Howl! Howl! Howl! Howl! Howl!

Cribbed from Holden's Gaggle Obsession:

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, go and look at what the President said in his remarks. Today's speech is one in a series of speeches that the President continues to make about the war on terrorism. It's important to understand the nature of the enemy that we face. This is a determined and lethal enemy with a clear strategy. The President outlined that strategy in his remarks. He quoted some of the leaders of this radical ideology that they seek to spread. And he laid out very clearly what their strategy is. I think you can go and look at some of the propaganda and comments that terrorists have made, and it clearly shows what their strategy and what their goals and what their beliefs are.

[snip]

Q But again, does he really believe that they could take over western countries like Spain and France?

MR. McCLELLAN: That's what their strategy -- go back and look at what the President said in his remarks, because he clearly spelled out what their strategy is. I'm not sure that he characterized it the same way as you just did.

Q Does he think that's realistic?

MR. McCLELLAN: Look at his remarks. They very much have a strategy --

Q He warned of a radical Islamic empire stretching from Spain to Indonesia.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- much like the strategy of communism to dominate and intimidate the world.

This is beginning to remind me of the madness of Lear. A ruler who would rather not rule, parcels his authority out to underlings unfit to take authority, and then retires to his dreams of glory.

We've even had the hurricane in Act III.

Now we have the war with a foreign country (okay, it's a bit out of order; work with me, here). And the king is reverting to delusions of previous grandeur. Now we have him imagining that one of the major religions of the world is synonymous with a nationalist political philosophy practiced by monsters like Lenin and Stalin. But this is not a religious war.

And I don't think there's a Cordelia waiting in the wings to die and bring the leader back to his senses.

I have a feeling this is going to end very badly.