John Block Reports from Washington

Hello everybody out there in farm country.

Here we are on the anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attack. General Petraeus has reported on the effectiveness of the troop surge in Iraq. Politicians argue and squabble over just about every challenge that our nation faces. If you listen to the national press reporting, you would gather that nothing is going right. We're headed toward certain oblivion. It may be they arc right. We can't seem to stabilize the warring factions in Iraq. We can't win the war but we can't get out either.

Too many bad loans are hurting our economy. Iran continues to press ahead in an effort to develop nuclear weapons. They say they are not, but we know that they can't be trusted. President Bush's ratings are in the tank. Democrats smell blood as we approach the next election. And so they reinforce the crusade of doom and gloom.

Most polls checking the pulse of the American people say that we are on the wrong track. However, when asking individuals about their own personal situation,they are much more positive.

On the eve of the anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, we can be grateful that we have not been attacked again. We know that Osama Bin Laden would like to hit us. The fact is, we have increased security and gone on the attack which has thrown the enemy off balance. Maybe you missed it, but Libya threw in the towel and gave up on making a nuclear weapon. It appears that North Korea is doing the same. These are big victories almost going unnoticed. Pakistan and India -- both countries with nuclear weapons -- are enjoying a level of harmony not seen before. The polls may show that many countries in the world don't agree with some of our policies, but they still envy us in so many ways.

People from all over the world want to come here (legally or illegally) to live. It must not be that bad.

As we harvest a good crop with good prices, let's enjoy the moment. Have a safe harvest.

Until next week, I am John Block from Washington.