War Games

By Mad Dog
Published: Jun 24, 2009

I stopped playing "war" around the time I started reading. If that connection between war toys and books isn’t unique to me, it’s not surprising that men who seem never to have read a book are the loudest cheerleaders for a big stick in international matters. This time around, they see Iranians as brown-skinned, sword-wielding infidels. No point telling these guys that bombing Iran would kill a lot of people who watch “The Daily Show” — that is, people like us. Are you also puzzled about men (and, I guess, some women) whose first response to crisis is to ratchet up the threats? Read War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning and consider its spooky thesis: Some of us are addicted to bloodshed.