Too much cynicism: time for a break?

Well, what to write. Here I am, approaching gainful employment soon enough and nothing to say. I've linked to a few articles of interest, but I think I'm about done with the blog for the moment.

Lieutenant General William Odom wrote an Opus this last Sunday on how we can't win in Iraq. Then he elaborates more on Hugh Hewitt's show on why we can't win anywhere- North Korea, Iran, Libya, etc... You really can't waste much more time on this guy. You'd think he'd have learned something from his years in the military. A typical candidate to make the case for 'Playing at War'. Let's wake up one day, in the midst of people shooting and trying to blow us up for the last 30 years that we've been ignoring, and do our best not to learn anything from our past failures; let's repeat the same exact mistakes and call it realism. Hard to believe, but this is what America pays more than a half a billion dollars on defense spending for. No wonder many others, in search of effective foreign policy, are looking to other options. A more articulate presentation of this dilemma is the Parameters article 'Toward an American Way of War' by LTC Echevarria, which argues that America doesn't have a way of war but of battle. A cursory glance at this brings up the possibility that the political stability of our republic that creates this 'bifurcation' and subordination of the military to the elected representatives is stabilizing politically, but short-sighted strategically.

So we have to leave it to others to make the case for 'victory' since our president sure doesn't seem up to it. That's what I think, until I actually hear what he says and read the transcripts of his speeches. This discrepancy is puzzling. Then I start to think those cynical thoughts about why doesn't his rhetoric get the amplification effect of say, Ahmadinejad or any other Arab/Middle East dictator with a smooth tongue. You'd think the President of the United States would be listened to, but evidently not. It comes back to politics, politics, politics... politics where myths of the Iraq war are presented as fact, 'anti-military' military experts are taken seriously, and other follies of the present day.

I'm too young to be this cynical. Fucking hell. Despite these great reports following events developing in the Philippines or light-hearted cultural commentary in other places, as well as a video of the Chinese soldiers killing the Tibetans. And here is a great article on the Chinese language, demolishing those old myths about the character 'danger', which actually means that: danger, as in not some weird crisis/opportunity philosophical kick. Or perhaps a brief history on the carbine, via Wikipedia. Instead I'll just stick to humor. Here is a funny Japanese multimedia presentation that follows your mouse, and some idealistic commentary on 'Solving Racism' and other things that college kids do. Or if you haven't heard any Chuck Norris jokes... you are a sorry son of a gun.

So: I don't expect to be around for a while. I'll be taking a hiatus from this while I wait and see what's next on the agenda for me. Cheers to all!