I feel I must preface this confession. I’m pretty liberal. I believe in universal healthcare, choice, and all that stuff. That said, Donald Rumsfeld is responsible for one of my most used personal mantras.
Remember when there was a war, (that kinda is still going on but we’ve decided not to pay too much attention to all that) and Rumsfeld said “We go to war with the army we have, not with the army we want” and it was in response to American soldiers not having proper equipment? Remember that? I say that to myself all the time. It really helps me square my jaw and figure shit out.
I use it for everything! In the kitchen when I need 2 eggs and have only one. Me and my one egg army is all I have and I make do. Said it probably a billion times to myself during my installation, which was rife with technical difficulties. The phrase has a very pioneer spirit.
I’m also fond of something else he said that kind of got panned in the press, which was that the Iraq war was going to be a “long hard slog”. So when faced with a really difficult task I just take a deep breath and say: “This is going to be a long hard slog, and we go in with the army we have, not with the army we want.” Mental breakdown averted! Liberal shame sort of induced.
So I salute you sir! Thank you for your weirdly inspiring words. Too bad you’re still pretty much a war criminal.
