Any excuse: I

The other day, Richard noted how Shane Hegarty managed to get a dig at George W. Bush and the "so-called War on Terror" into a review of Harvey Mansfield's book Manliness published in the Irish Times - completely out of context, out of the blue, it made the writer look childish and facile.

A letter writer in today's Irish Indepedent (free reg. req.) does something similar:
"Like George W Bush's "War on Terror", Minister Cullen and Assistant Comissioner Rock's "Road Safety Plan" is a complete failure. The number of road deaths has actually increased this year over last year."

Of course, both road safety and U.S. foreign policy are serious matters. Accordingly they should be debated in a rational and grown-up. Some, however, seem to use any excuse to have a cut at the U.S., which they have the right to do. But they end up looking plain foolish.