An Ecstasy of Fumbling

James Lileks reviews Kurt Vonnegut's totally predictable pronouncements against Bush and the war. Of course, Vonnegut has to push the envelope by claiming that dulce et decorun est to die for what you believe in, even if it's something as vacuous of disporting oneself with 72 dark-eyed virgins (or raisins) or a bloodthirsty god who rewards the murder of innocents.

I read Slaughterhouse 5 and thought it was pretty bad. I assumed that it was hailed because it's main point was that the Allied bombing of Dresden was a more horrific atrocity than Hiroshima.