OCTOBER SURPRISE?: the U.S. might be invading Iraq in the not-too-distant-future. This would be good, of course, because overthowing dictators and establishing democracies is always good (witness the Loya Jurga in Afghanistan... doesn't it warm your heart to see people openly debating the merits of representitive government in all it's forms?), without exception. It's also reassuring to see the Bush administration stop pussyfooting around and get back to doing what it does best... scaring the crap out of evil, evil men. One thing to which I must take exception:
"Interestingly, administration officials advocating a fall attack on Iraq have fleeting concerns, if any, about inevitable charges from the left of an "October surprise" or of "wagging the dog." Cooler heads are thankfully prevailing with the argument that military policy can't be dictated by politics."
Now, I am perfectly willing to accept that military planning might be the most important consideration here, and even that the (as yet non-existent) complaints of many leftists will be unfounded. Nevertheless, I take umbrage at the suggestion that never can such criticism be justified, which seems to be the upshot of the claim here. Though many of the people doing the planning are professional soldiers and, at least in theory, above questions of electoral politics and influence peddling, I'd never put it past any politician to meddle in that manner.
"Thou shalt not extinguish thine anger, but shall master it,
that thy conscience may not be blunted by adjustment
to wrong causes."
-The Dutch Ten Commandments to Foil the Nazis
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