Besotted imaginary beasts
A Rough Beast Returns
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/opinion/afghanistan-kabul-biden-blinken.html
"National security" states, prepared for major war, so they proclaim, have become unwieldy for handling less-than-war conflicts (global), police actions (Korea), protests (global), natural disasters (global), rebellions (near global), terrorism (global), and a slew of other disruptions.
ICBMs, nuclear bombers, stealth craft, boomer subs, satellite death rays, 5,000 US military bases, millions of troops, thousands of spoiled brat generals, war wonks, grim-thought tanks and bloated military contractors, are more like a richly costumed and oft-celebrated religious cult than a genuine fighting machine, no matter the dinky special forces creeping around terra firma, seas, skies and who knows what intimate hideouts like bin Laden's.
Commentary like this column compares favorably to those of the arts and home and health sections, melodrama maximum, advice to the lovelorn, the sickly, the social aspirant, the drugged and infinitely bored, the Ivy-League/military academy lobotomized, but with little substance beyond an OMG quipfest.
Imaginary wars have besotted the best and brightest of word-war gamesters, as if sharp-tongue lit is the real combat, and why not, what else can newspaper opinions (and comments) offer except chitchat arm-chair rah rah rah, nah nah nah.