I don't think it is likely that many people in the country have convinced another person to change their opinion about Iraq.  The folks that thought it made sense bought one or more of the various half-truths or outright lies that were used to justify the war and they might look foolish owning up to that issue now.

Plus, I think the folks who are inclined to support war generally are not the most critical intellects.  The whole military solution approach appeals to a mindset and personality type that feels uncomfortable with the complexity and ambiguity that is required to negotiate peaceful or even less violent solutions than simply bombing the daylights out of the "bad guys." 

The Once and Future King by White captures it all pretty well.  Merlin is always frustrated and stupefied by the "sports mindset" of the knights.  And Merlin's work with young Arthur through magic spells to help Arthur see the world through the eyes of different animals, with very different value and social systems is a wonder to read. 

Probably my favorite book.  What if might doesn't make right?   How many years did it take for Merlin to get that question to pop into Arthur's mind? 

So, change a person's mind about war?  Well, give me a decade or more and a lot of really powerful magical spells and I think it might be done.

These days a relatively simple magic spell, such as the ability to beam somebody on to a street in Iraq somewhere for a few hours might do the trick. I understand John McCain said today that people can now go strolling in Baghdad because the surge is working.   Wave the magic wand and John is over there on Saddam Boulevard for an hour or so, then wave the magic wand and he's back and we can debrief him on the stroll. 

I think that's the best approach, the most effective way to help a person understand the futility and stupidity of war.  Somebody says, hey, I think it's going pretty well.   I think we had to fight this war, bingo, bango, bongo, you are headed for the front lines for a tour. 

And of course, whether we need a draft or not, I think there should be a mandatory lottery draft for the children of any elected official who chooses war.  Because I love children generally, that lottery draft would have the option to replace the child with the parent if the family number comes up, but one way or the other, you choose war, you and yours get to be involved up close and personal. It's only fair.

Don't get me started.


"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." President Dwight D. Eisenhower April 16, 1953