One of the interesting things about The Trouble with Tom is the way that history regarded Thomas Paine. When he was alive, and part of the present, he was villified and died in near poverty. In the years after his death he was considered a rabble rouser, radical, and monster - the British government outlawed his publications. But his followers stayed loyal and as more and more people in succeeding generations read his writings, he gained in stature. Now, of course, he is regarded as critical to the American Revolutionary War movement and a national hero (Remember, "These are the times that try men's souls" as Washington crossed the Delaware? - thank you Mr. Paine!)

The point is what Thomas Paine did during his life never changed - there were never any disputes about what he wrote or thought or did. The change came in the way people and government viewed his actions - his history is set in cement, what we think of that history is the only thing that is fluid.

Which brings me to this. (A very excellent article on President Bush's recent statements from Slate.)

I hate it when politicians say things like "rewriting history". No one truly rewrites history, it is either history as it happened or it is fiction - it is either truth or a lie. It might be the barest truth (Japan attacked Pearl Harbor) or it might be a deeper truth (Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in response to a perceived threat from Europe and the U.S. that dates back to colonization issues of Asia from these regions.) In other words, there is always a reason why things happen, some of the reasons might suck, but they are there. (And no, I'm not justifying the attack on Pearl Harbor with this example, but I am saying there was more to it the Adm Yamamoto waking up with a desire to blow things up one morning.) History knows the reasons, it is our choice to know all that history can reveal.

Are you still with me?

President Bush stated on Veteran's Day that Democrats were trying to rewrite history by questioning the validity of intelligence reports which led to the Iraq War. This is not true, because it can not be done. History is set in stone. The question is why did those historical events occur - at the time they seemed to occur for one reason (intelligence reported WMDs in Saddam's arsenal) and now, they might have occured for another reason entirely (the White House sought to invade Iraq and used faulty/misleading intelligence to support its wishes). Either way, the war happened. What history does not know, is the entire story behind why it happened.

And that is something that will come out eventually - it always does. But it will not be a rewrite of history, only more history. And whether they are asking their questions for purely political reasons or not, the fact remains that there are questions about why this war started, and questions of such magnitude should certainly be answered.

The other thing that bothers me, is the claim that questioning the war is an insult to our soldiers in the field. It's interesting that anyone can say this when those questions are what saved so many soldiers during the Vietnam War. If the anti-war movement had not so galvanized the nation then Vietnam could have dragged on even longer (if you can believe that), and history has proven this. I don't know - read a war book, a good war book and you will often find that soldiers just want to come home, that they want to be appreciated, that they want their "normal" lives back. I don't recall reading in The Things They Carried or The Hidden War or A Soldier's Tale that they were concerned about the individuals who were questioning the political maneuverings behind the war's origins. (And don't even get me started on Black Hawk Down.) I would think a greater insult would be leaving them to die out there with no concern about why they are there or how long they will gone. And I really hate the idea of hiding yourself behind a bunch of uniforms - don't question me ever because it insults the soldiers I put in harm's way. That is a feedback loop that really is incredibly sad, and also, quite frankly, makes me a little sick.

But that's just me, and I read a lot of history. Something tells me that the folks running this country don't.

Today was the Beatles and Springsteen's Tunnel of Love. We are big Beatles fans around here, because, well - everyone should be!