The world is not as you read. Here in Hillsdale, Michigan, teaching, and reading an alarmist account about global warming–while freezing in an August downpour. Then turned to the supposedly horrendous reports of the economy and the ‘smashing’ effects of capitalism only to read Harvard now has a $34 billion endowment helped in no small part by this year’s 23% rate of return on investments (I had been wondering how they afforded the Larry Summers’ previous multimillion-dollar gifts to various women’s studies programs.) And then listening to a tape of Sen. Obama speaking to no applause as he described the hopelessness in Iraq–in direct antithesis to news reports coming out of Iraq detailing a fundamental change on the ground there.

On a side note: can’t Sen. Obama see the more successful spin emerging from more senior senatorial pros in his party?–after shrill warnings of failure in Iraq and the need to get out, they are now incrementally and insidiously readjusting their positions in the fog of war, in part through simple silence, in part by guarded acknowledgment about the surge’s success coupled with critiques of the Iraqi government: ready either to back off when news is bad, or evolve further if the surge improves.

In other words, besides their old fall-back position, they will also be in a position should Iraq stabilize with new cosmetic restoration: we were once for this war, but then the Pentagon brass, Rumsfeld, and the other incompetents did not send enough troops, mismanaged the occupation and lost our support. Finally, they listened to us hardheads, and our recommendations, sent in more soldiers, fired officials at the Pentagon, took our recommendations and got new people in Iraq, and, presto,they are starting to see the results we expected. It’s about time!