From CNN - Rumsfeld challenged Pentagon leaders to consider and discuss troubling issues, including whether or not the United States was capturing or killing terrorists at a faster rate than they were being created by extremists who preach hatred of the West.

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Rumsfeld’s memo is a word from the horse’s mouth after the barn door has been removed. Coming when it does, it’s about as useful as magically endowing a bullet with self-awareness after it’s been fired. It’s Ebenezer Scrooge having his epiphany but accidentally sleeping until Boxing Day.

Yes, it’s probably too late. And it’s certainly too little. But as you can see, it’s a bonanza for those of us who like manufacturing colorful metaphors.

What’s missing from the memo is the next thought that ought to come out of the bit referenced above. If we’re not capturing and killing terrorists at a faster rate than they’re being created… a logical next step in Rumsfeldian thought should be:

Is it possible to capture or kill terrorists at a faster rate than they’re being created? Or are we creating an increasing fertile environment for more anti-American extremism?

It’s nice that Rummy’s starting to have these thoughts. It’d be nicer if he’d started to have ‘em before we went to Iraq and set up the JihadLand theme park for aspiring American slayers (”Fight Actual Americans! Armed With Their Actual State-of-the-Art Gadgets! Develop Your Skills - And So Close to Home!”).

But then it would’ve looked like we were listening to the French. And that’s whole lot less acceptable than a few American casualties and a shortsighted War on Terror strategy. We have to have priorities, after all.