Thursday, April 06, 2006

Shut Up and Go Change Your Armor

Many of us are fed up with Iraq’s failure to form a government over the past five months since the country’s parliamentary elections. Prime Minister al-Jaafari appears to be incredibly inept. But the WSJ’s James Taranto takes issue with the strategy suggested by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) for dealing with the problem (here under the heading French-Looking, Ennui-Sounding).

Senator Kerry says, “Iraqi politicians should be told that they have until May 15 to put together an effective unity government or we will immediately withdraw our military.” Taranto taunts Kerry, saying, “So Kerry's idea of getting tough is to threaten to run away.”

This reminds me of Scene 33 of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where King Arthur and his less-than-valiant knights retreat from a vicious man-killing bunny rabbit. As they try to formulate a strategy, Sir Robin the Chicken Hearted, who has already soiled his armor in fear, suggests, “Would it help to confuse it if we run away more?” Arthur replies by telling him, “Oh, shut up and go and change your armor.”

This seems like an apt response to Senator Kerry’s suggestion as well.

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