"War Doth Make Murderers of Martyrs"

	One aspect of JMS that impresses me most is his understanding that
history, like math and science, is a universal constant.  How many times
has Pickett's Charge or Bosnia been repeated in human history?  So then,
how many times in UNIVERSAL history, on planets unknown and by races yet
undreamed of.  Just as 2 + 2 always equals 4, we are all, in similar
situations capable of making the same mistakes.  Life itself is the
greatest drama, the greatest comedy, truly the greatest tragedy,
constantly playing on a hundred billion stages.
	FDR's Lend-Lease Act of WWII, as noble as it sounds, was Britain's
burden and America's shame.  The LLA was FDR's attempt to sidestep policy
in his struggle to get congressional support for US military intervention
in Europe, very similar to the situation Sheridan faces with the Narn.
But do you really think sanctions and embargoes and a few extra guns can
win a war?  (Compare the effectiveness of Operation Desert Storm to Desert
Shield.  Or do you really think sanctions ended apartheid in South
Africa?) The only truth here is that there's no force in the universe
greater than the power of an idea whose time has come.  Minds and thoughts
turned into actions win or lose wars.
	Until the end of 1941 Britain truly stood alone and the only good
that came of it was when Churchill said "This was our finest hour."  It
truly was THEIR finest hour.  How much longer before the Narn can make
this same beleaguered boast?
	And what about Churchill?  Do you actually think you can impose
1990's political correctness on a 1930's figure and find a recognizable
hero?  We find our idols by viewing history selectively, keeping that
which we agree with while discarding that which fails to fit.  Sheridan is
now finding out that truth is not always a pleasant thing, but a hero is
anyone who recognizes the truth in a situation and acts appropriately.
War is ugly, horrible, and inhumane.  Go back and watch ST:TOS "A Taste of
Armageddon" if you need a lesson.  Even Shakespeare recognized that war
doth make murderers of martyrs.  Read Henry V, Act III, scene iii, lines
33-43 to see how even the grandest souls become butchers when war
confronts them (these are arguably the most authentic lines uttered by
Shakespeare's overly ennobled Hal).  You simply can't make war politically
correct -- don't even try!
	Next, I've observed that many people seem to be having trouble
with "We/I stand between the shadow and the light/the candle and the
star." IMHO the problem comes from taking the whole concept entirely too
literally.  The Minbari don't stand between the Vorlons and the Shadows in
a military or diplomatic sense, but rather in something a bit more
Lovecraftian.  Like the aliens in Lovecraft's mythos, the Shadows have
been cast out, imprisoned perhaps, and the Minbari are their gate.  But
something happened 2,000 years ago - something that caused a weakening of
the Minbari who are the very power holding the Shadows in check.  Ever
since then the Shadows have been creeping through, biding their time,
building their forces, and waiting, waiting for a time when they can again
sweep their hand of darkness across the galaxy.
	Through all this, one question remains unanswered with no clue
ever given.  What happened to cause the Minbari souls to take on human
form and weaken the crucial balance that has held back the Shadow forces
for countless eternities?  Perhaps we'll never know, but I'll bet that the
answer would tell us much.
	Finally, I've heard it commented that the reason why the Earth
Alliance hasn't stepped into the war between the Centauri and Narn is
because they're still rebuilding following the Minbari War.  Sorry, but I
don't buy that.  With the exception of actual wartime, the periods
immediately following a war are historically the most productive for the
military and its personnel.  POF, the number of military patents issued
from 1945-1952 was nearly double that of those issued in the years
preceding the war.  Military contracts are still being filled and there
often remains a general feeling of insecurity that is comforted by a
strong military presence.  If anything, the Earth Alliance should be
considerably stronger and better supported now than before the war.  Don't
forget, 10 years have passed, plenty of time to rebuild and resupply.
	The Earth Alliance simply has too much internal conflict to be
bothered with the affairs of other races.  It's a narrow view, but sadly a
historically correct one.  And remember, Kosh told Sinclair to "Let them
pass."  Perhaps this time keeping out of it is the best course of action.
Unfortunately, I get the impression that for the EA another Pearl Harbor
is on the way.  Perhaps Franklin's father will be at Ground Zero when it
hits.  That was, after all, a hell of a setup.  But ultimately I have no
doubt EA will end up in the middle of this conflict, for better or worse.
Fortunately, we only have to watch it.

					Hakuna Matata,
						The Big Cat
	Melody: marry me.
		jms