Loose cannons

Realism

"When you see your soldiers being killed and injured one right after the other, it adds a sense of realism to the drill." — A Japanese army major on a computerised battle simulation.

Decades, sometimes

"It takes time to get troops to respect human rights." — Colonel Julian Villate, a battalion commander in Colombia's 12th Brigade, notorious for human rights abuses.

To overthrow the government?

"[George W. Bush in the first US presidential debate] underscored his party's long-held tenets that the federal government is too powerful and that the military needs to be strengthened." — New York Times.

He's smart ...

"More and more of our imports come from overseas." — George W. Bush on the campaign trail, quoted in Slate magazine.

Perceptive ...

"I think we agree, the past is over." — George again, talking to former presidential contender John McCain.

and he can add up too!

"There's about $4.6 trillion of surplus projected ... I want some of the money, nearly a trillion, to go to projects like prescription drugs for seniors. Money to strengthen the military to keep the peace. I've got some views about education ... I've got some money in there for the environment. But there's still a quarter unspent, about $1.3 trillion. I think we ought to send it back to the people who pay the bills." — George W. Bush, quoted in the October 1 New York Times.

From GLW issue 424