Reading Makes It Hard...

...to be a neo-con

I've been re-reading The Once and Future King. I quite enjoyed it the first time through, but that was years ago, and I decided to revisit King Arthur's realm. The second visit has high-lighted some forgotten kernels of wisdom. There is much allegory within, much of it having to do with World War II, which I have found pertinent to the goings-on in Iraq.

In chapter 13 of the first book, The Sword and the Stone, Merlyn turns Arthur into an ant. This particular species of ants is narrow-minded and very war-like. Their discourse would make even the most mal-educated of the modern punditry blush, as things were pronounced either 'done' or 'not done'; there were no words for right/wrong, good/bad, happy/sad etc. I do not think the ants were known for their vociferous literary appetite.

At some point the ants decide to go to war. Or, rather, the head ant—the "beloved leader”—decided that war must be waged. Relentless broadcasting of propaganda ensues, explaining the reasons war is necessary:

A. We are more numerous than they are, therefore we have a right to their
mash (food).
B. They are more numerous than we are, therefore they are wickedly trying
to steal our mash.
C. We are a mighty race and have a natural right to subjugate their puny
one.
D. They are a mighty race and are unnaturally trying to subjugate our
inoffensive one.
E. We must attack them in self defense.
F. They are attacking us by defending themselves.
G. If we do not attack them today, they will attack us tomorrow.
H. In any case, we are not attacking them at all. We are offering them
incalculable benefits.

Thanks to skepticfiles for the link; those wonderful folks saved me some typing. Fader remarks, "Kinda funny how it never sounds quite so ridiculous in real life."

Indeed, considering that it could be argued that all but A. and B. were offered as valid reasons for toppling Saddam and giving the Iraqis democracy. G. and H. are particularily amusing, since they were touted almost incessantly by the conservative-cum-neo-con intellectual whores on talk radio and the like.

I am also reading The Crusades by Hilaire Belloc, and I have, once again, noticed a gem which should have been taken to heart by our Commander in Chief as well as the Generals and anyone else directly dealing with this terrible and immoral war.

Strongly armed, well-disciplined coherent forces will miss their prey if that prey be loosely organized, highly mobile horse which can retire (after doing its utmost of damage) more rapidly than the heavier opponent can pursue. It should be essential, in meeting the lighter and more mobile force, to guard against envelopment and to drive the enemy towards some obstacle against which he can be pinned. Fighting in open country without such an obstacle to check his retirement, the light and mobile enemy may retire indefinitely.

Obviously Belloc doesn't know that we took out Osama's number two man, so all will soon be well. Also, this was written over fifty years ago about something which occurred a millennium ago. Clearly Belloc's observation is irrelevant here, although it is curious perhaps that he is commenting on the Turkish/Mongol army of the Muslims of yore. Heretics, it would seem, oppose change,. Yet when one's enemy is wholly ignorant of one thousand years of human history especially as it pertains to an idealogical conflict of an even longer span—well, if it ain't broke...

I'm still not sure if the United States' military should immediately pull out from Iraq or whether some semblance of victory can still be salvaged. Unfortunately, withdrawing will have serious negative consequences for this republic of ours, a point upon which much of the left seems ignorant of, or simply oblivious to. So long as a reasonable hope of victory remains, it is worth our while to attempt to work our way out of the nice little mess we've made. How one defines victory and whether or not it is actually attainable is not something I am able to determine. The neo-cons had their little war. It is solely their responsibility to see it to completion, whether through ignoble victory or disgraceful defeat.

Meanwhile, I'm back to my reading.