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May I suggest that instead of encouraging us to read your essay because you spent much time researching it, that rather you take the more customary approach: catch our interest, tell us what you're going to tell us, then tell us, then close by telling us what you told us and why this was important.

Usually folks read stuff because of some benefit to them, be that as simple as amusement or pleasure, or something more informative, inspiring or useful.

Except for fan boys reading their hero's scribblings, people don't usually read stuff because the author labored long over the research, nor because it has many good links, nor even because it is written by one of the finest thinkers of our time <grin>.

Your closing actually does that ... you're warning veterans of the current war and those of us who would blog and write in their support, that we're about to see the next chapter in the Book of Swiftboating -- False Claims of Atrocities Committed by American Soldiers, and you encourage us to respond this time with more focus, awareness and speed, informed by the lessons of history which you so kindly provided.

But your opening doesn't clearly make the connection between the history of Swiftboating and this repeat threat. It only implies it, subtly, in the quote from Santayana. It does not boldly alert us to the possibility that we are about to be hit with another tsunami of slander against our finest, nor explicitly and in plain speak offer us the opportunity to be better prepared and quicker responding this time around.

Woo us, romance us, entice us, or alarm us. Somehow draw us in before asking us to read more than about three sentences.

Oh - and thanks for the history and the warning. I suspect your warning is timely.

“Woo us, romance us, entice us, or alarm us. Somehow draw us in before asking us to read more than about three sentences.”

Is reading more than three sentences getting a bit too taxing for today’s “reader”? OK, how’s this? Now, let me muss up my hair and unbutton my top button before I write this.

Don’t you just adore the Swift Vets? Do you want to read (sigh) more? John Kerry is planning a HUGE comeback in the NEXT election cycle to try to (”try” being the operative word here) GASP, HAUNT them!

Now class, don’t forget to read “See Spot Run”.

Puhleese! Also, to LucyT, chuckle, no I am not a Democrat. (By the way, Democrat is spelled with a capital “D” in your instance.)

Thanks, AJ

...and despite the back and forth, I took what you said seriously. If I do another piece, I’ll keep your comments in mind. You are not the first to allude to me using ten words when one will suffice! But then again, I’m not a professional writer.

Be well, AJ, and be on guard for next March. I think the folks behind this new WSI are making a big mistake, in thinking that this will be like 1971. It won’t be.