Saddam's most dangerous failure was my topic back on Sept. 23. I explained why one kind of comparison of Saddam to Hitler was apt: he, like Hitler, has no vision for his country that outlives him.

I've been catching up on David Warren's work this evening, and found his essay, "Scorched Earth," of Dec. 21. David echoes pretty much the same theme. Read them both and see whether you agree.

David ends on a note I have not seen before. Because Saddam knows we are coming, and approximately when, the possibility for massive civilian casualties (caused by Saddam but blamed on the US) is high. Thus, the lesson of the Second Gulf War for the US may be that,

. . . the U.S. must in future act unilaterally, destroying such other enemies as Iran and North Korea entirely without consultation, and totally by surprise.

As the shape of the future battlefield emerges, it becomes easier to imagine a situation, in which humanity demands the end of all diplomacy, except what can be done to patch things over "after the fact".