| The Senate is debating whether or not guys who | | | | Though he errs in cocksure excess, GWB is right |
| go by the rules of the Geneva Convention can | | | | about one thing. This is the war of the worlds - |
| defeat guys who torture people and shoot them | | | | our civilization against their heathenism, and, if |
| in the back of the head. Even Colin Powell jumped | | | | we're going to stand a chance, we better have |
| in and said he thinks we should adhere to the | | | | the weapons we need at the ready. |
| Geneva Conventions in order to protect the | | | | Never to compare our bravely defiant colonists |
| safety of our own troops, as if the terrorists are | | | | with the unconscionable torturers and murderers |
| likely to observe the rules if they get their hands | | | | afoot in radical Muslimism, but when our |
| on our troops. | | | | Minutemen found, in their smaller numbers, it |
| George Bush, on the other hand, thinks the | | | | necessary to hide in the woods and pick off the |
| Geneva Conventions ought to be as malleable as | | | | Redcoats, who were advancing in the kind of |
| Silly Putty. | | | | honorable battle array that worked just fine |
| Certainly, there's an acceptable middle ground. | | | | against Napoleon, the Brits did finally adjust their |
| After all, the norms of behavior that inspired the | | | | battle tactics a bit. |
| Geneva Convention relate to the usual sort of | | | | Does the entire world have to relearn such a |
| warfare, where there is at least some semblance | | | | basic and costly lesson? And how many must die |
| of honorable conduct. We find ourselves in a time | | | | while the debate drones on? |
| when the enemy knows nothing about the | | | | Or let's see it as a boxing match, where the good |
| traditional norms of combat. They are, as we | | | | guy has, as usual, one hand tied behind his back, |
| know, thugs who perpetrate torture and murder | | | | while the bad guy is doing everything he can to |
| as expedients to causing as much outrage as | | | | hurt him, even doing some kick boxing. Forget |
| possible and, perversely enough, they work their | | | | that. Even pulling a gun out of his trunks or |
| barbarisms in the name of their kidnapped God. | | | | planting a bomb under the other side of the ring. |
| How is civilization, which is strolling down the lane | | | | While we don't have to reduce ourselves to the |
| counting daisies while these monsters wait in | | | | most malicious of terrorist tactics, we at least |
| ambush, to have a fighting chance against them? | | | | have the right to fight with both hands free. |
| Launching a realistic debate is pretty urgent. | | | | |