Reading Mustapha Ong's tirade Malott meddling in Malaysia's affairs against John Malott ( The world's watching, Pak Lah ) and all those who do not see eye-to-eye with Barisan Nasional, but concerned enough to speak up, I am glad that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is not at the helm of the most powerful nation on earth.

Imagine smart bombs penetrating and pounding tiny Japanese cubicles seeking Malott for being a threat to our national interests. Imagine our legislators being burdened with drafting laws after laws to punish and restrain those among us who do not toe the official line.

If legislation is the answer to all our nation's woes, then perhaps we could try to legislate good sense. Someone will definitely be a reluctant beneficiary imagine President George W Bush wanting to listen to Mahathir about Palestine and the currency traders. Or going by Mustapha Ong's rationale, Bush should put Mahathir in their version of Kamunting like what the Israelis are doing to Palestine Leader Yasser Arafat.

Lucky for Malott, Bush is not empowered to jail his own citizens for speaking out, but Bush could give hell to the rest of the world. We on the other hand bully our own people but pander to others because they are more powerful than us and control the gravy train which we so desperately yearn for.

Mustapha Ong's opinion is remarkable in that it resembles Bush's foreign policy. I guess what goes around comes around.