For Want Of A Nail The Command Is Lost

There's an old war-horse saying that goes like this...

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost.
For want of a horse, the king was lost.
For want of the king, the war was lost.

And so we open up the month of May with the realization a few of our troops in Iraq (but far more than the six relieved of duty) have literally sabotaged this nation's war efforts through their illegal behavior and mismanagement of prisoners. Our nation's prestege -- as fragile as it may in the Arab world -- has been damaged. Our POWs are in greater danger. And our investment of $87 billion (plus the supplemental $25 billion) just requested, just became more at risk.

Why?.... For want of a nail. THE NAIL BEING A LACK OF "COMMAND."

Time will tell just how far up the line of command this scandel will rise. Already some... even Republicans... are grousing about Rumfeld's resignation.

And then there is Guantanamo to consider... and its impact on the moral compasses of troops who see people being held without being charged and without rights to representation.

Are they terrorist...threats to American? How can any of us really know. This is an administration of secrets.

And secrets are the under underpinnings of rumors, poor moral, mixed messages, and "expected" behaviors, which are watched with a blind eye.

Might it be that our troops viewed this form of incarceration to be equivalent to dehumanizing all prisoners... and therefore anything goes?

If so, it's pay-back time for secrecy.