Winning and Losing in Iraq

The picture is courtesy Michelle Malkin's Blog. As a former college rower, this satire (if you can call it that, although this happening right now in Washington), is very poignant. How easy, I often thought during a race, it would be to ease off the oar just a little, slam my legs down slightly less violently, thrust my arms forward with a little less strength, forget the race and dwell on my aching, burning muscles...

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...and then I would look over at my opponents, maybe a few seats up on us, maybe half a boat length up. Or, perhaps they were a few seats down on us with 500 meters to go. What to do? Ease up on the pressure and give in to the pain? Lighten up on the stroke and pray we hold our lead?

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I have been in races where my crew won during the last few strokes, after getting beaten by the other crew the entire length of the race - all 1900 meters prior. But the past is not always prologue. A race can be won or lost in the final 100 meters. But the necessary ingredients must be there - dedication and the will to win. Giving up is the surest way to lose.

"The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it." ~ George Orwell