Asian Affairs

" ... we have fought two more land wars in Asia" - George W. Bush, August 22, 2007.

"Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha...
Vizzini: [Vizzini stops suddenly, and falls dead to the right]" - The Princess Bride, 1987

Are we done talking about the VFW speech?

In today's WaPo, Jim Hoagland writes that"[Bush's] words invite examination of the mounting damage that Bush's approaches to the war in Iraq and to national security in general are doing to U.S. institutions in an American society that has significantly changed since 1975."

Which is fine, but I am more intrigued by the heavy reliance on"historian" in this speech [I know we have discussed this administration's obsession with history before]. Similarly, while most of the press has focused on his Vietnam analogy, I have seen little on his reading of the"Far East" [!]. The British empire, after all, was just as obsessed with history and Asia. Niall Ferguson should be pleased.

"I recognize that history cannot predict the future with absolute certainty. I understand that. But history does remind us that there are lessons applicable to our time, that we can learn something from history." George W. Bush, August 22, 2007.