Bursting bubbles of illusion

The Washington Times ^ | 8-8-05 | R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr.

[JZelle]

It is now becomes ever clearer the 20th century's last decade could go down in history as the Decade of Illusion. There was the tech bubble whose detumescence was predicted by some of the same engineering geniuses who had created the technological marvels it was based on -- for instance, Bob Metcalfe, inventor of Ethernet and a major force in creating the Internet. He predicted the bubble's burst almost to the day. Another illusion of the 1990s was that, with the fall of communism, barbarism vanished. The world would be safe. Our military budget could be trimmed. All we needed to deal with those quaint Islamic zanies across the sea was an occasional cruise missile sent their way, preferably when our aggrieved president was about to appear before a grand jury or be impeached. There was also the illusion that a chief executive's lies were harmless and perhaps even a private matter. Now some of the decade's liars have been sentenced to long stretches in the calaboose. Their lies conduced to corporate collapse and loss of millions to investors and pension funds. This week, with the suspension of Rafael Palmeiro from Major League Baseball, many of the baseball records racked up in the 1990s are suspected of being illusory. Quite probably many of them were due to illegal steroid use. The baseball heroes of the 1990s simply lied about their performances. What other revelations will come from the Decade of Illusions? Mr. Palmeiro flunked a drug test in recent months, though he continued to thrill his Baltimore Orioles fans before his positive test for steroids was made public.

[JZelle]

I've wondered about Raffy's old teamate, Ivan Rodriguez. He's looking a little svelte himself this year.

[BenLurkin]

Appropriate.

We will never forget the political watchwords for x42 and his MSM synchophants: "How can we fool them today?"

[GOP_1900AD]

We know Barry Bonds was taking them.

[cvq3842]

I'll have to bookmark.

[JZelle]

Yeah, but he thought it was flax seed oil. ;8)

[tx_eggman]

We know Barry Bonds was taking them.

Ya think?

Barry Bonds 1990:

Barry Bonds 2001:

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

...for instance, Bob Metcalfe, inventor of Ethernet and a major force in creating the Internet.

No, that was Al Gore.

[Vroomfondel]

...for instance, Bob Metcalfe, inventor of Ethernet and a major force in creating the Internet.

No, that was Al Gore.

Have you ever seen them in the same room at the same time?

[G.Mason]

"Another illusion of the 1990s was that, with the fall of communism, barbarism vanished. The world would be safe. Our military budget could be trimmed. All we needed to deal with those quaint Islamic zanies across the sea was an occasional cruise missile sent their way, preferably when our aggrieved president was about to appear before a grand jury or be impeached."

Great line.

As far as base-a-ball goes, it's not your fathers game anymore and those "pimples on the buttocks" of baseball players past, like McGuire, Bonds, Palmeiro, etc. etc. are just that. Insignificant irritations whose contributions have been but to cheapen a sport and the future dreams of our youth.