JOHN CHUCKMAN ESSAY: A BRIEF GLIMPSE OF INSANITY

A BRIEF GLIMPSE OF INSANITY

John Chuckman

The following transcript was mailed to me in a plain brown envelope. The anonymous sender scratched a note about it being found by a peace-demonstrator in a dumpster near CIA headquarters in Langely, Virginia. I have no way of authenticating it, although the tone is clearly plausible. The first part is irretrievably blurred, and it appears that a good deal more is missing.

ULTRA TOP SECRET
EYES ONLY: NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

(THIS IS WHERE GREASE AND WHAT SMELLS LIKE SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE MAKE SEVERAL PAGES UNREADABLE.)

PRESIDENT: "By the way, Condi's happy 'bout your work at the UN."

CIA DIRECTOR: "Thank you, Mr. President. We're only too glad to help."

PRESIDENT: "Condi's gettin' transcripts twice a day. Can't say I'm happy 'bout
what I'm hearin', but she says it's good stuff we can use. She
calls 'em our bank account for defendin' democrat values.

"Ya got every one of them goddam UN ambassadors bugged?

CIA DIRECTOR: "If I may brag a little, Mr. President, we've even bugged the
apartment of the French ambassador's mistress."

PRESIDENT: "I knew you guys'd come through for me. I was kinda pissed-off ya didn't get more stuff tyin' al Qaedas in with Iraq. Nobody gonna tell me
different - them bastards is as tight as two liberahs in a pay
toilet."

(LOUD, PROLONGED LAUGHTER IS HEARD FROM BOTH PHONES.)

CIA DIRECTOR: "I'm sorry about that one, Sir, but we did try our best."

PRESIDENT: "Well, we all know Arabs is tricky about coverin' up their trail.
I reckon they're somethin' like Injuns.

"I got some other stuff here needs your help."

CIA DIRECTOR: "Yes, Sir."

PRESIDENT: "The Iraqs are pretendin' to destroy them El Sandwich missiles."

CIA DIRECTOR: "Mr. President, if I may, our best information indicates the al Samouds are being methodically destroyed."

PRESIDENT: "Well, I guess that jus' shows I got better information on that one
than you boyz. I know Iraq is pullin' a fast one, an' they ain't gonna get
away with it!"

CIA DIRECTOR: "Yes, Sir, how can we help?"

PRESIDENT: "Well, I want ya to get right in there an' bomb them missile sites."

CIA DIRECTOR: "If you recall, Mr. President, our last assessment rated those missiles as not being a serious threat."

PRESIDENT: "Damn, I know that, but we still gonna bomb 'em."

CIA DIRECTOR: "I don't see how we could do that, Sir, without killing a lot of
Iraqi technicians."

PRESIDENT: "It seems as ya'll ain't gettin' my drift here."

"I don't care 'bout their piss-ass missiles. Though we ain't exactly
gonna say that to the press.

"It is the goddam Iraqs we wanna bomb. They're screwin' things up for
us bad. How can I be expected to lead a war with them out there
smashin' up missiles? I mean this is serious, an' ya'll gotta get right on
it!"

CIA DIRECTOR: "But, sir, if we do that, we'll kill the UN weapons inspectors supervising…"

PRESIDENT: "Shiiit, ain't that jus' collateral damage? Ya gotta take risks in
war. Hell, I learned that back durin' Nam when I went
AWOL from the Texas National Guard on a hell of a bender.

"This here's war, an' it won't bother me none.

"Anyhow, it'll serve 'em right. What the hell they doin' over there
interferin' in my war? You boyz get a few dozen of 'em, an'
ol' Blix ain't gettin' in our way again any time soon."

CIA DIRECTOR: "Yes, Sir."

PRESIDENT: "Hell, we tried getting' 'em lost on wild goose chases with those
weapons tips of yours. It didn't do a lick of good. They still over
there nosin' into everything. They holdin' up my goddam war!

"An' the Iraqs destroyin' missiles is makin' me look bad. I'm
mighty puked of hearin' from Frenchies an' all them other whiners….

"I want ya'll to figure out the best way of doin' it. Maybe use them drain things of yours…"

CIA DIRECTOR: "Mr. President, you mean drones?"

PRESIDENT: "Use whatever gets the job done. Get some
suggestions from the Rummy an' the boyz

(THE TRANSCRIPT ENDS ABRUPTLY HERE.)