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.

THIRD LEG OF THE TREBLE
Just who George Bush is listening to would have to be the major determinant about what he's hearing.. right? Okay, let's go with this flow a little and then mebbe figure on.. what that is..

And He Saith Unto Them:
"We must not allow the world's worst leaders to develop and harbor the world's worst weapons. I've got a lot of tools at my disposal and I'm a patient man." - President G. Bush

And They Saith Unto Him:
1) "Their - [that's you and I and all-peace-willing people] argument comes down to this: Yes, Saddam is as dangerous as we say he is. We just need to let him get stronger before we do anything about it." - veep Cheney.
2) "It is less important to have unanimity than it is to be making the right decision and doing the right thing, even though at the outset it may seem lonesome." - DefSec D. Rumsfeld
3) "Saddam has perfected the game of shoot and retreat, and he is very skilled in the art of denial and deception." - Cheney
4) "Leadership in the right direction finds followers and supporters" - Rumsfeld
.
5) "A return of inspectors would provide no assurance whatsoever of his compliance with U.N. resolutions. On the contrary, there is a great danger that it would provide false comfort that Saddam is somehow back in his box. Mean-while, he would continue to plot" - veep Cheney
6) "I would submit that in the event that another decision has to be made, and the president makes it ... that in a relatively short period of time, there will be support across broad areas for doing the right thing." - DefSec Rumsfeld

And All Respond:
Now George, notwithstanding Don's dictates to the media(6), the reason we're all taking an interest in your inputs is to ascertain quality and sincerity. And even you would have to concede how their remarks are pushing this whole deal onto you. Meaning to say either they've got no time for your 'patient' stuff or y'all know something we don't...?
Re what that is we feel obliged to point out what your ole buddy, Tom DeLay, had to say regarding SecState, Colin Powell: "The U.S. State Department would do well to remember that it answers to the president of the United States, not the European Union."
Ambition George, pure ambition and who'd trust pure anything!
But Tom, being the influential position he is - Texas Republican and House Majority Whip - has told you firmly and positively(unlike some) that he'll guarantee YOU unified support in the House of Reps for the ouster of Saddam Hussein. That's meaning to say if you move quickly.. like before November.. because.. well.. after then.. aint nothing he can be guaranteeing you or anyone else..!
Which also explains yr veep pushing the 'speed' button. But Don's 'right thing' and 'right direction'.. aren't they the whole point? Sure, if you just do nothing - Plan B - some of the world may call you the great-gulled peacemaker. Yet plan B wasn't the deal. Was it, George? Plan A was the deal and that goes like..
Onward GOP troopers
marching as to war
gonna zap those lefty Democrats
wipe 'em off the floor..

Which is to say, George, you've been staying home for on-course home-political reasons. Saddam is third leg of the treble. A bet you and your boys just couldn't ignore. Why? Answer: home-politicals are just so unhappy and deficits disease has returned to haunt the GOP, the need of something awesome and fearful and.. cries from the past recall: brothers lift your voices..
ENDS--kkK.(Vi-One)

With the letter S significant let me take them in order..
Synons? My truncation for those who seek to impress with synonyms(similar meanings, different words). For example would you rather be described as gregarious or as sociable.? Careful now, 'sociable' is well known, widely-used, understood. The 'g' word is literati. [M'dear not socialist nonsense!] Yes, I thought as much, you'd rather be well and widely known and pack the Town Hall for a fatter fee(which after costs maybe donated) than scratch a living out of the lost litterat-errs! Wouldn't you just? Okay, so having been warned that the Synons are out and about - convergence media is to blame I'm sure - you get onto the one who done you wrong the week before last. Send s/he packing back to Thesaurian Arrrzoland.

Saturday morning radio inadvertently revealed supposers when the theologian interviewed pointed out that Papal advisors and scholars all too often read things into a text; yet when challenged for a word or phrase they use to express this supposed meaning from the text they can't and fail. Supposers are usually set in the status quo and sustain it by such means. In the sense of being oblivious to outside advice/influence they may indeed be considered "thought police", as KH suggested, tho some might say "unthought" is more appropriate. Of priests a favoured expression is 'locked behind liturgy'. Which suggests long tradition to such things. But tradition is not what this is about. What this is about is the fun of running supposers into seduction per : -

Suppose a man wants to see the woman he loves. Given opportunity he sets himself to the task. He believes that she wants to see him, too. It might be difficult but he's willing to accept St. John's "joy" of face to face as an outside chance. [shades of shy realist Orwell]. In the course of his task--the very last day before the 'meeting'--a flare up of a longstanding problem from bad surgery renders hope lost.
Seeing him frustrated, depressed, his friend plans an alternative--her friend's birthday party and Professor Scharma's (UK) TV series. He has no TV, no need of one and seldom watches it. But the episode is about Oliver Cromwell and he has interest in OC the megalomaniac or Force Rigeur? Party eats, drinks are out but he will make do alone
Before the Professor a flashy Quiz Show gets under way. Ruby Redhead is the 'star'. She is clever, with words, risque and attitude aplenty. Three pairs - two women, two men and a man/woman couple compete in the first round. Young, cool, collected and a lawyer/teacher combo the couple look set for honours and romp through round one. In the course of which Ruby is appraised the opposite of what she declares, not out of cynicism so much as observation. Her constant question "Is s/he right?" distresses weaker contenders; her targeted rudeness--get it together Shaun!; and spiteful reaction - (Shaun, lawyer, picks the ligature she misses in saying Milan's soccer stadium and no way does he get off that one--"Shaun a woman is looking for Mr Right not Mr Always Right!"(she's sizzling, dammit, after practicing to say it all week!). Still, the show goes on, two brothers making it to the 3rd round money. And here its audience of one flips his stopwatch into view to count as the contestant is seen to count and the prizemoney (Ruby's lost interest in timing) is announced pre-question, and repeatedly lower than counting suggests. Yes, you've got it, Redhead's all about lowering the payout and possibly increasing her own performance bonus thereby. At the end the bros are so relieved to be richer they're up to praying to Ruby for her 'humility' favours and even--you'd have to have seen it to believe it--getting an excruciating finger pinch- 'for saying you'd have me in the back of yr taxi'- as the practised close-out zoomed the camera onto guess who's headshot.
Babe, bright and broke I'd rather be! Forward to history..
Monday's quote from Balzac's "The Physiology of Marriage" bothered a bit: "Man.. if he begins with love and comes round to aversion..". Along with Tillich's "'Personal God' does not mean 'a' person." (harking back to OC) and later a front page banner line: Seduced by Ruby Redhead. And one of those scintillating insights to tell a spirited fellow what if the missed loved one were to read that. If she'd supposed his non-attendance aversion and of all the TV reviews a hack could do [deeming Ruby "cute" is lost plot] and that review making front page then how on earth could he explain any call to preference? Caught Redheaded :-)
Answer: This way. As the shy realist would say: plain and honestly.
PS: Mr TV reviewer, you were right, you were seduced by Ruby Redhead. And if the rest of its audience were then you deserve each other. Mind you, her lovely teeth are enviable aren't they.
PPS: To this man's loved one, J'Adore!
ENDS-Vi-One.