DURING my years as a Jolly Jack Tar, when I sailed the oceans of the world on various luxurious cruise liners I once heard the most graphic description imaginable of America.

'It's the biggest lunatic asylum in the world, floating on a never-ending sea of B***s***' was how one of the old salts assessed the good ol' US of A.

In view of events which have unfurled before a gobsmacked humanity during the past months, it's hard not to echo those sentiments.

I can't be the only person on the face of God's Good Earth who must be questioning the collective sanity of the American people when their democratically-elected President, the most powerful man on the Planet, is arraigned before a worldwide audience like some common criminal, answering searingly personal questions about a sordid affair (or minor fling, depending on whose corner you are in) with a very junior former White House employee. Impeachment, resignation or soldier on. Whatever the verdict, Bill Clinton's authority, to this observer at any rate, has all but vanished, drowned in a torrent of salacious gossip and crude innuendos. You can't rule the world and be the butt of a zillion jokes.

Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr has conducted a one-men crusade against Bill Clinton since his days as governor of Arkansas, with investigations of shady financial deals and sexual harassment littering the path to the White House.

Could it be that Mr Starr, riven with jealousies about Clinton's charisma, political triumphs and success with the ladies, decided to make revenge a life's work, rather like a schoolroom nonentity forced to spend his formative years in the shadows of some classmate who had 'everything'. Whatever his motives, and don't try and convince me they are all lofty and legal, Mr Starr may yet go down in history as the man who toppled the President, rather like the Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance. Although in both cases, the person doing the actual despatching failed to get any of the credit.

John Wayne, if you recall, was the man who killed Lee Marvin (gunslinger Liberty) but James Stewart got the girl and a political career to boot after that famous main street shoot-out.

Monica Lewinsky's place in history is assured, though I'm certain it's the last thing she would want. Kenneth Starr will get the credit, if that word is a fitting one here. He pulled the trigger but it was poor, hapless Ms Lewinsky who supplied the bullet.

FRED SHAWCROSS, Bromley Cross, Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.