"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." - Gandalf There has been an attempt by some to use the Lord of the Rings as supporting evidence in the march towards War with Iraq. Yet the central message quoted above keeps coming back to me. Especially in light of Colin Powell's presentation this morning to the UN. Does Sadaam Hussein deserve to be overthrown? I daresay he does. I have said before that he deserves to be dragged through the street by his testicles. But just because someone deserves to be ill-treated does not mean that we have the wisdom to know when it is best to be the instigators of that treatment. It is clear to me that the Bush administration is dominated by individuals who are very "eager to deal out death in judgement." Yet none of them have, to me, demonstrated the wisdom necessary to comprehend let alone deal with the consequences of doing exactly that. It is that which dissuades me from joining the call for war more than any other factor. "All we have to decide is what to do with the time we are given." - Gandalf, again