Operation AXIOM
Happy Columbus Day, one & all! On Wednesday, 12 October, The Secret Base will mark the five hundred nineteenth anniversary of the discovery of the New World by the Admiral of the Ocean Sea, Christopher Columbus.

The Savage Wars of Peace
Tempus fugate. The United States has been ten years in Afghanistan, ten years since the never-recognized Taliban regime was overthrown, reciprocity for its support of al Qaeda. This milestone has been universally proclaimed "America's longest war," though that distinction rightly belongs to the Filipinos; yes, the Philippine War officially lasted only from 1899-1902, but the insurgency was not quelled 'til 1913, for a total span of fourteen years. Most notable to my way of thinking is that these ten years of war have been fought by an all volunteer force. We have fought a protracted land war in Asia, & even though the war has become reviled the warriors are still revered for their service. Growing up in an era when the "lessons" of Vietnam reverberated through our popular culture, I would not have thought us capable of such fortitude, of such generosity of spirit. Am I proud of how to war has always been conducted, or pleased by the elusiveness of victory? I am not. Am I proud of how we as a body politic have conducted ourselves? On the whole, I am indeed.

An acquaintance & debate teammate recently asked me if I thought we should stay in Afghanistan "forever." I replied that if given the binary choice of withdrawing all our troops from Afghanistan with all deliberate speed, heedless of the disorder left in our wake, or continuing military operations in Afghanistan on an indefinite basis, then, yes, I would favor staying "forever." Why, you ask? We left the Afghans to their fate once before, walked away as if what happened in that benighted land was no concern of ours. That neglect in no way caused 9/11, but it did facilitate 9/11. The lesson of the early 21st century is that the interconnectedness of the world means that failed states pose grave dangers far beyond their own borders. If we allow our course of action to be dictated by our fatigue, we shall be exchanging rest in the moment for suffering in the future. We must resist the temptation to embrace the folly of the 1990s, the blind faith that if we simply hum loudly enough the unpleasantness of the world will go away & trouble us no more. We must persist, we must endure.

Excerpts from "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling:

"Take up the White Man's burden—
The savage wars of peace—
Full full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;…

Take up the White Man's burden—
Ye dare not stoop to less—
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness;…

Take up the White Man's burden—
Have done with childish days—
The lightly proffered laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold-edge with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers!"

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Fountains of Wayne, "Bright Future in Sales" from Welcome Interstate Managers (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: I contend that "Bright Future in Sales" falls well within the remit of our F.O.W. "planes, trains, & automobiles" series. It might be less obviously about travel than many of the other selections, but no Fountains of Wayne song is really about the travel. Whatever the means of conveyance, the songs are all about the impact of travel to human relationships, the travails of separation & distance. "Bright Future in Sales" fits right in.

But I do concede that the series is winding down. We've had a good run. Enjoy it while it lasts!