Big Day for Osama, George and Tony

Who benefits from a terrorist attack such as the awful bombings in London this morning?

Clearly, Al Qaeda benefits. This attack is evidence they are still out there and still capable of striking at their enemies. And it is proof enough that Osama is still thumbing his nose at Bush and Blair, despite their tough talk.

But compared to bin Laden, the benefits that accrue to Bush and Blair are much greater.

Once again, they can play on fears and anger -- they can trot out all their favorite tough-guy lines. "Bring 'em on" -- I think Blair made some such statement today though I doubt he quoted his master quite so directly. In any case, both Bush and Blair will see some favorable jump in their polls for this -- must be making Karl Rove very happy.

Once again, innocent lives have been sacrificed.

Once again, we hear bravado and defiance and promises of justice.

Once again, we see that there is no leadership anywhere with the vision and strength to solve the underlying problems that are driving this scourge of hateful violence -- leadership that might eliminate rather than exacerbate the threat of further terrorism.

And once again we resign ourselves to the fact that terrorism is inevitable, war is forever, and that our generation has made the world unsafe for the next.

For me, it is not the brief hours of chaos and fear, nor even the days of mourning, but rather the everyday sense that we are making a mess of this world -- that we are tearing down and destroying every hope we have of peace, and furiously laying the foundation for decades of conflict and suffering.

On the whole a good day for Bush and Blair and bin Laden -- three men who trade the lives of others for their own gratification. Each of them will look at the day's events and feel that it has vindicated their views and their policies.

And so we can expect more of the same, indefinitely.

This is what it means to "stay the course".

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