The behaviour of President Bush on 11 September certainly gives rise to not unnatural suspicions.

I have never been particularly impressed by the self centered musings of my fellow writers.

The American press exists for one purpose only, and that is to convince Americans that they are living in the greatest and most envied country in the history of the world. The Press tells the American people how awful every other country is and how wonderful the United States is and how evil communism is and how happy they should be to have freedom to buy seven different sorts of detergent.

Little Bush says we are at war, but we are not at war because to be at war Congress has to vote for it. He says we are at war on terror, but that is a metaphor, though I doubt if he knows what that means. It's like having a war on dandruff, it's endless and pointless.

One of the most fascinating aspects of politician-watching is trying to determine to what extent any politician believes what he says.

History is idle gossip about a happening whose truth is lost the instant it has taken place.

Nixon was a Southern Rim President, and so antipathetic to the old guard.