When The People Undertake to Reason All is Lost (Voltaire)

Been playing a lot of C-III lately, and playing over some of my old chess games and watching tv, mostly news and documentaries. The war in Iraq is quite fascinating. The presidential campaign is also fascinating, and every newscast reminds me that I live in a world full of idiots. I have yet to decide whether this thought comforts me. On the one hand all those idiots make me look good; on the other hand a world full of idiots is a depressing idea.

The big story this week was the National Intelligence Report (released in July) that the war in Iraq is not going well for us, that we are in a 'damned if we do and damned if we don't' situation. Further complicating this uncomfortable situation is a recent poll which suggests that The People are confused: a majority thinks that we are 'bogged down in Iraq,' but a majority also thinks that Bush, who blundered us into Iraq in the first place, is a better leader in that war (and the war on terror) than Kerry. What if The People are right?! I shudder to think that they are, but we shall see. One wonders what Voltaire would have thought of the American Political Process. Too bad he couldn't see it in action.

But Voltaire's loss is my gain. I sit in front of the tv set and laugh and laugh and laugh... Naughty me.