So maybe you’ve heard of the flypaper strategy and maybe you haven’t. In a nutshell, it’s the idea that by occupying Iraq, we can redirect terrorists who would normally be killing civilians in America, or say, Spain, into attacking our troops on the ground there, who are better equipped to deal with that kind of thing. Leaving aside the problem that the soldiers in Iraq aren’t really all that well equipped to deal with terror attacks, and ignoring that the flypaper strategy is obviously not working, a radical thought occurred to me the other day:

If a low-intensity American occupation of Iraq is good for drawing terrorists out of their spider-holes, think how amazingly effective all-out civil war in Iraq would be! Rampaging mobs in the streets, sectarian massacres, brutal reprisals — what terrorist wouldn’t want to participate! I’m predicting now that if Iraq turns into a horrible, bloody mess, you’ll hear at least one person try to find the silver lining in this wise.

Larry Lessig tells the story of how he lost the Eldred case. What if he’s right? How do you live everyday feeling this way?

This case could have been won. It should have been won. And no matter how hard I try to retell this story to myself, I can’t help believing that my own mistake lost it.

No safety deposit box could be called self respecting if it does not contain at least three of the following five items:

1. 9mm handgun (extra clips of ammo are optional).
2. bound stacks of uncirculated currency, foreign and domestic (non-sequential serial numbers a must).
3. five to ten polaroids or other black-and-white photographs with criminal, sexual, or other deviant content.
4. forged papers (passport, drivers license, SSID card), in envelopes or folders labeled by false identity.
5. key to rented locker in bus/train terminal or garage/warehouse on outskirts of city.

In Chicago, I recommend the North Side Federal Savings and Loan Association.