must include the authors name address and Telephone number. Letters May be edited. Letters to the editor 1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg r2x 3b6. Fax 697-7412. Email letters to the editor better Access needed to psychological services in her letter on june 26, or. Ingmund son makes the Point that any physician can provide psychotherapy under medicare psychiatrists Are trained to do psychotherapy Page a15. She makes the further Point that psychiatrists Are physicians with specially training in psychotherapy and Are Best Able to provide this service or assist their medical colleagues to provide it with consultation and advice. She suggests that increased Access to psychiatric medical specialists would help free up time for family physicians but there is a Well documented shortage of psychiatrists in this province. As a psychologist i completed five years of specially training and two years of supervised apprenticeship specifically to learn and provide psychotherapy. Like most of my colleagues i a not Short of work despite the fact that psychological services Are not covered under medicare. People pay out of their own pockets use their private insurance or find a psychologist whose salary is paid by an organization or institution. A few months ago i went to see my own family doctor. While i was waiting for her she dropped on my Lap the Issue of Maclean a Magazine with the cover article on physician stress. I got the message. She was saying we know that a Good portion of the complaints a general practice physician treats in a Day e.g., anxiety depression chronic illness requiring substantial lifestyle change chronic pain Are ones for which there Are proven effective psychological treatments. There is often a disconnect in the referral from physician to psychologist because the patient has to find a Way to cover the Cost of treatment. We also know that inadequately treated chronic health problems produce Many additional physician visits As the patient tries again and again to find Relief. The inclusion of psychological ser vices under medicare is one Way to Light in the Load on family physicians. There May be other ways As Well. What is known for sure is that nothing will change unless members of the pub Lic those needing psychological services and their families also demand better Access to psychological treatments. Or. Debbie Whitney president Manitoba psychological society Winnipeg All great cities have let systems already mayor Katz is creating Posi Tive excitement in Winnipeg. To those of us seriously informed about rapid transit the former mayors super buses represented a Complete waste of Money. Mayor Katz a questioning of those plans raises Hopes and expectations that one Day Winnipeg will have a rational functioning and efficient let system that will become the Backbone of a regenerated downtown and will solve our needs for fast efficient Tran sit. All great cities have either subways or let systems. Winnipeg and its citizens deserve no less. I like Sam Shane Nestruck Winnipeg motorcycle owners face Mph roadblocks unbelievable Manitoba Public insurance Mph is yet again calling for an increase in motorcycle insurance rates. Ever since i was a Little girl i have dreamed of owning my own motorcycle. After being a stay at Home mom Bob Woodward a latest Book under scores that Bush actually believed that Saddam did have wed. After one Brief ing Bush turned to George Tenet and protested i be been told All this Intelli gence about having wed and this is the Best we be got the same Book also reports that Bush told Tenet several times make sure no one stretches to make our in fact of course Bush did stretch the truth. The run up to Iraq was All about exaggerations but not Flat out lies. Indeed there a some evidence that Bush carefully avoids the most blatant lies ? witness his meticulous descriptions of the periods in which he did not use illegal drugs. True Bush boasted that he does to nor Mally read newspaper articles when his wife said he does. And Bush wrongly claimed that he was watching on television on the morning of 9/11 As the first air plane hit the world Trade Center. But considering the Odd things the president often says i know How hard it is for you to put food on your family Bush always has available a Prima Facie defence of confusion. Bush scentral problem is not that he was precisely lying about Iraq but rather that he was overzealous and self deluded. He surrounded himself with like minded ideologues and they All told one another that Saddam was a mortal threat to us. They deceived themselves along with the Public ? a More common problem in government than Flat out lying. Impulse some democrats like Clinton and Sena Tor Joseph Lieberman have pushed Back against the impulse to demonize Bush. I Salute them for there Are so Many legitimate criticisms we can and should make about this president that we Don to need to get into kindergarten epithets. But the Rush to Sling mud is gaining momentum and fahrenheit 9/11 Marks the polarization of yet another form of Media. One medium after another has found it profitable to turn from inform for Over 15 years i decided to set a goal for myself. Before i reach 40, i will own my own motorcycle. Through hard work i was Able to Purchase my first Bike two years ago for $1,800 when i was 39. I now own a 1983 Honda Shadow 500. Its not a Harley its certainly far from new but its in great shape and gives me the sense of Freedom thrill of Riding and the wind in my face that i have longed for. To fully insure my 1983 Honda Shadow 500 costs me $1,000 per year. That a right $1,000 every year for a Bike that i purchased for $1,800. To add to my frustration this sum mers potential Riding Days have been significantly reduced due to unseasonably cold and wet weather. I would love to ride my Bike to work but the Road conditions on my path Are atrocious. My Bike and i could be swallowed by a pothole. There Are other men and women just like me. We work hard pay our taxes do All the things we re supposed to do and for fun own a motorcycle. However this year i have heard from More and More riders that because of soar ing insurance costs they Are Selling their bikes. All Over the world motorcycle use is Standard transportation. People use it to go to work school and run errands. Doonesbury instead of Mph encouraging motorcycle use in our province they grossly neglect these benefits . Economical and fuel efficient. . Reduces Green House gasses. . Easier to Park downtown. Mph continues to Hammer us with exorbitant increases using the excuse that we Are already being subsidized by car owners. Instead of encouraging people to buy bikes and enjoy the above benefits they Are discouraging their use. When will Mph Wake up and smell the Coffee. There Are More people in the 30 age category who would like to own bikes for transportation and plea sure but Mph is intent on making Bike ownership a perk for the Rich. Betsy Hiebert Winnipeg decent nightlife is important did you know that in Winnipeg to this Day it is illegal to dance or for that matter have any fun at All past 2 .? City by Law no. 6551/95 says no dance Hall operator virtually All applicable licenses shall allow his premises to remain open nor allow any music to be provided nor any dancing Tion to entertainment from nuance to table thumping. Talk radio pioneered this strategy then Cable television. Political books have lately become As Subtle As professional wrestling and the internet is adding to the polarization. Now with the economic Success of fahrenheit 9/11, look for More documentaries that shriek rather than explain. It want surprising when the right foamed at the Mouth during the Clinton years for conservatives have always been Quick to detect evil empires. But liberals love subtlety and describe the world in a palette of Greys ? yet Many have now dropped All nuance about this presi Dent. Bush got us into a mess by overdosing on moral clarity and self righteousness and embracing conspiracy theories of like minded zealots. How sad that Many liberals now seem intent on making the same mistakes. ? new York times news service show or entertainment to be conducted or permitted in the premises on any Day during the period Between 2 And 9 .? maybe we should put a disclaimer in All our tourism advertising please be advised it is illegal to have fun in Public in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada after 2 ., please govern yourself accordingly As the experts sit by and wonder Why we can to keep our Young people Here Quality of life issues among oth ers continue to erode our Young popu lation base. Its not about any one thing but As a relatively Small City Remote at Best with lots of inclement weather i say we need All the help we can get with the Quality of life thing. Family activities sports and jobs Are All obviously important components but so is having a decent nightlife. The City has expressed a Public willingness to change this bylaw in the past but despite assurances changes were in the works soon nothing has changed. How can we consider ourselves progressive with these types of restrictive regulations it is time to get rid of these plea sure police controls and get on with it. Bruce Rathbone Winnipeg by Garry Trudeau ;