Dovina31 Jan 2007

I know as much about this war as Bill Bryson knows about topography and the measurement of mountains. I’m reading his Short History of Nearly Everything and chuckle at his depiction of Charles Hutton “inventing contours.” It’s the difference between a good writer of generalities and the subject of a specialist. In the current discussion, I wear a lesser hat than Bill and spout generalities of less accuracy on a complicated issue.

I failed to open my discourse with some implication of Bush as a bloated idiot, and failed again by not pointing out the war’s sordid history. Then I failed to post a poem having metaphor, image, clever wording . . . . Without these openings, any suggestions regarding courses of action in the war fall on ears of ire. Oh, I tingle with the last verse of my ditty, but the first two are just spouting.

My little learning about what I’m calling the Islamic mindset, referring to the common people of Iraq, comes mostly from a Bengali Muslim who thinks America’s greatest failing in Iraq is our resistance to taking their mindset seriously—the old “know your enemy” maxim.

If my uninformed support for technology as our “best hope” raises eyebrows, then my only sacrifice to the cause is a little ridicule. I wish a greater sacrifice for the folks with knowledge and brains—hard work and risk of their jobs. And for the soldiers who are buying them time, I wish fewer losses.

Anybody out there, Q-cleared, with a clue on the whereabouts of Weber’s magic bullets of Der Freischutz, the kind that hit whatever you shoot at, Go for it and forget the bosses! You’re our best hope.