European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Non problems Are safer than real ones a. A j4k#lcharles Osgood. Tribune Media service you can get burned handling hot potatoes. A politician who takes a forthright stand on any matter which strongly affects people and which therefore they feel strongly about is walking into a political Buzz saw. This is Why in the so called a a Summit talks on the budget it took so Long for president Bush to make his Concession on the t word. Not that the Concession will solve everything. Nobody knows How to bring the deficit into line without stepping on somebody s toes. The Federal government will either have to Lake More in increase taxes or Shell less out fewer benefits either Way the voter has the Clammy feeling of somebody a hand in his pocket. Voters will always remember when you step on their toes. They May forget what you be done for them but they will never never forgive you for what you do to them. This is one of the first rules of politics. We do not have a Flag burning problem in this country. Hence the enormous political preoccupation with the subject. That show it is with non problems. Everybody loves them because no one really gets Hurt. And now just when Washington seems trapped into dealing with the very real budget crisis along comes a new and totally irrelevant matter that Washington can get its Teeth into. The american Institute of aeronautics and astronautics is suggesting that despite the crushing . Deficit and the impossible .s.r. Economy now would be a perfect time for us and the soviets to organize an Effort to intercept and destroy any Large asteroid that might be on a collision course with the Earth. Mind you we know of no such asteroid but every 10 million or 15 million years this sort of thing does happen and if one should head our Way the Aida thinks we should be ready to blow it apart with nuclear bombs. Only last year an asteroid bigger than an aircraft Carrier came within 400,000 Miles of our planet which is a close Call by astronomical standards. And we did no to even know about it until after it had passed. Engineers say if it had hit the thing would cause an explosion equal to 20,000 a bombs. Next time we might not be so Lucky. Do you want to save a few measly billion dollars by not getting ready think of the research Grants think of the feasibility studies think of the contractors and subcontractors just drooling Over the development and building of this it la be great the fact that its a non problem is what makes it All so possible. If there were in fact a giant asteroid bearing Down on us nobody in Washington would want to mention a word.  restore Confidence in the savings i Loans. No kidding superstitions involving animals and insects Sparrow a carries souls of the dead cat sneezing a sign of rain three sneezes Means cold in family Raven a carries spirit of King Arthur pig a sees wind before it blows White Rabbit a carries spirit of deceived Lover spider on clothes a will soon get Money source  7 other pastimes of legendary Lover Casanova professional violinist Gambler spy author Diplomat magician director of Royal lottery also expelled from Seminary for Quot immoral conduct Quot source world features Syndicate the old country countries with highest percentage Over age 65 Sweden �?18% Norway �?16% Denmark 15% United kingdom �?15% Austria �?15% West Germany a 15% Switzerland �?15% United states has 12% soviet Union 9% source population reference Bureau july 15. 1990 sunday c Page 3