  The mean field (MF) composite Fermion (CF) picture successfully predicts low
lying states of fractional quantum Hall systems. This success cannot be
attributed to a cancellation between Coulomb and Chern-Simons interactions
beyond the mean field and solely depends on the short range (SR) of the Coulomb
pseudopotential in the lowest Landau level (LL). The class of pseudopotentials
for which the MFCF picture can be applied is defined. The success or failure of
the MFCF picture in various systems (electrons in excited LL's, Laughlin
quasiparticles, charged magneto-excitons) is explained.
