Biter Butter Snake Batter

Ahh.. another thing to remember not to do -- don't invite people to rockclimbing on days when it's already too late to take the class. Even if oneremembers before driving there (as today), it still gets their hopes up,and that's no fun. Right now, I'm hoping one of my climbing friends callssoon -- I can't get in touch with any of them, and don't really want toboulder.

Two bits of news from Al Jazeera.. first, Saddam is going home.As my conversation with a Frenchman yesterday prodded, I think I've come to theconclusion that Saddam Hussein wasn't bad for Iraq -- quite the contrary. Iraqis part of the, from my perspective, primitive parts of the world, with aregressive, dangerous worldview, so my expectations for it are quite low, butgiven the qualities of the masses and the politics of the area, it may be thata better system that's stable is not yet possible there. Saddam, like Tito,did an admirable job keeping the country together, achieving relative stabilityin a country with internal divisions far more different than ours. His actions,even the killings and other things that bring us great revulsion, bear thoseaims out. Not everything he has done can be excused, nor would I want to livein such a primitive place, but he has actually surpassed the low standards Ihave for that region. This present American experiment in establishing a moreadvanced government there will prove interesting. The stakes are high -- itwould be a disaster if Islamic law were to be introduced in Iraq.. a regression.Perhaps the Americans will succeed, or perhaps things will corrupt and fallapart. I consider it to be a stupid risk to have taken, but I watch with thesame skeptical interest that no doubt was similarly present in those watchingto see if/how communism could be established in relatively backwards countrieswithout disaster. Perhaps a better job will be done in this experiment. Ifit fails, I hope that Saddam can be restored to power.

The second story is that Disney is apparently to release a feel-goodpropogandafilm, perhaps meant to be in the context of Moore's F911 film. Interesting.