If you want to know when a war might be coming

I picked up a copy of Great Political Wit by Bob Dole a few months ago. I generally am not fond of politicians nor their (usually ghost written) memoirs.

But I have always had a high regard for Bob Dole. Self-effacing, a wounded veteran, a politician who always seemed to seek the best for his country rather than for his political career. I thought I'd give his book a shot. It has been sitting around in the stacks for many months now. I had to pull it out when the stack got so tall it was beginning to totter. Thinking to put it into storage for the time being, I am compelled to keep it out. Not literature, but there is such a gentle humor that is reassuring. Given what is happening with the budget and in particular the military budget, this particular quip caught my eye.

Rogers [Will] also claimed to be clairvoyant on the subject of future wars. "If you want to know when a war might be coming," he told audiences, "you just watch the United States and see when it cuts it starts cutting down on its defences. It's the surest barometer in the world."

Uh oh!