Quagmire

I won't even be so condescending as to start today's entry by saying that even a broken clock is right twice a day. That is just an expression of sour grapes, and I have none of those regarding President Bush's foreign affairs triumph.

Make no mistake, North Korea's capitulation on nuclear programs is a significant victory for Bush and a vindication of his tenacity in keeping with the six-party talks. I will not go so far as to say that it proves that John Kerry was wrong regarding North Korea (Kerry's criticised in the debates that Bush insisted on the six-party process of engagement or none at all instead of entertaining bilateral talks). Nonetheless, today's announcement marks an excellent development for the United States and the world that seems to have been arrived at by persistent engagement and continued diplomacy.

It's just too bad this White House hasn't put those tactics to use more vigorously, more often. On the heels of this foreign policy triumph, the weird, weird news continues to come out of Iraq, where the president spoke a lot about speaking softly then used the big stick. Did you hear where British servicemen are clashing with Iraqi police in Basra? Our own allies, and they're giving the business to the police units we've struggled to establish there. It's a madhouse.

Also: More and more, the United States military insists on approaching Iraq as a war of attrition (see today's Post). Recent history sez that, when the military starts crowing about body count, it's because concrete objectives and mission focii have dried up. I think Webster's should consider an update, such as this (writer's embellishment in italics):

quag·mire. Pronunciation: 'kwag-"mIr, 'kwäg- Function: noun. 1 : soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot 2 : a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : PREDICAMENT 3: a war of attrition

We're all very exercised about Hurricane Katrina and all, but I hope the nation's blahblahblah will get back to the war soon. Mebee after this weekend it will. We'll see.