I have been out of communications for the last week or so. Due the inability of Vodafone customer service to ring FEDEX to get a check delivered, I have yet to get international service running on my mobile. Living without a mobile phone is a terrible thing. How do people exist in the dark ages Before Mobile?
I’ve also been without ethernet connection since I do not yet have an 802.11b (wireless) card. So I may sit thirsting Ancient Mariner like in a cafe filled with wireless internet chatter but unable to drink.
Although I was well connected in Connecticut, I was totally occupied with an R&D job there and barely took time to skim Fox News each night before falling into an exhausted sleep.
So that is why I have not been commenting much on the war. I had thought it might at least last long enough for me to get a few licks in before the end. That was not to be. Modern warfare, like modern culture and technology have speeded up to an almost post-human time scale. If I had gone on business for two months during WWII little would have happened. Or perhaps I should say, little in terms of modern hyperspeed warfare. A major battle might have been engaged and fought to conclusion; a invasion might have established a beach head; the Battle of Britain might have started and be reaching a peak of ferocity… but the war would not seem to have changed in its’ essence.
Contrast 1938-1945 with March-April 2003. It started as I left Belfast and its’ effectively over as I sit here in DC barely a third of the way through a series of consultancy jobs. They held a war and I’ve mostly missed it.
It’s a fast old world we live in.
Dale,
Do consider the Franco-Prussian War or the Spanish-American War. Neither was terribly long. Both had very far reaching consequences. I think it could even be reasonably argued that the past few weeks contretemps in Iraq is just a minor consequence of those two earlier wars — plus some other factors.
As they say, “time flies like and arrow – but fruit flies like a banana”. My personal plan of attack is to propose a motion at the next UN meeting limiting the speed at which wars are fought.
I mean what about equal opertunities? What’s a normal Iraqi soldier supposed to do let alone a handicapped one. It’s a very serious problem not everyone can run quickly! If things carry on like this the US will get a trade monopoly and we’d end up bringing some sort of antitrust suit…
…well ya never know. It could happen! :0)