Fabio

Knight Templar

The threat to men of great dignity, privilege and pretense
is not from the radicals they revile;
it is from accepting their own myth.
Exposure to reality remains the nemesis of the great
-- a little understood thing
--John Kenneth Galbraith

Miniver loved the days of old
When swords were bright and steeds were prancing
The vision of a warrior bold
Would send him dancing
--Miniver Cheevy, Edward Arlington Robinson
____________

John Kenneth Galbraith said the above following the country's slide into the Great Depression.

Ranger, simple person that he is, has given a lot of thought to George W. Bush's statement last Thursday to troops in Afghanistan that the goat screw they are mired in is "in some ways romantic." And for once, Ranger totally agrees with Mr. Bush.

It is romantic, and Ranger learned this from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

Romantic:

• Having no basis in fact; imaginary
• Impractical in conception or plan
• Marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized

This definition is totally in sync with Ranger's view of the whole balagan. Now, President Bush is on board.

The last definition is, "constituting the part of the hero especially in a light comedy." The problem is, George's most excellent adventure is neither a comedy nor a romance for those playing the parts in real life.

While availing ourselves of the dictionary, we also checked Walter Mitty: "An ordinary, often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs."

The office of President is not a job for a Mitty or a Cheevy. Not in real life.