The Zen Master and The Little Boy
Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson’s War is a book I have read many times. Good literature does that. It brings you back because of the characters and the story and the complex truths distilled into relatable metaphors. This was one of the few non-fiction books whose cinematic version stayed true to the author’s beautifully manipulative presentation of ambiguous truth… truth only evident with the advantage of hindsight.
Recent events never have the advantage of hindsight, but if we’re smart we’ll pull a book back off the shelf and see if history can be a guide.
Charlie Wilson made a bold gamble that paid off. Our enemies were defeated with relatively little loss of American blood and treasure. Thoughtful civil servants dedicated to American values executed the gambit that led to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
We need risk takers and seasoned federal government employees dedicated to Constitutional values now more than ever. We’ve been plagued by years of mediocre leadership and a lack of focus on core American values. I thank God our members weren’t purged when the COVID mandates hit. Americans still enjoy the unwavering support of a whole lot of folks just like Gust, the son of a soda pop maker.
It would be rare deviation from the norm, because history usually just violently repeats itself, but if we stay focused on service to country, citizens, and the Constitution … maybe retrospective literature about current events will be less poignant than the story still playing out in Afghanistan.