The Wisdom of the Ancients

Back in the 1940s, US Army advice to American soldiers included "There are also political differences in Iraq that have puzzled diplomats and statesmen. You won't help matters any by getting mixed up in them." More in PDF form. Via Danger Room and Robert Farley.

Comments

Page 7 of the book:

"And even more, Iraq has great military importance for its oil fields,"

No sh1t Sherlock!

Posted by TDE | June 13, 2007 1:14 PM

Years from now you'll be telling your children and maybe your grandchildren stories beginning, "Now when I was in Baghdad -- "

Posted by otto | June 13, 2007 1:55 PM

"If you should see grown men walking hand in hand, ignore it. They are not 'queer.'"

LOL.

Posted by b.schac | June 13, 2007 2:09 PM

Wow, that guide sounds so...sensible

Posted by graeme | June 13, 2007 9:47 PM

Matt are you a Stargate SG-1 fan? If so, we share a special oddity.

Posted by jvoe | June 14, 2007 1:10 AM

Wow, it's fabulous, thank you for pointing to this! It's so "down home American vernacular" in the language, but manages to get some very sophisticated points across.

It would be interesting to find out who the writers were, there were a hell of a lot of very talented draftees doing this kind of thing.

For some reason it reminds me of the infamous "Kilroy was here," which I have interpreted from seeing it in WWII high school yearbooks and the like as the weary American Joe being dragged to strange places, taking a peek, shrugging his shoulders, leaving a mark to remember him by, and going happily home.

Posted by artappraiser | June 14, 2007 1:48 AM