June 09, 2003

the administration's poet + mathematician

I wonder if Rummy thinks he's really Rumi.
The man who gave us, "The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" has another pearl for us. When asked about those ever-eluding WMDs, Rumsfeld responded, "We haven't found Saddam Hussein and I don't know anyone running around saying he didn't exist." See what he does with logic? Just think what the man could do for physics or medicine.

posted by Laila Lalami at 06:39 PM

Comments

It's not Rumi. Reasoning like that is pure Nasreddin Hodja. And if some guy who didn't wield awesome power said it I'd laugh and think him awfully clever....

Posted by: eldan on June 10, 2003 01:12 AM

What I don't understand is why the media aren't focussing on the far more obvious (and infinitley more frightening) implication of finding no WMD in Iraq.

If the pre-war reports provided by Rummy and friends are to be believed then the scale of Iraq's weapons stash was sufficient to pose a real and imminent threat to US security.

Surely in now that threat is greater than ever, any detterrence that existed has evaporated and anyone that does now have access to Saddams stock of goodies can reasonably be expected to put them to use as soon as they find the opportunity.


After all, what's to stop them?

It's much more usual (and in this case more comforting) to believe that politicians are a bunch of liars. But if they were telling the truth then they must currently be very very worried.

Posted by: Sean on June 11, 2003 03:49 PM

What he said is perfectly correct from the point of view of logic. What's your problem with his statements?

Posted by: karl on June 25, 2003 05:51 AM

Post a comment
Name:


Email Address:


URL:


Comments:


Remember info?