Life is Rich - Regarding

Life is Rich - Regarding the New York Times' anti-war movement, check out this quote from Frank Rich, which seems to equate low public opinion polls with the likelihood of military success:

"Like politicians' assertions that terrorism at home can be deflected by cheap fixes and oratorical optimism, disingenuous official claims of our allies' strengths and our enemies' weaknesses will come back to haunt the administration if all does not go smoothly. Already a Newsweek poll shows that only 56 percent of the country believes 'the war in Afghanistan is going as well as American officials say.'"

The quote, of course, was from last November, regarding attacking Afghanistan.

Bush and the War - Andrew Sullivan picked up on something I'd wondered myself - not necessarily attributing it to Lao Tzu, but

Okay, it's a long shot. But Bush's long silence, the contradictory messages from his administration, and mysterious arms buildups around the world leads one reader to wonder whether the president has been boning up on the art of war. Two [of Lao Tzu's] maxims stand out: "When near, make it appear that you are far away, when far away that you are near." And: "Offer the enemy a bait to lure him; feign disorder and strike him." Wishful thinking no doubt. But then this president is often under-estimated.

Often, indeed. It's become another left-wing sacrament.

Posted by Mitch at September 4, 2002 06:28 AM