by Chef Mungo [I dropped the 'i' :-)]
Cul-de-sacs are no-exit roads. Narrow ones lacking turnaround make only for reversing back out. If this is around a curve then out can be a real tricky thing to do. Meaning to say don't take courage to such a destination unless you're prepared for the worst.
The following data came in the week and I thank those good folks for allowing readers to astutely reflect on the reality of war..
2.7 million Americans served in Vietnam. 304,000 of them were wounded in action, and over 75,000 of those were disabled by their injuries. As of Memorial Day 1996, there were 58,202 names listing the dead on the long, black monument in Washington..
A war lost--true! A war chosen--true! A war whose aggressor deemed itself justified. How else to sell it to trusting American patriots. Sell it to men and women whose sons and mebbe daughters would go off to fight, to deliver bombs and murdering payloads or to follow through 'on the ground'.
Also unsolicited was a document from a global peace group.It was pithy and related the issues of impending conflict with Iraq. For me one simple paragraph highlighted a need. Which was that it is surely important that 'buyers' know as much as possible about the sellers of war.
.. It was the current US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld who visited Iraq in December 1983 as Reagan's special envoy to restore full relations. Just 12 days after Rumsfeld met Iraq’s foreign minister the Washington Post reported on January 1,1984, that the United States “in a shift in policy, has informed friendly Persian Gulf nations that the defeat of Iraq in the war with Iran would be ‘contrary to US interests’ and has made several moves to prevent that result.” Rumsfeld visited again in March 1984 for further talks - after the US State Department had issued a statement saying “available evidence indicates that Iraq has used chemical weapons.” In November 1984 normal diplomatic relations were restored..
POINT: Back then today's SecDef was pro-Iraq and pro-chemical weapons. So today Mr. Rumsfeld owes the American people and the world an explanation of how he was pro then and anti today.
As for the President, who is sitting on this knowledge and yet demands the UN now 'take out' Saddam Hussein and fast, or else the US will: it could be said how theatrical his 'star' role speeches sound to advocates for war-no-matter-what: it should also be said that his 'my way' strut ought not saddle the rest of the Americas and world with cul-de-sac courage. Should he persist then no doubt the All will rescue. And remember!
Bye now - CM.