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I graduated a couple credits short of minors in Physics, History and English – and wound up with a degree in Political Science. I have a bad habit of being curious about almost everything.

That Political science degree was Charlie Winslow’s fault.

He was your classic absent-minded professor, to the point where the Political Science department had to place his office right across from the secretary – so that she could make sure that he made it to class. The funny and brilliant are often out of touch with reality.

I keep telling myself that.

I graduated a couple credits short of minors in Physics, History and English – and wound up with a degree in Political Science. I have a bad habit of being curious about almost everything.

That Political science degree was Charlie Winslow’s fault.

He was your classic absent-minded professor, to the point where the Political Science department had to place his office right across from the secretary – so that she could make sure that he made it to class. The funny and brilliant are often out of touch with reality.

I keep telling myself that.

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When Israel assassinates a terrorist leader, it is routine for pundits and politicians to express shock and horror at Israel’s barbarity. These armchair generals go on to wonder aloud if targeting such people is effective and justify their credulity by saying that ‘we will get another one just like him’.

There is truth to that. We DO tend to get ‘another just like him’.

But not quite. Leaders are leaders because they are generally more capable than their underlings. And, when you kill that leader, the less capable underling takes his place.

When Israel assassinates a terrorist leader, it is routine for pundits and politicians to express shock and horror at Israel’s barbarity. These armchair generals go on to wonder aloud if targeting such people is effective and justify their credulity by saying that ‘we will get another one just like him’.

There is truth to that. We DO tend to get ‘another just like him’.

But not quite. Leaders are leaders because they are generally more capable than their underlings. And, when you kill that leader, the less capable underling takes his place.

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I’ve just finished Martin van Creveld’s paper, “How Not to Fight Terrorism”. Van Creveld is a writer and Professor at Hebrew University and offers a fascinating view of counter insurgency warfare.

He illustrates his points by giving us the reflections of Moshe Dayan, one of the most brilliant generals in Israeli history. If not THE most brilliant. Dayan should be required reading in every military academy.

General Dayan may not be Sun Tzu – but, he knows the kind of war that we are fighting today. And it’s the same kind of war that we lost in Vietnam.

I’ve just finished Martin van Creveld’s paper, “How Not to Fight Terrorism”. Van Creveld is a writer and Professor at Hebrew University and offers a fascinating view of counter insurgency warfare.

He illustrates his points by giving us the reflections of Moshe Dayan, one of the most brilliant generals in Israeli history. If not THE most brilliant. Dayan should be required reading in every military academy.

General Dayan may not be Sun Tzu – but, he knows the kind of war that we are fighting today. And it’s the same kind of war that we lost in Vietnam.

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I was attacked by my refrigerator this morning.

All that I did was pull out a bottle of milk and, when I closed the door, the refrigerator bit me on the ankle. And, that’s not all. Last week, I was attacked by a table, two chairs and a doorway.

You laugh, but I have scars to prove it. I even said bad words.

Have you ever had that ‘happen’ to you? Get mad at your hammer because it mashed your thumb? Swear at your car because it won’t start? Bang on your computer when it’s a little slow in connecting to the Internet?

I was attacked by my refrigerator this morning.

All that I did was pull out a bottle of milk and, when I closed the door, the refrigerator bit me on the ankle. And, that’s not all. Last week, I was attacked by a table, two chairs and a doorway.

You laugh, but I have scars to prove it. I even said bad words.

Have you ever had that ‘happen’ to you? Get mad at your hammer because it mashed your thumb? Swear at your car because it won’t start? Bang on your computer when it’s a little slow in connecting to the Internet?

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I was in a cab, on the way to the Jordanian city of Aqaba, and was talking with the garrulous driver when he asked me where I was from. I sat there for a second and thought about the truth. What was the truth?

I could have told him that I was from the U.S. That was true.

I could have told him that I was an Indiana boy from the northern suburbs of Indianapolis. That was even more true.

But, I decided to tell him what was the MOST true. I looked at him and said, “I’m from Israel.”

I was in a cab, on the way to the Jordanian city of Aqaba, and was talking with the garrulous driver when he asked me where I was from. I sat there for a second and thought about the truth. What was the truth?

I could have told him that I was from the U.S. That was true.

I could have told him that I was an Indiana boy from the northern suburbs of Indianapolis. That was even more true.

But, I decided to tell him what was the MOST true. I looked at him and said, “I’m from Israel.”

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