Monday, December 05, 2005

Truth and Truism

It's a truism that generals spend their time planning to win the last war. But it's kind of sad that, having fought several wars since, we're still basically training for WWII. As Chris Bray says, "To frame this effort as critical to our national well-being while simultaneously allowing it to shamble along lethargic and undefined is to suggest that we never really meant what we said about the meaning of our curiously desultory war in the first place." [also available here, if you are pseudonymous and want to comment anyway]

In slightly related news, in response to Donald Rumsfeld's "epiphany" that insurgents really aren't, the folks at Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.... have similarly retitled him "Secretary of Pretty Wishes." Update: Rumsfeld gets cram'd, demonstrating not only wishful thinking, but a remarkable ability to stretch half-truths into worldviews. Rumsfeld may go down as the philosopher of this administration.... that is, if he and his boss can get their stories straight.

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