Ratzinger Burgher

One thing that correspondents seem to be forgetting in the appointment of Pope Benedict the Whatever is that every kid at the time would have been a member of Hitler Youth. It's like saying that my radical credentials can't be trusted because I used to salute the flag and sing God Save the Queen. Besides he did the wholly admirable thing of deserting his post.

I do wonder at the cardinals' appointment of someone nearly as old as the late Pontiff was when he died, given the prophecy that this would be the last Pope. Are they trying to aid those wacky American fundamentalists in bringing on the End Times?

II

The real reason I came here today is to share with you some thoughts on the soldiers in Iraq. I guess it's getting to them that most of the known free world thinks they're doing the wrong thing and should fuck off as soon as humanly possible but a comment by one of the servicemen will do nothing to persuade anyone of the rightness of their position: when asked about the protesters back home, he had this to say "Well I might think they were worth listening to if they were out here putting their life on the line for their country"

Consider the logic of this for a moment. Why the unholy fuck would someone who is vehemently opposed to the conflict be fighting in Iraq?!! It makes no sense whatsoever; it's double plus stupid. If he had said "Why aren't they putting their life on the line for [a cause they believe in]?" then that would be a credible comment. The obvious response to that, though, would be that activists regularly DO lie in front of bulldozers or venture overseas risking dysentry, kidnapping and so forth, often for the benefit of others not remotely connected to their own situation. People have died protecting animals and inanimate objects, for Gawd's sake.

And it is plain insulting to the aged, infirm, children etc etc. who are in no position to engage in active combat but who nevertheless are implacably opposed to the hostile invasion of Iraq.

Neither is the contention that these military meatheads are defending their country correct. There were no Weapons of Mass Destruction and so one can only conclude that charging into the Middle East under those circumstances is likely to provoke attack rather than prevent it.