“You karate do yes, or karate do no. You karate do ‘guess so’, [squash] just like grape. Understand?”
- Mr. Miyagi
Often lowbrow pop culture references can encapsulate an issue far more succinctly that a room full of pundits and politicians. The simple lesson that war, or any serious physical confrontation, must be undertaken either completely or not at all is a well-worn maxim. That is it so often forgotten or ignored astonishes me.
This last year Iraq repeatedly proved wrong all who insisted on chanting the “it can’t get any worse” mantra — myself included. Now politicians and study groups are tossing ideas for salvaging the campaign into the air like confetti at a parade. But amid the squeaky, high-pitched debate drones two obvious tenable paths: send in everything we can spare to stabilize the situation or get the hell out. With the former option seemingly unimaginable in today’s political climate I wonder how long it will be before we resign ourselves to the gloom of the latter…